I’ve been driving CR-Vs

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A 2009, 2012 and 2015. The 09 and 15 have really ‘ticky’ sounding engines like my old Toyota 22R when it needed a valve adjustment. All three have bubbling paint on the valve covers.

I liked the looks and the low mileage of the 12 but I didn’t like the way it sounded from the rear when up to speed. I suppose it could have been the tires but it’s more likely the rear differential has an issue.

The 09 (125k miles) is kinda tempting as a winter car. think it would sell for $8k with taxes.
 
A 2009, 2012 and 2015. The 09 and 15 have really ‘ticky’ sounding engines like my old Toyota 22R when it needed a valve adjustment. All three have bubbling paint on the valve covers.

I liked the looks and the low mileage of the 12 but I didn’t like the way it sounded from the rear when up to speed. I suppose it could have been the tires but it’s more likely the rear differential has an issue.
The Honda "Real Time" AWD system's rear differential is very much reliant on fresh lubricant changes every 50,000 miles or so. It uses a proprietary Honda Dual Pump II fluid that costs ~$15/quart. Approximately 2.1 quarts are needed for an exchange (see video below). If the fluid gets "worn out", the rear end will groan and hum, especially when backing up. Replacing the fluid will alleviate the noise.


If you really like the 2012 CR-V, you should get the seller to change the fluid and take it for another test drive. In any event, only the Honda Dual Pump II fluid should be used for the rear differential.

Also, note that the 2015 CR-V will have Direct Injection and the CVT transmission, if those are a concern for you.
 
You do know that there's a long list of preventative maintance that they need around 100 K miles.

Also, many times when one is for sale with more than 100 K miles, that preventive maintance has not been done.

Some of that stuff can bite you big time, such as resulting in destroying the engine if not done. So if you buy one with 100 K miles or more, you should be ready to do all that is required, and it will be good for another 100 K miles.

Most cities in the US have one Honda dealer who will work with the online Honda parts purchasing system for customers. You save about 40% with that system, and pick up the order at the perticipang dealer.

Around 100 K miles they need valve adjustment ( extremely important, they are solid lifters and the exhaust get tighter on clearance with use, if it gets too tight it burns the valve, ruins the head, and if the melted valve pieces score the cylinder the engine is ruined ). Also, the intakes get loose and the engine cant take in the maximum air resulting in less power. Get double iridium sparkplugs from rock-auto and put them in after adjusting valves. Valve cover gasket, water-pump, thermostat including housing, both coolant temperature sensors engine and Radiator don't mix them up, they look the same, all coolant hoses and clamps, coolant, serpentine and tensioner with idler, both trany filters there's 2 one in the trany and another either above or inline depending on year, be sure you have the O rings if its the above cvt one, trany fluid and drain and overflow crush-washers, rear end fluid and drain and fill crush-washers, clean throttle body and maf and map sensors you'll need the appropriate sprays and a soft cloth ( microfiber is best ) don't overnighter the sensors screws it's only plastic, flush brake fluid. The rubber gasket between the aluminum Radiator core and the Radiator tanks is sealed in place by crimping. Those gaskets go bad between 12 and 15 years of age, so while it's drained is a good time to replace the Radiator, and it's easier to install the new Radiator temperature sensor, also, new Radiator drain petcock and o ring. If it's a 2015 and has not yet had the improved Radiator mounts installed, add those, pcv valve, engine air cleaner, cabin air cleaner, wiper inserts, oem knock sensor ( if it goes bad the engine will lean out the air fuel mix sooooo bad it will ruin the engine ). Clean away paint below battery ground wire mount, clean battery terminals and check battery. Both O2 sensors, after 100 K they are ready to go bad, and if they do it will ruin the catalytic converters ( there are 2 and they ain't cheap, so replace those O2 sensors ) AutoZone usually will lend you the O2 socket.

All in all, your probably looking at the cost of fluids and parts of around $ 2,500 + / - some and that's using the online discount.

About a weeks worth of work for a DIY mechanic. Watch seversl YouTube about each job.

And after 100 K miles they need aligned with a hunter alignment macheine that measures some angles down to 1/100 of a degree. It makes a world of differance in how they drive. If all the front end parts are OK and nothing needs replaced, that will cost you about $100.00 to $150.00 + tax.

Put a bottle if Red-Line SI - 1 in a full gas tank to clean the fuel injectors asap, and run that tank low, and repeat. From then on about every 15 K miles or so another bottle. Amazon sells a 4 pack for the best price.

Have the alignment shop rotate the tires.

After all the above, they are good for another 100 K miles of very low maintance.

These are very reliable vehicles, but they require maintance every 100 K miles.
 
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Our CRV is getting clicky, but it also has a bad cam--I think that only impacted 2003 models.

Some day I will remember to bring cardboard with me when changing oil. Filter is above the axle and dumps onto the axle--brilliant design. Engine seems hard to work on, stuff crammed in. Well known Honda a/c woes, at least ours still works. Seat rocks, the bushings are known for giving out.

But I like the rear door that swings open rather than up. Personal preference (plus bad struts are not much of a problem).
 
Also, many times when one is for sale with more than 100 K miles, that preventive maintance has not been done.

Some of that stuff can bite you big time such as resulting in destroying the engine if not done. So if you buy one with 100 K miles or more, you should be ready to do all that is required, and it will be good for another 100 K miles.
The CR-Vs he is looking at all have the durable K24 engines with the timing chain instead of the timing belt. The biggest PM items at 100K miles are valve lash adjustments and fluid changes which are not difficult to perform. I'd look closely at the struts, sway bar links and compliance bushings in the lower control arms as part of a 100K mi. service.
 
IME on CRVs, swaybar links & swaybar bushings are usually pretty clunky with milage > 100K.
 
The 2015 has DI and the associated high pressure fuel pump does create a normal but obvious “tick”. If you want to confirm this is the source listen near the driver’s side of the camshaft, which drives the HPFP.

Not sure why bubbling paint on the valve covers is a serious issue. Can’t even see them on the 2015.
 
The 4th gen CRV's have a lot of issues. All the K24's need periodic valve clearance check/ adjustment.
The 09 is the better choice, just make sure it didn't have or need the rust recall done.
 
You do know that there's a long list of preventative maintance that they need around 100 K miles.

Also, many times when one is for sale with more than 100 K miles, that preventive maintance has not been done.

What is the difference between "preventative" and "preventive" maintenance?
 
The 2015 has DI and the associated high pressure fuel pump does create a normal but obvious “tick”. If you want to confirm this is the source listen near the driver’s side of the camshaft, which drives the HPFP.

Not sure why bubbling paint on the valve covers is a serious issue. Can’t even see them on the 2015.
The 2015 has a plastic valve cover.
 
Honda says to do a drain and fill of the cooling system using honda pre-mixed antifreeze at 100 K miles or 10 yr. whichever happens first. And do not use any flush chemicals, and do not flush with water. Flush chemicals and even water will introduce ions into the system and cause corrosion. Just drain and fill. So, a good time to do this is when you have it apart for other things like replacing the pump and thermostat, instead of having to replace the fluid again too soon when doing those.

There's a nice big spill free antifreeze funnel that Lesle and a few other companies make, that's great for filling the Radiator and running it for a little while with the funnel partly filled to burp out air. Still, even with that you might have to add to the overflow once in a while for about a month after that, as air works it's way out of the system.

After the first drain, from then on it's every 50,000 miles or 5 years because you don't get it all out each time.

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I change my fluids at about 80 % of what honda recommends. So, 80,000 miles or 8 years on the coolant for the first, and half that from then on.

Honda recommends brake fluid replacement every 3 years. But if you live where it's very dry all year you probably can go 4 years. I use Bosc ESI6 - 32N Brake fluid. It's much better and therefore I run it 4 years even though where I live gets humid in summer. It takes 2 quarts to replace ( flush out ) the old. The front brakes take a lot more than the back.

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If you try a 2015 or 2016, be sure to put it in S mode. S mode ( sport ) makes the cvt always select ratios that make the engine Rev higher, and the gas peddle becomes more responsive, and the variable valveing of the engine kicks in sooner. The whole vehicle is a lot more fun to drive in S mode. I like my 2016 with the cvt when I can use S mode on a hilly winding road when no other vehicles are on it. It's like a sports car with a big box sitting on it. Instead of the boaring economy big box that gets decent mpg when it is in D mode.

Just change the cvt fluid once in a while if you get one with a cvt. And ONLY use the correct honda fluid.


If you don't have torque wrenches you'll need them to work on these vehicles. It's aluminum and you don't want to strip anything. TEKTON makes really good quality torque wrenches for a fairly low price, and they sell on amazon. You'll need a 1/4 " for the sparkplugs, and coil pack bolts, be sure not to cross-thread those bolts when you put them back in, and a 3/8" for the crush-washers for trany and rear end crush-washers. And it's good to use a 1/2" for tightening lugnuts properly, so they are not too tight if you ever get a flat.
 
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The 4th gen CRV's have a lot of issues. All the K24's need periodic valve clearance check/ adjustment.
The 09 is the better choice, just make sure it didn't have or need the rust recall done.
Thanks for this, it’s just another reason why this site is so useful. I ran the VIN on the Honda recall site and it turns out the recall wasn’t done but is still active.
 
2009 might have been one of the years that had problems with the AC Compressor blowing up and contaminating the inside of the entire AC system resulting in having to replace the entire system.

Also, it might be one of the years that had the heater core with an internal coating that comes off some and blockes the inside of the heater core enough to not supply heat. The fix is to force flow hot CLR cleaner through it for several hours to desolve that material. The good thing about doing this fix is you don't have to take apart the dash. Some dealers may have the setup to do this, and it probably is cheaper to have them do that instead of buying the parts to make that setup. There's a chance it's a recall, but I don't know.
 
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All of these maintainance issues and problems make me think I should be looking at Highlander’s and RAV4s instead.

I’ve never owned a Honda.
All that stuff makes my Jeeps, Land Rovers and BMWs low maintenance....only one of them is under 100k, rest are 100k and 200k plus.
 
All of these maintainance issues and problems make me think I should be looking at Highlander’s and RAV4s instead.

I’ve never owned a Honda.
The Hondas of today aren't the Hondas of yesteryear (like the 2 CIvics I had, '89 & '90, or my brother's beater '01 Accord & '07 Civic). My wife REALLY wants a CR-V to replace her aging xB-but they're just not that great IMO!
 
All that stuff makes my Jeeps, Land Rovers and BMWs low maintenance....only one of them is under 100k, rest are 100k and 200k plus.

First, Honda maintenance isn’t that stringent. Coolant changes are common for all vehicles, brake fluid changes aren’t always specified but probably should be, ditto rear differential fluid. And do you really think the marques you mention would be cheaper to maintain?
 
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