2003 Honda CR-V Honda CR-V 2003

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2003 Honda CR-V repairs by problem area

Engine (36%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (14%)

Brakes and Traction Control (8%)

Suspension and Steering (10%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (2%)

Chart based on 226 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2003 Honda CR-V.

2003 Honda CR-V engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (3%)

$1000 - $2499 (12%)

$500 - $999 (15%)

$100 - $499 (48%)

< $100 (22%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 73 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2003 Honda CR-V

Engine not specified

137000 mi

US $1050
Catalytic converter and oxygen sensors replaced 
162000 mi

US $289
engine cooling fan motor went out 
155000 mi

US $500
Check engine light on for O2 sensors. Replaced both sensors. 
214000 mi O2 sensor faulty when sold. 

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2003 Honda CR-V 4dr SUV

160-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual AWD

42300 mi

US $700
failed oxygen sensor at exhaust system.  
44000 mi Trouble light indicated a component of the exhaust system needed to be replaced. Not work this shop was comfortable doing, suggest bringing to dealer. reset check engine light, has not relit in 3 weeks. 
49000 mi

US $400
Car began to hesitate a lot. Clogged oil line around sensor and its small filter, tripped sensor cut engine. She had only been driving short distances so the engine oil was not getting warm, hence the clog. Replaced oil line, sensor, and filter. 
164280 mi

C $1200
Crankshaft oil seal replacement 
175460 mi

C $100
Check Engine Light has been on for a while. Diagnosed the detonation (knock) sensor faulty. Needed a 27mm socket in order to replace the part. Job done from underneath not easy to access. May be related with my clutch repl. back in January. 
176700 mi

C $100
Fuel line was rusted under the trunk before the fuel pump connection. Replaced the last foot of line with a similar tube using a pressure connector . Dificult to reach to but doable from inside the car taking off the fuel pump cover. 
179180 mi

C $200
Valve cover gasket was worn and my engine was oily. Replaced the full kit of gaskets 
181040 mi

C $100
Exhaust leaks from the joint befire cat converter. Gasket replaced with an oem one. A pain to undo the bolts, eventualy cutted with a grider and installed new ones. 
43983 mi

US $131
Check engine light on. Replaced third gear pressure switch. 
52790 mi

US $432
Check engine light was on, found faulty A/F sensor and replaced. 
120000 mi Belt squealing, was replaced under warranty. 
122000 mi

US $420
1 broken motor mount, transmission mount badly worn, replaced all 4 mounts. Driver side door lock actuator replaced. 
122000 mi Engine vibration at idle. 
240000 mi

US $200
#1 oxygen sensor fuel tank cap, but CEL back on a week later 
240000 mi Needed a catalytic converter. 
139000 mi

US $220
Replaced leaky front engine crankshaft seal and leaky valve cover gasket. 

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2003 Honda CR-V 4dr SUV

160-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

103500 mi

US $2000
Cable charging battery failed. Part very expensive, should never fail. 
105000 mi The car died about two months after the first episode. We had it towed and they got the part and fixed it. 
139000 mi

US $300
evap sensor 
139000 mi

US $120
o2 sensor 
55000 mi

US $397
Main oxygen sensor replaced. 
132000 mi

US $1100
Emissions - O2 sensor went out. replaced..... 
138000 mi

US $1000
Emission controls P1457 code - leak in the gasoline vapor canister and/or return hose leading toward the gasoline tank. Replaced charcoal canister, solenoids, and hose. 

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2003 Honda CR-V 4dr SUV

160-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

200000 mi

US $245
Air conditioner compressor pulley seized causing the serpentine belt to break. Compressor and belt replaced. Transmission mount broke causing transmission to move under acceleration causing severe vibration and noise. Replaced transmission mounting bracket. 
200000 mi

US $60
Two ignition coils failed. Replaced coils and spark plugs. 
200000 mi

US $150
Radiator cracked and was leaking. Replaced radiator. Check engine light repeatedly came on after refueling. Reset CEL several times but light came back on once gas cap was removed. Never diagnosed the actual cause of the problem. 
138000 mi

US $350
Catalytic converter failure. Check engine is on and off inconsistently. Will most likely required a replacement of cat within one year. 
149000 mi

US $200
Cannot start after not driving the car for 2 weeks. Find out the oil tub is clogged. 
144000 mi

US $55
Serpentine belt tensioner had bad bearing 
162500 mi

US $550
Catalytic converters and manifold seals 
42000 mi

US $350
Oxygen sensor 
146320 mi Changed serpentine belt 
217620 mi

C $350
Rusted fuel line 
223200 mi

C $200
spark plugs and 1 ignition coil 
207000 mi

US $200
Radiator leak. Replaced radiator, hoses and thermostat 
212000 mi

US $100
Car running rough and Check Engine light on. Intake Manifold Runner Control was the fault. As a first attempt at the repair, sometimes you are able to clean the existing part and reuse it. That was successful in this case. If that had failed, the part would have been $300+. 
211000 mi

US $300
Check Engine light for O2 sensor - replaced O2 sensor Engine mounts shot. Replaced all engine mounts. 
140000 mi

US $6700
Cam shaft lobes have chunks missing - starting to disintegrate 
46500 mi

C $950
Throttle body assembly replaced. 
55000 mi

US $500
O2 sensor went out. Seemed a little early for that kind of repair. Cost of the small part was very high. 
153000 mi

US $1038
Replace VVT Solenoid 
160000 mi

US $600
Air Fuel Sensor replacement Valve Cover Gasket 
104000 mi

US $472
Replace oil pressure switch (sign of leak), replace valve cover gasket (sign of leak), 
136300 mi

US $1441
Replace oil pressure switch. While the auto was in for other work, the mechanic reported a leak during a customary inspection and suggested a replacement. I authorized the replacement. Replace crankcase front seal because leak 
122000 mi Check engine light had been coming on (and off) for months. Engine was running smoothly. Shop reset computer and said they couldn't get light to come back on. If it does, O2 sensor needs to be replaced. Light came on again immediately after leaving shop. 
138000 mi

US $150
Radiator cap failure with loss of two-thirds of coolant. 
142000 mi

US $550
Replaced Oxygen Sensor. Also replaced some small filters. I didn't understand what they were. 
69000 mi

US $211
Upstream oxygen sensor (bank 1, sensor 1, code P0134. 
90000 mi

US $500
CEL went on once, then off. Asked shop to read codes. They "did not find a problem", but proposed replacing serpentine belt, various filters and fluids (at 90K) for $500. I said OK, but feel uneasy about the transaction. This is why people avoid dealers. 
106000 mi

US $450
replaced o2 sensor with OEM part 
141400 mi

US $25
EVAP code. CEL stayed on for several weeks. Shop quoted about $800 to replace entire evap system. After several weeks the code cleared anyway. 
57000 mi The dealer discovered a sensor had gone bad and ordered a new one and replaced it under extended warranty at no cost to me . New sensor installed. 
110000 mi

US $300
Air intake clog caused engine to flood (too much fuel injected with insufficient air). Chemical cleaning of area fixed it. 
89900 mi CEL came on one week after we purcased the car. Replaced sensor related to emissions. CEL came on two days later. Returned to shop, same code. Checked part and reset CEL. CEL returned after first trip. Same code, rechecked replaced part, CEL reset. 
134280 mi

C $340
Exhaust noise, hole in down pipe. Down pipe replaced 
50220 mi

C $250
replace O2 sensor 
94240 mi

A $350
Idle throttle switch faulty, used aftermarket one (less exp than Honda) faulty.replaced with another one non original, all fixed 
164000 mi

US $450
there was a sensor that had gone bad and we replaced it. 
92300 mi

US $400
Replace O2 sensors 
110500 mi

US $170
Replace gasket 
119000 mi

US $1200
Front main seal and valve cover gasket leaks 
60000 mi

US $700
Emissions control system; O2 sensors 
96100 mi

C $3000
Needed multiple emissions related repairs 
52700 mi

$240
gearbox mounting bracket rubber torn 
62620 mi Radiator leakage 
162000 mi

US $2000
Timing chain stretched, needed to be replaced, along with tensioner. Root cause was low oil level - no warning lights because sensors were plugged with sludge so oil pressure appeared ok. Eventually check engine light came on. Seems ok now. 
172300 mi Check engine light on; failed inspection for exhaust system. Need to replace oxygen sensor and possibly catalytic converter. 
188000 mi

US $500
Check engine light on. Replaced more expensive fuel/air sensor (downstream). 
191000 mi

US $200
oil leak, replaced valve cover gasket 
192000 mi

US $200
CEL; defective knock sensor, replaced. 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Honda models.

2003 Honda CR-V Engine Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2003 Honda CR-V problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.