r/crv

Hi all, this will be my first car ever, so please bear with me. I have zero background in car maintenance. I'm choosing between two used Honda CR-Vs:

- 2013 CR-V LX, 184k miles, $5,800

- 2014 CR-V EX, 200k miles, $7,500

My budget is tight so I'm leaning toward the cheaper LX, but I'm worried about buying into a pile of mechanical problems at that mileage. A few things I'd love input on:

1. At 180k-200k miles on this generation of CR-V (2012-2016), what are the most common failure points or "expect to replace this soon" items I should budget for?

2. Is the ~$1,700 price gap justified by the extra features on the EX, or is that basically just paying for trim, not reliability?

3. For someone who knows nothing about cars, what should I specifically ask the seller for (records, etc.) or check before buying?

4. Is a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) worth it here, and roughly what should one cost / what should the mechanic focus on for a car this age?

5. Any glaring red flags I should watch for, especially since the car may end up used in a state that salts roads in winter?

Really appreciate any guidance! Trying to make sure my first car isn't a money pit before I even learn how to change my own oil.

I'm looking for a 2026 CR-V Hybrid Sport L.

After talking to several dealerships, I found the following deal:

MSRP: $40,175

DCH price: $37,675

DMV fees: $696.89

DOC fees: $85.00

Taxes: $2,926.40

Total: $41,383.29

If I finance with Honda, I'll receive a $750 rebate, bringing the final price to $40,633.

PS: I'm using Costco Auto Program.

Do you guys think this is a good deal? I'm wondering if I should hire Delivrd to help me.

Hi

CRV 2016 about to complete 150K. Any preventive maintenance required?

Thanks for your advice, in advance

Regards

We get it! We know about the issue and you hate Honda! Seek help! 🙄

I had a gen5 CRV that I had no mechanical issues with over 170,miles except having to replace rear calipers at 60,000 miles.

Currently have a 24 exl, what can I do maintenance wise to make that same thing not happen to this one?

2015 CRV EX-L 4.2L FWD

I’ve been having this issue for months now, tried searching I here but couldn’t find an exact match of my problem.

It started at the beginning of summer, on cold starts, when pressing the start button, the engine would begin cranking then crank for 2-3 seconds before starting. Usually it starts right up in less than a second.

Did some research that said could be the battery, starter, wiring issue, some fuel runoff issue or dirty terminals. Not exactly helpful, and it still started, so I put it off. ChatGPT actually suggested something useful, putting it in accessory mode before starting to bypass the fuel runoff issue. That technique has been working great.

A few weeks later, starting cold, 2-3 second crank, then all my dash lights came on. Got codes read, came back as a faulty crankshaft sensor. Restarting it a few times usually made the lights go away. But on a few occasions, it wouldn’t go away and one time it was even in limp mode.

Got a new crankshaft sensor installed (not cheap). Still happened intermittently.

2 weeks later, NOT a cold start, engine just wouldn’t turn over as if the battery was dead. Got it jumped, went to autozone to test the battery and alternator, everything tested fine. Over the next 2 weeks same thing would happen, randomly, not always on cold starts, the battery would need a jump.

Got a new battery 2 weeks ago. Everything was fine until last week when my gf tried to start it without putting into accessory mode first. All dash lights came on, and went into limp mode. Restarting a few times got it out of limp mode, but the lights all stayed on until the next day.

Since then I’ve had maybe 10 percent of my starts be sluggish again, 2-3 seconds, and the lights haven’t come back on, but I’ve been always putting it in accessory mode before starting.

I’ve ruled out the crankshaft sensor, alternator, terminals and the battery, what else could be causing this issue?

My wife and I are shopping for our next vehicle and would love some real-world experiences. We're hoping to have our first child soon, so we need something that can comfortably handle a rear-facing car seat, stroller, our 67 lb dog, and luggage. We probably do 2 longer road trips a year, but only drive around 10k miles/year otherwise. We're planning to keep the vehicle 8–10+ years, so long-term reliability is more important to us than resale value. We're also trying not to go crazy, so we're targeting roughly $30–36k, keeping monthly payment under $400.

We've been looking at:

2025 Tucson Hybrid Limited AWD

2023 CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring AWD

2024 CR-V Hybrid Sport-L AWD

The Tucson is tempting because of the features, higher hp power and newer model year, while the CR-V has the longer-established hybrid track record and reputation for reliability. We're also open to gas-only SUVs if there's a compelling reason, since at only ~10k miles/year the fuel savings aren't necessarily huge

Particularly interested in long-term reliability, hybrid/battery/powertrain issues, real-world MPG, comfort with kids/dog, and road-trip experience. If you've driven or cross-shopped these, what made you choose one over the other? Looking for real-world ownership experiences rather than the usual "Honda/Toyota good, Hyundai bad" internet opinions.

2014 cr-v with about 80K miles. Symptoms - occasional clicking-no start condition. Tests done - measured voltage at batt. terminals = 12.4V. With engine running = same 12.45V. Installed new remanuf. alternator and new battery. Tests - with running engine = voltage raises to 14.5V, then drops within a second or two to 13.5V, and steadily (within 5-7 seconds) drops to 12.4V. fuse is good. The ground point is cleaned. the batt. posts and cable terminals were cleaned. Alternator bought from Rockauto.

What could be the problem?

I am getting conflicting info… I have a 2024 CRV and the dealer told me that I should change the oil every 5,000 miles. But the maintenance minder and Honda owners manual seem to indicate waiting until oil is at 15%.

I am getting close to 5000 miles and oil life shows 50%.

I did buy an extended warranty from this dealer and wondering if the every 5000 miles rule keeps the warranty intact.

Otherwise, I can’t get a clear answer.

Any thoughts?