1999 Honda CR-V EX review from North America
"Buyer beware"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Burned valve at 89,000 miles.
Rear trailing arm bushings need replacing at 93,000 miles.
General comments?
I bought a Honda because of its superior reliability reputation, which is why I was so disappointed when I had to pay $2000 for a valve job at 89,000 miles.
The B20 engine, which is standard on this generation of CR-Vs does not have hydraulic self-adjusting valves like most cars. Thus, they have a tendency to get tight if they are not routinely adjusted. Unlike when valves get loose, they will not make a noise.
Honda is well aware of this problem, as many people have reported it to them. They have even issued a Tech Service Bulletin to address it. On certain occasions they have even offered to help pay for the repair.
The reason why they offer this is because they have provided incorrect information in the manual. Instead of stating the correct valve adjustment interval of 30K miles, they list 105K miles. In fact, this is what is listed in the European manuals. Why might they have done this? Some have speculated that they felt that this short interval would be a turn off for potential buyers. Regardless, in my mind, it is a crime.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | B20 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 76000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 18th March, 2009 |