1997 Honda CR-V: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Honda CR-V filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 108
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 29% of all complaints
2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
3 Seats 8% of all complaints
4 Tires 8% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 31 complaints (29% of all).
Air bags: 27 complaints (25% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seats: 9 complaints (8% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Tires: 9 complaints (8% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 108 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving13 · 12%
warning lights, check engine6 · 6%
airbag warning light5 · 5%
seat belts4 · 4%
won't start3 · 3%
tires: bulges, blowouts3 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 2%
headlights and tail lights2 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 2%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	31	0
Air bags	27	5
Seats	9	3
Tires	9	0
Vehicle speed control	9	0
Engine and cooling	6	0
Powertrain	5	0
Seat belts	5	0
Steering	4	1
Engine	3	0
Service brakes	3	2
Suspension	3	1
Visibility	3	0
Exterior lighting	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was driving on a major road when the accident occured. I had stopped on a traffic light, but when I resumed driving, my car could not stop when I tried to slow down or braked. As the brakes accelarated, and I was going to hit the cars in front of me, I swung to a curb and lost consciousness temporary.
Steering · crash · 2014-12-18 · NHTSA complaint #10667188
Upon impact air bag did not deploy, and the seatback broke. Vehicle was totalled.
Air bags · crash · 1999-05-19 · NHTSA complaint #838191
Vehicle skidded around corner & started swerving on dry road. Went across the left side of road & plowed into dirt & jumped up & flipped over on fence pole & flipped over again.
Suspension · crash · 1998-02-20 · NHTSA complaint #821588
Consumer was driving at approx 25 mph was rearended by another vehicle which was driving at approx 55mph.driver's seat broke , fell back on top of daughter which was sitting behind her. This defect could result in injuries.
Seats · crash · 1997-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #819061
When applying the abs brakes in a sudden stop, the vehicle brakes locked up, causing an accident.
Service brakes · crash · 1997-07-15 · NHTSA complaint #814232
The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,470.
Air bags · 2022-06-01 · NHTSA complaint #11467027
The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's front seat belts failed to unlatch from the buckle. The vehicle was not yet taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Seat belts · 2020-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #11377555
The driver's side visor is too long, as in, it obstructs view of traffic lights.
Visibility · 2019-09-13 · NHTSA complaint #11255315

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19978
19988
19996
20006
200110
200218
20036
20048
20052
20071
20081
20091
20101
20112
20143
20151
20164
20173
20182
20192
202013
20211
20222

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,391 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).

On average one model year of the CR-V has 503 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 108, below average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Honda CR-V?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, seats. Total complaints: 108. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (12%), warning lights, check engine (6%), airbag warning light (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Honda CR-V?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1997 Honda CR-V from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1997 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.