Honda CR-V Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 558 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Honda CR-V across 29 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (122). The words owners use most often: “low beam” (41% of reports).
- 558exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $800typical repair cost reported by owners
- 35%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.
- Low beam: mentioned in 227 of 558 complaints (41%)
- High beams: mentioned in 78 of 558 complaints (14%)
- Headlights failed: mentioned in 42 of 558 complaints (8%)
- Side headlight: mentioned in 33 of 558 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the Honda CR-V at $800, and half of them between $270 and $1,150.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2025), 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 exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 399 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 558 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 3 an injury.
Honda CR-V exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 CR-V | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2025 CR-V | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2024 CR-V | 9 | 2% | — |
| 2023 CR-V | 5 | 1% | — |
| 2021 CR-V | 4 | 1% | 9,000 |
| 2020 CR-V | 7 | 2% | 4,000 |
| 2019 CR-V | 9 | 1% | 2,575 |
| 2018 CR-V | 12 | 1% | 9,900 |
| 2017 CR-V | 22 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2016 CR-V | 2 | 1% | 11,847 |
| 2015 CR-V | 6 | 1% | 27,000 |
| 2014 CR-V | 21 | 4% | 570 |
| 2013 CR-V | 32 | 8% | 2,000 |
| 2012 CR-V | 14 | 3% | 11,053 |
| 2011 CR-V | 3 | 1% | 1,050 |
| 2010 CR-V | 6 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2009 CR-V | 3 | 1% | 62,000 |
| 2008 CR-V | 4 | 0% | 98,000 |
| 2007 CR-V | 2 | 0% | 43,850 |
| 2006 CR-V | 118 | 30% | 77,728 |
| 2005 CR-V | 122 | 25% | 85,000 |
| 2004 CR-V | 39 | 8% | 97,000 |
| 2003 CR-V | 39 | 8% | 120,500 |
| 2002 CR-V | 60 | 12% | 134,567 |
| 2001 CR-V | 2 | 1% | 55,000 |
| 2000 CR-V | 3 | 2% | 81,000 |
| 1999 CR-V | 3 | 2% | 190,000 |
| 1998 CR-V | 4 | 3% | 33,000 |
| 1997 CR-V | 2 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Exterior lighting:headlights:switch
Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v; model year 2003 through 2005 pilot; and model year 2002 and 2003 civic vehicles. In march 2012, honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v and certain model year 2003 pilot vehicles. In august 2012, honda informed the agency that it was including an additional 820,789 vehicles including certain model year 2004 and 2005 pilots and model year 2002 and 2003 civics. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,375,217. Due to tension from the combination switch wiring harness, wear on the surface of the electrical terminal can occur, yielding copper oxide, which increases electrical resistance. Increased electrical resistance may cause the terminal ends to melt within the wiring harness connector.
Risk: If the terminal ends melt within the wiring harness connector, the low beam headlights may become inoperative, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. The original recall began in april 2012. Owners of vehicles involved in the september 2012 expansion will be notified in september 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The headlights are reflective instead of projector headlights. When driving at night you canât fully see the road ahead. I was turning and almost hit a pedestrian.
Since approximately mid-2024, my 2017 Honda CR-V has intermittently displayed a cascading series of dashboard warning lights, including TPMS, ABS, VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist), EPS (Electric Power Steering), Brake System, Hill Start Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking…
Flashing through brightness settings by itself, low through dark and runs in loop whenever sunlight hits it directly. It looks like the auto dimming is getting crazy when sunlight hits directly. Reported issue with Honda. They issued a service bulletin (19-066) to the dealers to update the radio…
While driving on the highway with my child in the vehicle, all dashboard warning lights suddenly turned on at once. Immediately after, the vehicle began to shake, lose power, and would not accelerate properly. The vehicle was jerking and pulling back and forth, creating a dangerous situation in…
[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda CR-Vs have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 558 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Honda CR-V. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda CR-V exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the Honda CR-V?
Owners report a typical cost of $800 (half paid between $270 and $1,150), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Honda CR-V?
The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 227 of 558 complaints, followed by “high beams” (78).
Other Honda CR-V problems
- Electrical System problems (2,505)
- Air Bags problems (2,393)
- Engine problems (2,276)
- Steering problems (1,765)
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (1,351)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (1,182)
- Power Train problems (1,017)
- Service Brakes problems (845)
See all Honda CR-V problems.