Rodents ate wire and split harness.
2011 Honda CR-V engine problems
severe 31 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100 · see engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
31
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
1crash
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 31 engine complaints filed for the 2011 Honda CR-V, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 31 engine complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 9 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: A 2011 CR-V engine is a proven oil burner—many owners face rapid consumption rates far exceeding normal wear, triggering arguments with Honda dealerships over warranty coverage. Unintended acceleration during braking has occurred without any diagnostic codes, leaving dealers unable to fix it, and timing chain problems may lurk beneath the surface.
The 2011 Honda CR-V engine cluster shows a clear pattern of excessive oil consumption affecting vehicles across a wide mileage range. Owners report needing to add oil every 500–1500 miles—some as frequently as every other day—with no visible leaks, blue smoke, or tailpipe smell. This started between 3000 and 103,000 miles depending on the vehicle. Honda issued Service Bulletin 12-089 acknowledging sticking piston rings and extending the warranty to 8 years/125,000 miles, but owners allege dealerships repeatedly refuse to perform warranty repairs, demand endless consumption tests, or claim consumption rates fall within acceptable limits despite rapid oil loss.
Owners also report unintended acceleration episodes where the engine races to 5000+ RPM while the vehicle is stopped, forcing drivers to shift to neutral and restart the engine to regain control. These incidents occur early in ownership but produce no diagnostic fault codes, leaving dealerships unable to diagnose or repair them.
Additional failures include timing chain stretch discovered during oil consumption diagnostics, VTC actuator failure causing hard starting and oil burning (with repairs sometimes proving temporary), engine misfires limiting power output, and rare but serious issues like detached engine bolts and loss of forward drive motion. The overwhelming majority of complaints center on oil consumption and dealership refusal to honor Honda's stated warranty extension.
Same Honda CR-V engine reports on nearby years: 2009 · 2010 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014
Failure modes owners describe
Excessive Oil Consumption / Sticking Piston Rings
Engine burns or consumes oil at abnormal rates—owners report needing to add oil every 500–1500 miles or even daily, far below factory service intervals. Oil loss occurs without visible external leaks. Owners allege Honda issued a warranty extension notice (Service Bulletin 12-089) acknowledging sticking piston rings as the root cause but dealerships repeatedly refuse warranty repairs, demand endless consumption tests, or claim consumption rates fall outside Honda's stated protocols.
When: Typically surfaces between 62,000 and 103,000 miles; some cases noted as early as 3000 miles after purchase.
Symptoms owners cite: Oil level drops rapidly between service intervals; Oil light illuminates when level runs critically low; No visible oil leaks under vehicle; No blue smoke or burning smell from exhaust; Check engine light illuminates in some cases
Codes mentioned: P0300 (Engine Misfire - reported in at least one case), Check Engine Light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships cite options including piston and ring replacement, VTC actuator replacement ($750 reported for VTC part alone), or engine rebuild. Owners report Honda corporate and dealership repeatedly deny warranty coverage despite warranty extension notice, claiming consumption rates fall within Honda specifications or lack sufficient documentation.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda Service Bulletin 12-089 (CR-V) / 12-087 (Accord) acknowledging sticking piston rings and issuing 8-year/125,000-mile warranty extension. Owners report Honda denies repairs under this extension; Service Manager statements vary; some dealerships refuse to perform covered work; Honda corporate reportedly unresponsive to owner inquiries.
Unintended Acceleration / Engine Racing When Braking
Engine maintains speed or accelerates despite driver applying brakes; engine revs to high RPM (5000+ reported) while vehicle is stopped or slowing. Driver must shift to neutral and turn off engine to regain control. Occurs multiple times in early vehicle life (under 850 miles in one case) but Honda diagnostic tools report no fault codes and dealership cannot reproduce issue.
When: Early in vehicle ownership, at 200–850 miles; also reported in later model years during normal driving.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine races or maintains high RPM when brakes applied at stop lights or in parking scenarios; Loud engine noise; one owner reported knocking sound like washing machine out of balance; Vehicle pulls forward against brake pressure; Problem resolves after shifting to neutral and restarting engine; No fault codes detected by dealer diagnostic scanner
Codes mentioned: No codes reported
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to diagnose or replicate; Honda suggests owner report when it happens again. No repairs attempted. One owner reports dealership checked idle and throttle but found nothing. Possible throttle sticking mentioned by owner but not confirmed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda personnel told owners they cannot diagnose without fault codes; no recalls or service bulletins cited. One owner reports American Honda promised follow-up contact but did not respond.
Timing Chain Stretch / Noise
During investigation of high oil consumption, dealerships discover timing chain stretched and in need of replacement. Owners report loud knocking from engine and check engine / traction control lights. Dealership states vehicle unsafe to drive until timing chain replaced, but owner questions connection between high oil consumption and timing chain failure.
When: Discovered during diagnostic testing for oil consumption; reported at approximately 5–6 years of ownership (fall 2016 in one case, original purchase 2011).
Symptoms owners cite: Loud knocking noise from engine; Check engine light illuminates; Traction control light illuminates
Codes mentioned: Check Engine Light, Traction Control Light
Repairs/costs cited: Timing chain replacement required. Owner notes dealership would not confirm high oil consumption as cause of chain stretch, though owner research suggests connection.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda dealership performed diagnosis but declined to state causation; Honda corporate reportedly unresponsive to owner calls and questions.
VTC Actuator Failure / High Oil Consumption
VTC (Variable Timing Control) actuator malfunction tied to high oil consumption. Engine grinds at start-up; vehicle sometimes fails to start. Replacement of VTC actuator ($750 reported) does not fully resolve oil burning; problem documented as recurring within 10,000 miles after repair.
When: Reported at 36,000 miles or 3 years, whichever comes first (per recall window); owners report onset beyond this window, limiting recall eligibility.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine grinding noise at cold start; Difficulty starting or failure to start; High oil consumption concurrent with VTC actuator fault
Codes mentioned: Not specified in narratives
Repairs/costs cited: VTC actuator replacement cost approximately $750. Documented cases show problem recurs after another 10,000 miles.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall window (36,000 miles / 3 years) too short to catch most failures. Class action lawsuit filed for 2014 CR-V with identical issue. Owners report Honda knowledge of widespread problem affecting multiple makes and models.
Engine Misfire / Reduced Power / Check Engine Light
Check engine light illuminates, vehicle loses power or cannot accelerate beyond 15–20 mph, or experiences hesitation during acceleration. Diagnosis points to cylinder misfire, poor acceleration in hot weather, or fuel delivery issue. One owner cites Honda Service Bulletin 10-077 TSB (firmware update) but dealership refuses to apply it, claiming owner's VIN does not qualify despite matching symptoms.
When: Reported at 66,000 miles and later; some owners note symptoms worsen in hot weather.
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light flashing or steady illumination; Unable to accelerate past 15–20 mph or poor acceleration when applying throttle; Engine hesitation during stop–start or highway merge; Symptoms worse in hotter weather; Engine knock/misfire noise in at least one case
Codes mentioned: P0301 (Cylinder 1 Misfire - reported in one case), Check Engine Light
Repairs/costs cited: Honda Service Bulletin 10-077 TSB addresses poor acceleration / pickup via computer firmware update. Owners report local dealerships refuse to apply TSB, citing VIN does not match, despite owner symptoms aligning exactly with TSB description.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service Bulletin 10-077 TSB available for similar symptoms but dealership compliance inconsistent; owner reports denial despite symptom match.
Engine Bolt Detachment
Engine bolt detaches during normal driving, creating loud noise from engine and mechanical failure risk. Reported at very low mileage (5000 miles). Roadside mechanic and dealer confirm bolt must be replaced.
When: 5,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Very loud noise from engine
Codes mentioned: Not specified
Repairs/costs cited: Engine bolt replacement required.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer offered no assistance per owner report; repair status unknown.
Loss of Forward Motion / Transmission Hesitation
Vehicle loses drive or hesitates to move when shifted into drive from stop, especially after brief stops at intersections. Shifting into lower gears or reverse may temporarily restore motion.
When: Not clearly specified; described as intermittent issue over vehicle's life.
Symptoms owners cite: No forward motion when shifted to Drive or Low; Vehicle moves only when shifted to Reverse or after re-shifting; Hesitation to accelerate from stop at intersections
Codes mentioned: Not specified
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to diagnose without reproducing issue; owner advises problem is easily reproducible.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership states problem cannot be diagnosed if not replicated; no service bulletins or recalls cited.
Synthesized from 31 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Vehicle bought new in 2011 and only one owner. In early 2015, my vehicle went from having my oil changed between 5000 and 7000 miles to barely making it to 3000. Vehicle manufacture recommends synthetic oil and is the only type of oil that has ever been used for this vehicle. No oil was leaking form vehicle and no evidence of oil leakage under hood when checked. Oil changed multiple times with…
The engine suddenly accelerated in a parking garage. The brakes slowed the car on the first acceleration, but almost immediately the engine again revved-- to a shrill, loud sound like that of a jet engine. Result : car rammed into a support pillar in the garage; airbag deployed, and I was wearing my seat belt. Car may be totaled, still awaiting estimate from insurance. I spent 4 days in the…
Had engine trouble with your 2011 Honda CR-V?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2011 Honda CR-V?
It's a meaningful issue. 31 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $3,100.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 24 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 53,000 and 96,662 miles, with the median around 74,745. A quarter of owners report trouble before 53,000; a quarter make it past 96,662. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Honda/CR-V.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.