Is the 2005 Honda CR-V a bad year?
479 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other CR-V years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2005 Honda CR-V are in line with other CR-V years. Air bags, exterior lighting and electrical system stand out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2005 CR-V owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 90,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 129 (27%) | 60k–142k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Exterior lightingSTANDS OUT | 122 (25%) | 60k–126k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Electrical systemSTANDS OUT | 77 (16%) | 50k–132k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Engine | 33 (7%) | 34k–111k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Visibility and wipers | 31 (6%) | 60k–140k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 25 (5%) | 32k–102k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Steering | 23 (5%) | 0k–90k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Brakes | 16 (3%) | 25k–102k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Speed control | 14 (3%) | 46k–117k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Latches and locks | 13 (3%) | 51k–94k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Seat belts | 12 (3%) | 62k–118k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Body structure | 9 (2%) | 47k–150k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Equipment | 5 (1%) | 45k–96k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Stability control | 5 (1%) | 51k–102k miles · around this mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 90,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 479 complaints: 40 mention a crash · 18 mention a fire · 21 report an injury · 6 say the car was towed.
3 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Jul 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
After starting the car I put my foot on the brake pedal, took off the emergency brake, and put the car into drive.
I stopped at a gas station and got gas. I turned off the air conditioning before turning off the engine, as always.
Our insured took their 2006 Honda crv for maintenance. One week later after oil change & differential service - auto caught on fire while in travel.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 90,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2005 Honda CR-V: 14
Moisture may enter the driver side power window master switch, causing the switch to fail or melt. If the switch fails, it could overheat and smoke, increasing the risk of a fire.
The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The driver-side power window switch may fail or melt. If the switch fails, it could overheat, smoke, and cause a fire. A switch failure, and a fire, could occur even if the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the recall repair has been performed.
Certain curved tempered replacement glass manufactured by hangzhou safety glass ltd and supplied to safelite by auto temp inc., identified as DOT-430, and sold for use on certain domestic and foreign vehicles may not break into small pieces as expected of tempered glass and fails to conform to federal motor vehicle… In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(S) may be seriously injured by shattered glass.
On certain passenger vehicles, the occupant position detection system's side sensor is not installed in the correct position and may fail to shut off the passenger's side impact airbag if the occupant is out-of-position. In the event of a crash, such an out-of position occupant may be injured by a deploying side airbag.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Honda: 31
Repair instructions Honda sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2005 Honda CR-V. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Tech line summary article - Is the MIL on with DTC P2271 (secondary HO2S [sensor 2] circuit signal stuck rich)
The MIL comes on with one of these DTCs: P2646/P2651 (Rocker arm oil pressure switch circuit low voltage)
The MIL is on with a stored trouble code
Honda vehicle: engine oil leak at the cylinder head cover
NHTSA defect investigations: 6
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Driver's Power Window Master Switch
Driver's Master Power Window Switch
Neighbouring years
2004 CR-V: 501 complaints, consider selling · 2006 CR-V: 398 complaints, keep it.
Every Honda CR-V year
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Questions
Is the 2005 Honda CR-V a bad year?
479 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other CR-V years. At 90,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Honda CR-V?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (129), exterior lighting (122), electrical system (77), engine (33), visibility and wipers (31).
How many recalls does the 2005 Honda CR-V have?
14 recall campaigns list this model year: Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 20V-768), Speed control (NHTSA 19E068000), Air bags (NHTSA 19V-501), Air bags (NHTSA 19V-499) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.