CarComplaints.com Notes: It's rare when a newer vehicle has defect trends. Judging from the identical 2017 model year, the 2018 Honda CR-V is likely to have at least two — overfilled oil levels with a gas smell, & heat not working.

Both problems affecting the Honda CR-V's 1.5L "Earth Dreams" engine appear to be related to cold-climate regions.

CR-V owners report overfilled oil levels due to fuel in the oil, & sometimes a gas smell in the cabin. That problem appears to be related to fuel injection which Honda hopes to fix via a software update. Honda so far has only conducted a recall in China & a "product update" in Canada.

CR-V owners also report no heat even after warming up their CR-Vs for 30 minutes — not even enough to defrost the windshield. So far, there has been no fix from Honda for this issue.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,435 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Honda CR-V engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Honda CR-V Owner Comments (Page 3 of 23)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #405

Dec 112022

CR-V 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving (road trip 500 miles round trip), all the dashboard lights turned with no real indication of what the issues was. I pulled over to see if there was anything noticeable and did not see anything exteriorly nor once I opened the hood of the car. I continued my drive home (remaining 100 miles or so) and once I parked my car in driveway, I noticed a strong smell with black smoke coming from exhaust pipe with black oil at the end of my tailpipes. My car is currently at dealers getting looked at and they recommended changing my fuel injector and spark plugs, which they completed ($2,000) and I AM STILL having issues.!!! Doing my research online I noticed that there was a recall of this vehicle in China but not in the US, which is unacceptable. Something needs to be done ASAP!

- Manhattan, IL, USA

problem #404

Dec 222022

CR-V

  • miles
I have a 2018 Honda CR-V touring, with a 1.5 turbo engine. It seems that as my oil usage (Mileage) increases, between oil changes, I have been losing Miles per Gallon. After an oil change my MPG is around 34 to 35 MPG. My car now is at 60% oil usage before an oil change is needed. I am due for an oil change now. The last oil change the mechanic noticed there was a thinning of the oil and the smell of gas in the oil was present, as well as the oil quantity was higher. We assumed the higher oil quantity is due to gas in the oil.

- Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA

problem #403

Dec 152022

CR-V

  • miles
The car does not get up to operating temperature at idle during cold climates. If the car is started and left to idle and warm up, the heat will not blow and the front window will not defrost. If the car is driven on short trips through town, it will not heat up at all. Also, if the car is driven around and gets up to operating temperature and then left to idle, the car's temperature will slowly edge down and cause no heat to blow from the vents. I have brought the car in to the dealer twice for the same issue only for them to tell me that this is a normal characteristic of the car and that nothing is wrong. I have never had this issue on any other vehicle. Additionally, the car suffers from oil dilution in the engine which cases poor performance and thinned oil. The oil level gradually increases over time after being driven because of gasoline entering the engine oil. I believe that this will eventually lead to premature wear in my engine.

- Niskayuna, NY, USA

problem #402

Nov 152022

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Hello NHTS, I have been dealing with my vehicle stalling & losing power while driving on the freeway. This is a very dangerous issue with my Honda CRV. I have had this happen several times now and it was reported to Honda. Honda has not yet placed this issue on recall status. This needs to get looked at before someone gets injured or killed.

- Woodland , CA, USA

problem #401

Oct 192022

CR-V

  • miles
Toda la seguridad relacioada al sistema de frenos y la emisión de gases es un problema persistente en el panel del vehículo. Al parecer es un problema común de éstos vehículos según las reseñas que he escuchado y leído de por parte de otros propietarios de éstos vehículos.

- Juana Diaz, PR, USA

problem #400

Sep 022022

CR-V

  • 90,000 miles
The contact's father owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that on separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pads and the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated that the same day while his father was driving, the vehicle stalled and was towed back to the dealer where it was then diagnosed that the software needed to be updated however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it remained. The vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact left a voicemail however, there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #399

Aug 122022

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am making this report because I am shocked that my Honda's CRV AC hose from compressor to condensor needed to be replaced. All of my AC leaked out from compressor. My Honda is a 2018 and it only has 60,000 freeway miles.I went online and saw that many other Honda CRV 2018 owners have had the same issue. Honda should have repaired it. It took almost a week to get it repaired. Difficulty finding the hoses. I called both my dealer and Honda Customer Support and they didn't offer any type of extended warranty for this.

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #398

Jul 262022

CR-V

  • miles
While traveling on I-95N my car started braking on its own, I was in the middle lane of I-95 North in Maryland traveling about 75 mph when the car started braking for no reason, all the indicator lights lit up on the dashboard, I had no idea what was going on but somehow safely made it to the shoulder without incident. I was informed today that it was an "engine failure" that caused my car to brake/stall; I inquired why there was no warning, when you need an oil change you get a warning, when your battery is dying you get a warning, when your tire pressure is low you get a warning, all things that do not require immediate attention but there is no warning when your engine is going to fail -- that does require immediate attention especially when you are traveling on I-95 north with trucks and cars traveling at speeds of 70-plus miles per hour.

- Locust, NJ, USA

problem #397

Jul 162022

CR-V

  • miles
AC Compressor Leaking Freon. 23243 miles. Cost $2184.20 to repair. Numerous complaints concerning AC, compressor should not have failed at this juncture. Believe HONDA installed defective part during production.

- Columbia, MD, USA

problem #396

Apr 082022

CR-V

  • miles
In early April 2022 the Body Control Module went bad. A replacement was ordered, and is still unavailable (Honda PN: 38809-TMM-A21). This rendered the car unable to be started, unless the battery was first disconnected and then reconnected (as advised by Honda Service). However, this results in several error lights, including emergency braking, hill start assist, lane keeping assist, collision warning systems, blind spot systems, as well as non-driving systems like operation of the windows, and the associated symptom of these systems working intermittently, or not at all. Honda still has not provided a reliable estimate for the part to be made available, despite escalating the situation to their corporate level. I am aware of other Honda models of the same year having BCM (Body Control Module) issues and a recall being current and active.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #395

Mar 302022

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

As I was driving home from work, I tried to accelerate to merge onto the highway and my car would not go over 30-40 mph. It felt like it was going to stall. This could have caused a major accident. I was able to make it home. I took the 2018 honda crv to the dealer that night and was told that Turbocharger was broke. During this whole ordeal, the engine light did not come on once, nor leading up to this event. The dealer ran computer diagnostics and nothing came up. They had to take the car apart to find out what was wrong. Because the turbocharger had been broken, this also caused damage to the fuel injectors and they needed replaced. 25 days later, again on my way home from work, every single light and warning message is flashing on my dash, as if there is a battery problem. THERE WAS NO WARNING APPEAR PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. Took it back to the dealer and was told that there is blown head gasket, coolant leaking into the cylinder, no compression in cylinder. Luckily, nothing happened while I was driving. THIS NOW REQUIRES MY WHOLE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. Seems due to driving with the malfunctioning Turbo, the original problem, WHICH I HAD NO IDEA OR WARNING LIGHT, damaged my car further. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE HONDA CRV 2018 SAFETY ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS AND IN MY OPINION MALFUNCTIONED.

- Canonsburg, PA, USA

problem #394

Mar 222022

CR-V

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off the highway and immediately called for roadside assistance. The contact had the vehicle initially towed to her home where her son inspected the vehicle. The contact's son informed her that there was an issue with the engine and the vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective cylinder head. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

- Laurel, MD, USA

problem #393

Mar 202022

CR-V

  • miles
My vehicle stops going down the road. It starts slowing down quickly and is very hard to drive like the power steering is going out. Hopefully I can get to a shoulder to turn it off. I let it sit for a few minutes and it will restart. Close to my home, there are curves where there is no shoulder and it has happened multiple times there. It is not consistent and usually occurs within the first 30 minutes of your drive. This has happened since I bought brand new but is occurring more frequently now.

- Cave Springs , AR, USA

problem #392

Feb 162022

CR-V

  • miles
Traveling on I-20 My wife reported the car just quit working with no warning between Atlanta and Birmingham about 90 miles from home. She was able to get to the side of the interstate and called me. She said all the lights on the display were showing as failed systems. Internet search lead me to believe it was the battery. On arrival i installed new battery but symptoms remained car would not start and just shuddered when attempting to start. I called the dealership we purchased from to talk to a tech. I was asked if she was low on gas below 1/2 tank. Yes the gauge shows 1/4 tank remains. I was told to get gas and it should be fine, some of the CRV's run out of gas but read that gas remains. I did get gas and car cranked we drove home. At 63 we don't need this kind of dangerous situation to happen. Think how easily this could have gone from bad to worse. She did call the state patrol and asked for the roadside assistance truck to come. This would at least have some flashing lights. They never made it. The dealership told me on the phone that this was not a recall or covered but they knew about it occurring. They would be glad to fix it at my expense. Money for maintenance is one thing but I might as well let my wife drive a junker if this is what I get when I buy a Honda. This occurred 02/16/22 so I have not been to the dealer for their evaluation, just to the gas station.

- Odenville, AL, USA

problem #391

Jan 312022

CR-V 4-cyl

  • 11,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space and depressing on the brake pedal, she heard an abnormal noise and the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact stated an unknown green brake hold warning light was illuminated and then turned off a second later. The contact stated she was able to park the vehicle. The contact stated that a week later while starting the vehicle, she experienced the same failure. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where she was informed that the engine was overfilled by one quart of oil. The contact was informed that the extra oil needed to be drained. The repairs were completed. The contact stated on 2/9/2022, she started to smell fuel fumes inside the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer and was informed there was no leak and no failure found with the vehicle. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

- Carlstadt, NJ, USA

problem #390

Feb 082022

CR-V

  • miles
Engine oil diluted. 2/8/2022 Engine oil was Diluted by 55mm. This happened within 400 miles of the last oil change. That's a lot of gasoline in the oil and oil viscosity is significantly decreased. All updates/recalls have been completed on the vehicle. The updates that are specific to this issue have been completed. Talking to Honda dealership, this is extremely unnormal and results in premature engine wear.

- Proctor, MN, USA

problem #389

Dec 012019

CR-V

  • 34,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle several unknown warning lights would remain illuminated, including the check engine warning light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel injectors were faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact also indicated that fuel had mixed into the engine oil causing a heavy fuel odor to be present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a computer re-flash. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000.

- Munster, IN, USA

problem #388

Dec 012021

CR-V

  • miles
The oil leak from oil pan seal and timing chain tensioner seal area.

- Potomac, MD, USA

problem #387

Aug 282021

CR-V

  • miles
Vehicle stalled when accelerating to overtake another vehicle. No errors/warnings, displays were working but speed suddenly dropped and does not increase no matter what. It was scary. Luckily I was able to come back to a shoulder lane and stop the vehicle. Vehicle ran normally after powering off and starting again. I've been driving the vehicle for couple of hours on freeway by then. This happened 4 times over the summer. Dealers are asking for $200 to diagnose but not promising that they will be able to find the problem since the issue does not happen consistently. I suspect it is due to oil dilution problem for which Honda performed repair last year.

- Redmond, WA, USA

problem #386

Sep 012021

CR-V

  • 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, multiple unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated an independent mechanic came to her residence and informed her that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on 10/17/2021, while driving 45 MPH, the engine experienced a misfire and the vehicle started to decelerate. The contact stated that multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated she was able to drive back to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

- Frederick, MD, USA

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