Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that while performing an inspection of the vehicle, the contact became aware of severe corrosion on the forward mount of the rear trailing arm mounts on the driver's and passenger's sides. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the forward mount of the rear trailing arm mounts on the driver's and passenger's sides was severely corroded. In addition, the contact was informed that the corrosion was so severe that the vehicle was not repairable. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. …
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 20 MPH, the vehicle began to wobble after driving over a puddle. The contact's wife pulled over and discovered that the rear driver's side tire had sunken into the rear axle. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence and discovered that a portion of the sub frame where the failure had occurred was corroded. The contact called the dealer, and the failure was acknowledged; however, the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test and was referred to the manufacturer for additional assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while making a left turn, several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, and the steering wheel became significantly unsteady, causing a partial loss of vehicle control. Because the incident occurred within walking distance of the residence, the contact used a toy hauler to tow the vehicle to the residence. An inspection revealed that the rear passenger-side trailing arm had completely detached from the vehicle and punctured the subframe. Upon investigating the failure, the contact discovered that prior Honda models had experienced identical failures resulting from severe subframe corrosion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH approaching a red light, the rear trailing arm detached from the tire. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to dive to a parking lot. The vehicle was transported on a trailer by her father. The front door latch had become inoperable. The contact had to tie the door shut but was later repaired by her father. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 200,500.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle pulled to the left. The driver pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear driver's side wheel suspension assembly had detached and the control arm mounting point had separated from the body due to corrosion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 218,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear control arm detached. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 228,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact called on behalf of her son. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed and exiting a parking lot, the rear axle on the vehicle snapped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was declared a total loss. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
On Monday, April 21, I was traveling down a long hill (2 lanes up, 1 downhill) when my vehicle went into an uncontrolled, broadside skid into 2 lanes of oncoming traffic. I continued to skid back to the right side of the road, back to the left, and finally back to the right where I got it pulled onto the berm. Upon examination, my right rear tire was tilted outward at approximately 30 degrees. The wheel was totally locked up. I called a towing company as the vehicle was completely unable to be driven. A state police officer showed up, apparently called by a passerby, for traffic control and assess the safety of the situation. The car was hauled via tilt-bed truck to my local auto repair shop. One of the mechanics there told me his wife had the same vehicle, only a year older, that he been recalled due to this being and issue for 2011. …
Was driving my 2012 Honda CRV home from the store when the AWD light came on. By the time I got it home another light came on EPS. When I got out I noticed the drivers side rear tire looked tilted. Upon further inspection I could see that the control arm had fallen down along with the whole trailing arm from rust. After investigating I learned that there was a recall for this exact thing but only for 2007-2011 models. I called Honda and they told me to get it to a Honda dealership for diagnosis report so I haf it towed there. They said that if ut were the same issue as the recall that they could make an exception after a case manager reviewed everything. The Honda dealership documented that the rust on the underrails of the frame were critical for the overall integrity and safety of the car and that the control arms were rusted and broken through. …
TPMS warning light was on and then entire Dash lit up while steering was crooked on the column. Driving while incident occurred did not cause accident. disabled vehicle due to the same manufactured defects in the 2007 through 2011 Honda CRV models that have a recall on them my vehicle was manufactured August 2012 past cutoff date for the gen 3 model. Submitting this request for repair unable to drive the vehicle and it's current condition. This all due to the same manufacturer defect found on the rear control arm gen 3 body type and suspension of the 2007 through 2011 models same gen 3 should be repaired and accepted as a recall having exact same issue because it's the exact same type of model car.
Suspension complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2012 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the suspension of the 2012 Honda CR-V, 6% of the model year's 403 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Honda CR-V suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2012 Honda CR-V, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Honda CR-V suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 188,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.