Problems with 2004 Honda CR-V ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2004 honda cr-v lx. consumer writes in regards to strong vibration in front axle. *ld the consumer stated the instrument panel failed. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. the contact stated that the front driver's side door lock, power steering, and ignition switch malfunctioned. wolfchase honda (2982 n germantown pkwy, bartlett, tn 38133, (901) 255-3700) stated that the door locks needed replacement, but there was no guarantee that this would remedy the failure. in addition, the power steering was leaking fluid, but the dealer did not know if it was the steering pump or hose. the dealer stated that they would have to disassemble the power steering to diagnose the failure. the contact was informed that the power steering may last until march. the contact also had difficulty placing all four keys in the ignition. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Door remote will not open door - defective actuators

The door locks do not operate properly. you have to use the key in the drivers door to manually open it. the interior door lock switch will only unlock the front passenger door. you have to climb around inside the vehicle to open rear doors. to lock the doors you have to walk around to each door and open it to manually lock them to secure vehicle or crawl back through the vehicles interior to lock the doors. the remote can only open the front passenger lock even though you hear noises occurring trying to unlock the other doors. the remote is useless. this is not just an inconvenience but is a serious safety issue.

Stirring is locked. key won't turn. this happened 11082017. i was at a shell service station. car was in proper park position and should have started. mechanic couldn't start it either. problem being investigated. car has 172k.lucky there was a mechanic.went to fill up gas tank.

We were leaving a parking lot when we had to pull over and get out of the car. a very strong electric smell and smoke was coming from drivers side window area. we were all outside the car on a very busy city street because of this incident. after a while the smoke cleared and i went back into the vehicle to see if it would function. the rear windows were no longer functioning. had a friend take the family home and drove the car myself home and parked it away from the house. looked it up on the internet and found that a recall for the drivers side power window switch ( 12v486000 10/05/2012 2002 to 2005 crv )was made including 2004 crv models for this very issue. contacted honda support to find out why we were not notified. according to honda support, our model is not covered because we have a different vin than the same year models that were recalled for the very same issue. this is a serious driving and fire hazzard!. i am very dissapointed this is not something they take serious. we are original owners and have never received notice of this issue. they say it is my expense because my vin is not one included in the recall for this very same issue of the very same year and model. had to pay thousands for our air conditioner to be completely replaced shortly after we bought the car because of a later recalled issue with it that also was not covered at the time. used to be honda believers, but this kind of treatment is not sitting well.

My window came down on its own today and there was smoke and a very strong burning smell. i had a mechanic look at the driver side front window and he stated the insides were melted because some wires were burning. i read online that this has been a problem for these vehicles.

Car caught fire while parked. i did not receive a recall or warning notice. the electrical cables from driver door looks melted and fire spread quickly. firefighters had to be called and they had to wet the car and disconnect the battery. this mode vehicle and year shows 5 open recalls, but when i search by vin# it shows no open recalls. i was lucky not to be driving the car.

Faulty door locks causing the need to manually use the key and in the case of the rear doors - the inability to unlock from the outside. issue started with one door lock (driver rear) and now has started on the drivers door. this is a permanent default as it now does not function.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. when inserting the key into the ignition switch, the key fob failed to start the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 180,000.

The driver and passenger side door locks have failed. i cannot lock my car with the key on either side. i can only open from the inside. i'm resorting to keeping my driver's side door unlocked (a very dangerous thing). i first was unable to open the driver's side and days later, the passenger side also stopped working.

Passenger window got stuck about a week ago and delayed in rolling back up. once it rolled up i set the window lock button so it wouldn't accidentally happen again while having wet weather. yesterday, 1st sunny day, had rolled driver and front passenger windows down. parked and rolled up windows. when got back into car 10 minutes later, noticed bad smell and yellow smoke coming from main window control panel on door before even turning the ignition on. had to pull the fuse for the windows to stop it from smoking. this is the second time this has happened since i bought it off the lot. replaced part on may 21, 2011 and paid out of pocket. again honda is asking me to pay for inspecting and replacing of this problem. i should not have to pay for this! i return tomorrow night to pick up my car. *js

Nhtsa recall number: 12v-136 / service bulletin 12-023 - - the low beam headlights may become inoperative, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. the problem happens when parked or driving, city or highway travel.

Drivers side automatic lock failure lock will not work remotely or by manual key on going problem for the last 1-2 years sometimes intermittent, now not working at all as of above date (approx.)

Summary: while driving, the master power window switch overheated and began to emit a strong burning odor. afterwards the left rear window failed to operate. since i initially did not know where the odor was coming from, i went to the dealer the next day to see if they could find the source of the odor but they couldn't. after sniffing around, i found the source of odor, the master power window switch. i had the dealer remove the fuse for safety reasons. the dealer said the window regulator had failed but i suspect the failed switch burnt out the window motor. i was worry that the car would catch on fire. *tr

I have gone through 3 separate right low beam headlights in the past three years, got the recall notice for a short in the headlight system, had it fixed, and yet the right headlight keeps going out, even though the bulb is not burned out. dealer has no idea what is wrong, and believes it to be a fuse issue. this car is absolutely falling apart. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 12v486000 (electrical system, visibility) and 14v351000 (air bags); however, the parts needed were not available. the dealer was contacted. the contact believed that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall remedy. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v351000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. updated 8/19/15*cn updated 9/30/2015*js

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 12v486000 (electrical system , visibility) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

While driving on the freeway, i bumped my keys lightly with my right knee causing the car to suddenly switch off, and making steering difficult. i was able to coast off the freeway to a stop at an exit, and restart my car. it appears that the car switches off with even the slightest bump to the keys in the ignition. the problem appears to be similar to the current gm recall. *tr

Door actuators do not always work making it difficult to get in and out of the car quickly. *tr

Submission from constituent re 2004 honda cr-v reimbursements. *smd the consumer stated before he turned the vehicle on, there was a burning odor, emitting from the vehicle. he took the vehicle to the dealer, where the technician found the power window switch circuit board contacts were burnt. american honda was contacted, and they stated the vin was not included under recall 12v486000. *jb

Not an accident. just concerned that the same part had to be replaced in july 2011 and again in august 2013, and am concerned that this may be a safety issue, as the driver's window becomes inoperable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. while the vehicle was parked, the rear passenger door and tailgate door locks would not engage and the vehicle failed to start. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

The horn no longer works. the fuse for the horn has been checked, and is not the problem. this seems to be a safety issue that should be cover for the lifetime of the vehicle, similar to honda's seatbelt coverage. *tr

Update to july/2013 complaint regarding srs light coming on permanently. 9/11/13 srs light came on permanently again. dtc 15-2 code. the honda dealer replaced the srs control unit on 10/1/13. mileage 114,126. i have the old srs control unit in my possession. 10/21/13 srs light come on permanently again. 11/4/13 honda dealer reset the srs light. dtc codes were different than the dtc 15-2. mileage 114,925. no charge by dealer. 11/24/13 srs light came on permanently again. honda dealer diagnosed problem as a short in one of the wiring harnesses triggering the dtc 15-2 code. dealer reset the srs light. no charge for 4 hours of work. dealer would not give me any paperwork on service visit. mileage approximately 115,437 at time of visit. the dealer tech suggested i clear the code with a code reader until it would no longer clear rather than blindly replacing at this time the 4 wiring harnesses to locate the short. the consumer also stated the head lights burned out prematurely, and he had to replace them several times. updated 01/29/14

Master power window switch on driver's door started to burn and i could see smoke coming out of the switch. the result was a melted switch. i have a japan made 2004 honda cr-v with vin # starting with jhlrdxxxxxxxxxxxx. by looking at the statement from american honda, my vin is not affected by the recall regarding the potential of fire at the master power window switch. what can i do? this is what happened to my car but it's not included by the recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda cr-v. the contact stated that she received notification of a manufacturer's recall that was related to a defective air conditioning compressor. the contact stated that she waited two months to take the vehicle to the dealer for repairs however, they refused to perform the repairs and stated that the statute of limitations had already been surpassed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 69,000. updated 01/10/13*lj

My air conditioner condenser exploded. i turned on the air conditioner and at first hot air was coming through..then nothing. took it to the honda dealer in manassas and they informed me that the air conditioner condenser exploded and there were small metal pieces throughout the line. they wanted over $4000 to repair it. they later counter offered to fix it for $2600. after i did research i found that this was a common problem for crv's 2002-2004. i was told not to drive the car because the condenser could lock up and cause other problems. i don't understand why i have to pay for something that is clearing a damage and defective piece of machinery that was installed by honda. this is my car that i need so that i can continue to serve my community as a volunteer and as a substitute teacher. *tr

My a/c system blow out hot air about 7day ago. went to the honda dealership, the service told me the condenser and the compressor of the a/c system stop working. it would cost 3000 to fix. *tr

For the last 3 years we have had three (3) main issues with this vehicle, 1) air bag srs light has been on, 2) the front passenger window will not roll down and 3) the air conditioning system has not operated. from the begining i have checked on recalls/ campaigns for these items and the only recall we received for this vehicle vin # was the air bag recall (btw we took it in for the recal and the srs light is still on). when you look on honda's website to check for recalls no other issues come up with my vin#, yet if you look the vehicle up by the model and year, a whole list of "campaigns" come up under this vehicle. my vehcile has had the same problems as the said make and models for years. i filed a complaint with honda america (case # 04205532) this morning and spoke with "serinity" of the product concern section of honda america and basiclly she is telling me because my particilar vehcile was manufactured in japan (vin # starting with a "j") that no recalls apply to me. but yet i am having the same issues with my vehicle of the same model and year. honda basically has stated that they cannot offer any help on this matter. please note, there are other safety "campaigns" that i never got notices, such as wiring harnessess. i took my vehicle into a non-dealer mechanic for air-conditioning services and they stated to me 2 + years ago that this vehicle is known to have a major defect in the ac clutch on the ac pump was designed too close to the engine and thus heats up and shatters into many pieces and flows though the whole ac system thus requiring that the whole ac system is required to be replaced (honda service bulletin # 12-072). honda has issued a campaign increasing the ac system warranty to 10 years/ 100,000 miles, but again this does not apply to my vehicle, yet i have the same exact issues on my vehicle. please help on this matter.

I was going to drive to work this morning at 6:30am and my headlights would not turn on. my high beams worked fine but my normal lights did not. i had noticed a burning odor a few days prior through my vents. i took the car to my mechanic this morning and the headlight problem was due to an electrical malfunction and the wires had been melted that are associated with the headlights. thankfully i had not been driving at night time when this problem occurred. i had to get a kit to replace the wiring. this ended up being an expensive repair. *tr

Both lowbeam lights went out simultaneously while driving. *tr

While driving at night my low beams stopped working and i could smell smoke. it was very dangerous to just all of the sudden have your lights go out. i couldn't see and others couldn't see me. i turned off the light switch, and the smoke smell dissipated. my high beams still worked. i got online after the incident and realized that i was not alone with this exact type of problem. the problem has been isolated by several other cr-v owners as an electrical problem involving the wiring harness that plugs into the headlight/turn signal switch. in addition, i found an article stating that the nhtsa has opened an investigation of this problem (nhtsa recall campaign number ea11012) . a call to a honda dealership resulted in a very expensive quote to replace the whole harness (several hundreds of dollars). i feel that this particular problem is a safety hazard, and that honda should issue a recall to fix the problem. updated 12/19/11 *bf *tr

the air conditioner dash board of my 2004 honda crv stopped working one day, with no signs of problems before, the air was on and tried to turn it off and controls didn't work couldn't lower the level of air either, tried to moved the switch back and forward until finally stopped, but the problem continue for months until the point of not been able to turn it off; i have to turn off the engine so my a/c will turn off. engine light turned on one day and went off in a day or two then happened again like a month later turned on and then off in a couple of days , the problem continued for about 6 months was hard to get diagnose since by the time i was able to take it to check light got off, it got to a point when engine light permanantly stayed on- i took my car to get that checked and gave a very generic code that not specifying the problem. *tr

The low-beam headlight switch fails repeatedly. when i replaced it, i noticed what appears to be heat damage on the wiring harness connector. i have replaced the combination low-beam/high-beam/turn signal unit three times in the last 7 months. *tt updated 01/17/12 *bf

2004 honda cr-v. both headlight low beams stopped functioning at the same time. high beams still work on both headlights. replacing headlight lamps and fuses did not fix the problem (both low beams still not functioning). i will be going to a mechanic this coming week to get repairs. i suspect it is a malfunctioning electrical switch. *tr

While driving both dim headlights went out. i pulled over and realized the bright head lights did work while the dims no longer worked. after replacing both bulbs and realizing they still did not work. i investigated the issue and after visually inspecting the wiring harness that plugs into the combination switch (blinker/headlight control) there is obvious signs of heat damage and electrical corrosion. *tr the low beam headlights did not work, due to an electrical short in the wiring harness. updated ivoq 03/05/12

Both headlights (low beam) went out simultaneously due to an overheated connection between the headlight switch assembly and wiring harness (plug). updated 12/12/11 *bf *tr pictures received 04/20/12

Both low beam headlights stopped working simultaneously. the connector to the headlight switch has melted preventing the switch from working. updated 06/10/11 *bf *tr *tr

Both low beam headlights failed simultaneously. subsequently repaired at a honda dealer. repair required a new hi/lo beam switch and connector/wiring harness. i requested old parts and upon inspection, one of the metal connector pins (male and female) was discolored (black) due to heating with some distortion and discoloration of the connector block due to heating. attached wire also discolored due to heating. *tr

Both lowbeam headlights both stopped working at the same time. i replaced both bulbs but they still did not work. no fuses had burnt out, so started to research. after checking online, i opened the plastic casing to the steering column, and found that the switch had burned and the plastic melted. this is obviously defective wiring on the part of honda, otherwise the fuse for the headlights would have burned out before the switch could have. i find this to be a very important safety issue as this is the primary vehicle for my wife and infant son. updated 12/12/11 *bf updated 12/13/11 *tr

2004 honda crv - air conditioning compressor stopped working. made loud popping noise. when i opened the hood you could smell smoke. i noticed sparks and smoke coming from the ac compressor. i bought this crv new in 2004 and had not had any problems prior to this. the honda dealer that i purchased this from says that it will cost $2400 to fix it as it basically needs an entire new ac installed. i searched the web to see if anyone else had this problem, and noticed that it is widespread. will honda do a recall for this issue? i'm very concerned, as i also have a 2005 crv that i purchased new in 2005 for my wife and see that it is very possible that this could happen to that vehicle. *tr

I was driving slowly in the summer when i smelled a burning smell of smoke in my vehicle. within 5 minutes my air conditioner began to blow hot air. i took my vehicle to a reputable mechanic for inspection. they showed me with the vehicle in the air that there was a hole in the condensing unit of my vehicle. when i asked what could have caused it,they stated that the hole was blown in the unit from the inside out. i took my vehicle to a honda dealership for inspection after that. the mechanics there said that i must have run into a piece of metal. then, off the record, they stated that many other owners had their ac's go out in the same way and that honda would probably be recalling them. i researched it a little at the time and got no-where with honda. honda stated since my vehicle was out of warranty, they would do nothing. at the time i gave up...however, with additional replacements that i have had to make that are un-characteristic and untimely for a honda, and with additional inspections by both honda and non-mechanics...i was told that my entire engine assembly was put in sideways by design and that design causes multiple issues with multiple components. i actually had one reputable garage refuse to continue to work on my car because it was so poorly designed and difficult to work on. sadly, i will never buy a honda again. and i have had 5 honda's prior to this one, bought this one new, and would have been happy enough had honda owned up to the problems. *tr

Low beam headlights won't work, even though high beams do.

Problem: sudden acceleration due to defective throttle body. the idle rpms are excessive upon startup and lead to sudden acceleration during braking to a stop. background: malfunction lamp light was constantly turning on and off. took the car to a honda dealership and they only found the error code for the o2 sensor. later took it to a local mechanic to fix the o2 sensor and they found a defective throttle body (error code p0122). there are several forums which address this exact issue on 2002-2004 honda crv. *tr

2004 honda crv with less than 21,000 miles. electrical short. car isn't over driven and checked regularly as suggested by honda dealership. *tr

Vehicle headlights low beam start failing on drivers side. burning out often - while other side headlight remained stable. replace headlights (both sides) many times after that - only to have the drivers side fail after about a year and a half. drivers side headlight would also change to very dim while other side remained bright. probably similar to a flashlight, - needing batteries. would always flick bright lights on for a while, or tug on headlight wire in engine compartment and light would change to normal bright color after this. when car was turned off, - the whole situation would repeat itself next time car started up and ran at night with lights on. noticed radio display panel would go out also, -- black out, only to come back on later. that would be the clock and station radio lcd panel display. had car problem fixed several times throughout the years, at least twice at private mechanics, twice at honda dealership, - plus recalled at honda dealership in 2012 for headlight wiring failure and problems, plus back in the dealership one month later in 2012 for same problem, plus back in dealership 6/9, 6/10, 6/11 2014 with same problem. after spending several thousand dollars over the years for various fixes, this time (2014) dealership once again has finally found the problem - wiring harness attached to engine firewall compartment bad. melting, corrosive, and wires with insulation missing in harness, - but another 1850 dollars would cover a new wire harness plus installation. paid 91 dollar diagnostic fee, picked up car and left. researched problem on internet and found many honda crv's from around those years with same problems. reported situation to honda and opened a case number with them. the latest case number being n012014-06-1100779, assigned 6/11/14 by honda. *js

Was driving down the highway about two months ago, i was shocked or bolted and something went through my body. it was like an electrical shock. also, my door locks keep opening and closing while i am driving. its happened a couple times and it has scared me. i don't know if that would have anything to with the shock i received in the vehicle, and something keeps going off in my car, it sounds like a timer. i took it to honda, they know nothing about the sound i hear and since its not a manufacture warranty, i did send in the warranty to the radio and i thought the radio and the locks are connected on my vehicle for security purposes. been having medical problems, don't know if the shock could of contributed to it. i think i keep getting shocked every time i drive it. the number of failures would be a number i wouldn't know since it happens everyday. *nm

i had driven about 61/2 miles when the drive light (light showing the gear you are using) went out and the car started to stall. the gear light came back on and the car continued to run. about 30 seconds later the same thing happened. i continued the 2 1/2 miles home. i called the honda dealership where i had purchased the car in aug. 2003, and explained the problem. i was told that it probably had something to do with the fact that i was very close to needing the 40,000 mile maintenance. i was told to drive it over the weekend and see if the problem persisted. my husband and i drove it to indiana like we had planned, to bring back some items from his grandmothers, garage. we had no problems on saturday, but on sunday just outside of ft. wayne the engine light came on and the gear light went out. we took it to the honda dealer ship about 4 miles away. we left the car and rented a vehicle to get home. the honda mechanics had the crv for a week but could not find a problem. we picked the car up the following saturday and by the time we made it to the highway, the car was acting up again. we drove back to columbus pulling over ever 7 or 8 minutes to turn the engine off for 5 minutes. about half way home the car stalled at a red light. this happened several more times before we made it home. this problem has persisted over the last 10 weeks. it has been back and forth to the dealership. the thought that the problem had been solved when some wiring was replaced but the following day, the problems continued. today is august 19th and it has been 11 weeks of headaches and stress. *jb