2003 Honda CR-V Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 86 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Honda CR-V, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 64,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air conditioning” (16% of reports).
- 86engine and engine cooling complaints
- 64,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,800typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air conditioning: mentioned in 14 of 86 complaints (16%)
- Oil filter: mentioned in 13 of 86 complaints (15%)
- Compressor blew: mentioned in 7 of 86 complaints (8%)
- Engine compartment: mentioned in 7 of 86 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2003 Honda CR-V at $2,800, and half of them between $2,150 and $5,050.
Based on 22 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 69 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 86 complaints, 12 a fire.
Honda CR-V engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 CR-V | 1 | 0% | 50 |
| 2021 CR-V | 3 | 1% | 41,250 |
| 2020 CR-V | 1 | 0% | 112,000 |
| 2019 CR-V | 4 | 0% | 85,000 |
| 2018 CR-V | 15 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2017 CR-V | 10 | 1% | 110,500 |
| 2016 CR-V | 2 | 1% | 73,490 |
| 2015 CR-V | 12 | 2% | 500 |
| 2014 CR-V | 3 | 1% | 2,864 |
| 2013 CR-V | 2 | 1% | 22,015 |
| 2012 CR-V | 2 | 0% | 27,100 |
| 2011 CR-V | 7 | 1% | 4,800 |
| 2010 CR-V | 8 | 2% | 2,679 |
| 2009 CR-V | 7 | 2% | 29,850 |
| 2008 CR-V | 19 | 2% | 49,084 |
| 2007 CR-V | 15 | 2% | 60,250 |
| 2006 CR-V | 12 | 3% | 45,750 |
| 2005 CR-V | 20 | 4% | 37,000 |
| 2004 CR-V | 142 | 28% | 54,000 |
| 2003 CR-V | 86 | 18% | 64,000 |
| 2002 CR-V | 58 | 11% | 74,500 |
| 2001 CR-V | 24 | 17% | 87,185 |
| 2000 CR-V | 15 | 12% | 83,000 |
| 1999 CR-V | 16 | 13% | 100,000 |
| 1998 CR-V | 9 | 7% | 112,531 |
| 1997 CR-V | 6 | 6% | 149,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Honda CR-V. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the engine fan was inoperable causing the engine to overheat. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the thermostat, but the failure…
On my 2003 honda at around 66,000 miles the air conditioning quit working. Although i hardly use a/c since i only have a short drive to work. I took the vehicle into a honda dealer. It was reported that the a/c blew up and was contaminated throughout the system. I had to replace everything…
Heater core leaking into passenger side and dripping on passenger's foot. Passenger was not injured but potential for burn. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Honda CR-Vs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 86 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Honda CR-V (18% of the 468 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Honda CR-V engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 64,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Honda CR-V?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,800 (half paid between $2,150 and $5,050), from 22 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Honda CR-V?
The most frequent phrase is “air conditioning”, in 14 of 86 complaints, followed by “oil filter” (13).
Other 2003 Honda CR-V problems
- Air Bags problems (125)
- Electrical System problems (62)
See all 2003 Honda CR-V problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all CR-V years.