2012 Honda CR-V Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 403 owner complaints for the 2012 Honda CR-V. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

Recalled components: powertrain, equipment, and latches, locks and linkages. Most-described problem: power steering problems or locked steering (27 complaints, 7%). Most-reported area: engine (89 complaints, 22%; median mileage when it happened: 37,200).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

3 safety recalls for the 2012 Honda CR-V

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 3 investigations that name the 2012 Honda CR-V; 1 is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. An equipment query is a review of whether a recalled part was also fitted to vehicles the recall does not cover. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 403 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 CR-V. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Power steering problems or locked steering27 · 7%
  Median 52,900 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration22 · 5%
  Median 59,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Rust or corrosion22 · 5%
• Hesitation or slow acceleration18 · 4%
  Median 2,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Dead battery or battery drain18 · 4%
  Median 34,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)17 · 4%
• Won't start16 · 4%
• Unintended acceleration or surging14 · 3%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine89 · 22%
  Median 37,200 miles at failure, from 66 reports with mileage
• Electrical system68 · 17%
  Median 29,800 miles at failure, from 50 reports with mileage
• Powertrain48 · 12%
  Median 55,500 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
• Steering35 · 9%
  Median 58,500 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
• Air bags30 · 7%
• Body structure29 · 7%
  Most named: body (20) · Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Suspension26 · 6%
• Unknown or other52 · 13%
  Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Honda CR-V recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 CR-V drew the most (835) and the 2012 drew 98.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2012 CR-V MPG

Questions