Service bulletin - The tailgate won?t open from the outside handle in temperatures near freezing or colder, but will open in warmer temperatures. There is an internal failure of the tailgate outer handle switch.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2012 Honda CR-V cruise control problems
severe Owners of the 2012 Honda CR-V have filed 10 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 CR-V | 10 |
| 2009 CR-V | 8 |
| 2010 CR-V | 13 |
| 2011 CR-V | 14 |
| 2012 CR-V (this page) | 10 |
| 2013 CR-V | 19 |
| 2014 CR-V | 24 |
| 2015 CR-V | 15 |
| 2016 CR-V | 21 |
4crashes
1injury
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 13 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
HONDA: ENGINEERING REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION. STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS NOT WORKING (AUDIO AND CRUISE CONTROL) AND SRS LIGHT ON WITH DTC 11-1 THRU 11-B ON CERTAIN VEHICLES. MODELS 2012-2013 CR-V.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2012 Honda CR-Vs report two distinct problem patterns. First, throttle hesitation: when pressing the gas at lower speeds or after a stop, the engine doesn't rev and the car coasts for 2–3 seconds before accelerating normally. This occurs intermittently starting as early as 3,500 miles and continues beyond 100,000 miles, making merging and intersection pulls hazardous.
Second, and more serious, unintended acceleration: the vehicle accelerates on its own or when the driver applies the brake. In several cases, depressing the brake pedal doesn't slow the car. Owners report the vehicle surging forward at 10–40 mph, including one incident where a driver had to apply the emergency brake and skidded 150+ feet before hitting a parked vehicle. Another driver lost control on a steep hill, flipped the CR-V, and a third crashed into a garage wall—twice.
Across multiple reports, dealers test-drove the vehicles and stated they couldn't reproduce the fault. No service bulletins, recalls, or repairs are mentioned. Honda reportedly denied awareness of similar complaints, despite owners filing reports with NHTSA.
Same Honda CR-V cruise control reports on nearby years: 2010 · 2011 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015
Failure modes owners describe
Acceleration hesitation / delayed throttle response
2-3 second delay when pressing the gas pedal, especially at lower speeds or after stopping. Engine does not rev during the delay; vehicle coasts. Occurs intermittently.
When: 3,500 to 6,242 miles; one report at 110,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Delayed engine response when accelerating from stop or low speed; Engine does not rev during hesitation period; Vehicle coasts rather than accelerates; Difficulty merging into traffic or pulling from intersections
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to duplicate problem in at least two cases; no repairs performed
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda customer service stated no similar problems reported; dealer technicians unable to reproduce issue
Unintended acceleration
Vehicle accelerates on its own when driver applies brake pedal or attempts normal operation. Brake pedal does not stop acceleration in some cases. Occurs at various speeds and can result in loss of control.
When: 2,000 to 147,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle accelerates without driver input or when brake is applied; Brake pedal ineffective or requires violent depression to stop vehicle; Vehicle surges forward or accelerates excessively; Driver must release accelerator pedal to slow vehicle; Multiple occurrences over vehicle lifetime
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer test drives unable to determine cause; vehicle not diagnosed or repaired in multiple cases. One vehicle destroyed; another had front quarter panel impact damage.
Brake failure during unintended acceleration events
In high-severity incidents, brakes do not adequately slow or stop the vehicle during unintended acceleration. Vehicle continues to accelerate despite brake application. Emergency brake required as last resort.
When: Various mileages; one incident on new vehicle (low mileage)
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes ineffective during unintended acceleration; Vehicle continues to accelerate despite brake pedal pressure; Emergency brake required to stop vehicle; Brake fade or failure during extended deceleration attempts
Repairs/costs cited: Emergency brake used to stop vehicle in one incident; resulted in 150+ foot skid and collision with parked vehicle
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Honda cr-v. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH and stopped for a traffic stop. As the contact attempted to accelerate from the stop, there was a delayed response from the vehicle. The failure recurred ten times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times where the contact was informed by the manufacturer that there was a defect in the vehicle.…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2012 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 cruise control problem on the 2012 Honda CR-V?
It's a meaningful issue. 10 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Based on the 10 complaints filed, cruise control issues most often appear around 43,001 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control 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 cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control 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/2012/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.