My 2004 Honda CRV had the AC gone out and the dealership was going to charge me $3500.00 to fix it. Upon investigation, I found that there were hundreds of CRVs that had the same problem in that year, but Honda has been unwilling to help with the problem. It was a faulty design as Honda developed a new design that are used on post-2004 models. I could get no satisfaction from Honda and do not intend to ever buy another Honda product, although I have owned two for 20 years.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
My wife and I purchased a 2007 Honda CRV from Markham Honda in October 2010. Once winter came, we found out that the automobile was sliding all over the road. The dealership responded that it was a light car with a lot of power, and this was normal. When it was time for the vehicle's first oil change, we took it to Pickering Honda, our local dealer who informed us that the poor tread was the reason for the traction problem. In addition, we were told that the rear brakes were badly corroded and warped. I asked that they put this in writing, which they did.
With this letter in hand, I went to Markham Honda, who promptly denied everything, telling me that my dealer was trying to up-sell me. After this, they informed me that my vehicle was not even Honda certified and not subject to any higher standards than any other used car. I found two pictures of the vehicle taken at the time of purchase that clearly show the car labelled as Honda certified. I spoke with a Honda Canada customer service representative and after waiting for 4 weeks for a reply, I was told that there was nothing that they would do about this. How can a major dealership advertise a vehicle as one thing, yet sell you a completely different thing with no penalty?
We had an accident with the CRV on a rain-slick road. Driving well under the recommended speed limit, it began to slid and when the brakes were used, it spun out, hitting guardrails along the road. It was very apparent that the rear-wheel drive kicked in and propelled the car into the spin. Why would anyone want four-wheel drive to operate at speeds over 10 mph? On wet or icy roads, everyone knows that front-wheel drive is the preferred drive train. Why would Honda install "on demand" four wheel drive which the driver can't override? Very dangerous design and short-sighted.
The car received about $10,000 damage by driving at speeds under 30 mph on a wet and curvy Arkansas road.
Hmmm ... here's how Honda describes it:
With its unique Real Time 4-wheel drive system, CR-V ... has all-weather performance capability. When the traction of all four wheels is needed (such as on slippery roads) the system automatically engages the wheels for maximum tire grip. Real Time 4-wheel drive is a hydraulically actuated system that operates only when front-wheel slippage occurs.
If, in fact, the CRV decided to engage the four-wheel drive when Kent was in a tight turn it would seem that it could indeed have unpleasant consequences. We're curious to learn if anyone else has had this problem.
