2004 Honda CR-V Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2004 Honda CR-V, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 54,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air conditioner” (21% of reports).
- 142engine and engine cooling complaints
- 54,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%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 conditioner: mentioned in 30 of 142 complaints (21%)
- First oil change: mentioned in 19 of 142 complaints (13%)
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 2004 Honda CR-V at $3,150, and half of them between $1,900 and $4,500.
Based on 36 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2015), 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 117 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 142 complaints, 21 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 2004 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.
While driving from southern california to northern california, the ac was working just fine when a high pitched squeal started coming from the engine. Lifting my foot off the gas seemed to help and the noise went away, but the noise came back, and a thumping sound started to come through and a…
I have a 2004 honda cr-v. I had my ac on and it began to grind. At first i thought it was my motor, but soon realized it was my air conditioner unit. I took it to the honda dealership, and they checked it out. Cost for the diagnostic - $106.00 cost to fix it: $4000.00 diagnosis:a/c compressor…
The vehicle was on the road going 60 mph when all of a sudden heard like a explosion sound and it made us scared and made us nervous to drive it we have put 3 compressors total. 2 compressor alone and another compressor with the whole things like fans, radiator,for air conditioner hose,etc…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Honda CR-Vs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 142 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2004 Honda CR-V (28% of the 501 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 2004 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 54,000 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 2004 Honda CR-V?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,150 (half paid between $1,900 and $4,500), from 36 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2004 Honda CR-V?
The most frequent phrase is “air conditioner”, in 30 of 142 complaints, followed by “first oil change” (19).
Other 2004 Honda CR-V problems
- Air Bags problems (103)
- Electrical System problems (73)
See all 2004 Honda CR-V problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all CR-V years.