Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am hoping, that by bringing this to your attention, something can be done to fix the poor headlights on Honda crvs.. We have had many 1990-1991 Honda accords that didn't seem to have an issue with headlights. We have a 2006 Honda crv, and now own a 2013 Honda crv. The headlight lamps would burn out often on the 2006 crv figuring the age and about 250,000. But on checking out possible solutions for our 2013 lack of good lighting at night, I found these blogs on the links below. So this is not a new problem and the safety issue is a big one! Do we need an accident or worse yet a death to get this taken care of? The 2013 headlights don't go out far enough on low beam and I don't use high beam often as it only shows the reflector lights and the road is dark in front of the vehicle! We live in deer country. …
I live in a dark mountain resort area in virginia. Although somewhat better in brightly lighted city streets, on darker streets and rural areas, it is almost impossible to see at night when making a turn. Both the high and low beam headlights are substandard and it is really dangerous to drive this car at night. This is not just my "opinion", other people have test driven my car at night and found it to be unsafe. The Honda CR-v headlight problem has been well documented on the internet and many formal complaints have been registered. I have tried several times to bring these safety concerns to the attention of my local Honda dealer as well as in a survey response sent out by Honda corporate. …
The airbag/seat belt red restraint light will not go out. The no seat belt alarm does not go off. The doors do not lock when the car starts moving. The seat belt light on the dash does not come on, etc. Brought it to the dealer yesterday and they said the whole control panel has to be replaced first before they can even fix anything! Something like a $400 part! Said it is not covered and they are going to contact Honda about covering it! Another safety issue! On a 2013 car with only 18,000 miles on it!
Very little night driving done and 6 mos. Spent in florida. Defective lights discovered sometime 2013. Can only see 20 feet of road at night without using high beams. Very dangerous driving. Dealer said specs. OK and refused to do anything to correct. Called Honda and they recommended taking to another dealer stating they had no complaints. Several complaints on line.
I purchased the vehicle from independence Honda in bloomsburg, pa. It was a Saturday close to closing time. The salesman and his boss were eager to make the sale, and said if you sign the papers today, name your price. All along knowing about the headlight issue/defect! I not knowing about the headlights, made the deal and paid in full. The following Monday I complained about a rattle and told them to adjust the headlights. They fixed the rattle and said the headlights were within specs or specifications! I would just have to get used to them! Still didn't like the insufficient visibility so I took the vehicle to a local mechanic. This mechanic said the internet is loaded with people complaining about Honda's headlights. He suggested I contact the dealership. The same day I called the dealership and asked to speak to the service department manager. …
The headlights on this vehicle do not provide adequate illumination. We are reviewing/considering aftermarket lighting to correct this situation. The low beams only project about 10 feet in front of the vehicle (even with the driving lights on) and the high beams are very dim and offer very little light immediately in front of the vehicle. When turning, there is not enough light to safely see the side road if there are no street lights. In rural areas, the dim lights make it impossible to see wildlife such as deer soon enough to safely avoid them. My crv has been returned to the dealer twice and they were able to make some adjustments to try to fix the problem. The dealer has told me that customers have complained about poor lighting for many years and nothing has been done. I have purchased high output bulbs and the improvement has been minimal. …
I purchased this car in March 2013. I live in a very rural area with no street lights, etc. It is pitch black at night. Believe it or not, I have not driven this car after dark until just recently. When driving I could hardly see much in front of me at all. The low beams are most inadequate and the high beams are useless. The road if front of the car was barely lit up at all. It was a very scary situation, has never happened with any other car I have owned. I went around a curve and almost drove off the road. And it was a clear night, no rain, fog etc. I paid over $30,000.00 for this car and am afraid to drive it at night!! As safety conscious as Honda is, I cannot believe that this situation is acceptable to them. It certainly isn't for me. Please, can you tell me if there is a solution to this problem ( changing bulbs, etc). …
The headlights keep blowing. Have been through 3 sets in 10 months! Taken it in to Honda, and they blame the consumer's improper installation as a cause. We had auto zone help us install them each time. Been complaining since day 1 that the headlights constantly dim and come back up. Honda blames the cars "small battery" as the reasoning behind it. Then if it's their "battery" that's causing it then make the space bigger! Also, on multiple occasions have noticed the car lags when hitting the accelerator. Has almost caused multiple collisions. You press the accelerator expecting the car to move, but it delays. Which is really dangerous when your trying to make a quick turn. Honda says "it's normal, all cars do it". There really needs to be recalls issued for these! These things are major safety issues! …
The headlights are atrocious, especially on high beam. There are dark spots all over the road, in the center of the road, and the road cannot be clearly seen. It is a safety hazard. I live in utah and traveling at night, the high beam headlights are so bad I could not see a deer or other wildlife if it were directly in front of me on the road. The low beams are almost just as bad. The road is not illuminated in a safe manner. This is a universal complaint (especially on the internet) and I cannot understand why the NHTSA has not looked into this. Unless on a well-lit street, the headlights are useless. The CR-v should be immediately recalled and Honda should be required to remedy this situation asap. Moreover, why do the CR-vs sold in europe have projector-type headlights and those sold in the us are the worst headlights ever. [redacted]
Brand new 2013 Honda crv. Worst headlights ever on any car I have owned. Nighttime visibility is horrible. Went back to dealer and they acknowledged problem but claimed inability to do anything about it. Contacted Honda in california several times and they assigned a case number. Replaced the stock bulbs with higher intensity ones and achieved marginal improvement. Only a question of time before people start dying because of this horrible Honda design. Please make Honda recall these defective cars and fix them. Dealer told me I should have test drove car after dark so that I would not have bought it. Other dealer told me Honda sells 300,000 of these cars a year some of them are bound to be defective. Internet is loaded with crv owners like me with the same complaint. Please look into this. Go get one of these cars and drive it. Come drive mine if you want.
Headlight complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2013 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the lights of the 2013 Honda CR-V, 8% of the model year's 382 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Honda CR-V headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2013 Honda CR-V, though it has 2 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 2013 Honda CR-V headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 2,000 miles, and 88% before 25,000 miles.
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.