2002 Honda CR-V Steering Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED WHILE AT A RED LIGHT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SHOULDER, NECK, AND LOW BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO PAUL PAINT AND BODY SHOP IN HIGH RIDGE, MO, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED FOR THE CRASH DAMAGE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION LOCK FAILED TO ADJUST AND REMAIN SECURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V370000 AND 15V320000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

THIS IS TO DESCRIBE A SAFETY ISSUE WE DISCOVERED WITH THE 2002 HONDA. WE EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP AND FORCED THE CAR TO DRIVE INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND MY WIFE IS NOW LEFT WITH SHOULDER AND BACK PROBLEMS. IT HAPPENED ONLY DAYS AFTER A LOCAL HONDA DEALER HAD SERVICED THE VEHICLE TO RESOLVE THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN AN OFF-RAMP AND SUDDENLY THE STEERING LOCKED UP IN A HARD RIGHT TURN WHICH FORCED THE VEHICLE INTO A CONCRETE GUARD RAIL. THE CAR IS NOW TOTALED AND WE WERE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT INSURANCE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE.

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR IN MARCH, 2013. NOW IN 2014, WE NOTICED THE AC WASN'T WORKING WE ATTEMPTED TO RECHARGE IT WITH FREON, BUT I WAS TOLD THE COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACE, THE CONDENSER, LINES, EX VALVE, EVEN A SENSOR. PRETTY MUCH ALL THE AC SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACE. NOW WE HAVE NOTICED THAT ONCE THE COMPRESSOR IS ON. IT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING OR MAKING TURNS. IT FEELS AS IF THE COMPRESSOR WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO TURN OFF. AS IF NOT BAD ENOUGH ONCE THE CAR IS ON PARK WITH AC ON THE COMPRESSOR WILL SHUT-OFF AND THE AC WILL START BLOWING A HUMID-SMELLY AIR. ONCE IT DOES THIS, THE COMPRESSOR'S EMERGENCY VALVE WILL OPEN AND FLUSH SOME FREON. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR WITH MY FAMILY IN IT. SPECIALLY NOW THAT I'VE READ ABOUT ALL THE OTHER RECALLS AND COMPLAINS. DOING MY RESEARCH NOW (WHICH IS TOO LATE), I FOUND THAT HONDA WAS SUED DUE TO THIS ISSUE. AC COMPRESSOR MALFUNCTION IS TO BE FOUND IN 02-04 HONDA CRVS. OUR CRV HAS BEEN BACK AT THE MECHANIC 3 TIMES THE LAST MONTH, AND YET THE ISSUE CANT BE RESOLVE. THE MECHANIC SAYS IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGN. ALTERNATOR AND COMPRESSOR SHARE THE SAME BAND. I'M AFRAID AND CONCERNED THAT AT SOMEPOINT BOTH THINGS WILL GIVE-OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I AM 2ND OWNER OF THIS 2002 HONDA CRV-EX MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR OUR LEFT HAND DRIVE (RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD) AMERICAN MARKET. CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 149,500. RECENT 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT TO CORRECT FRONT TIRE WEAR AND RETURN TO MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS HAS RESULTED IN VIOLENT PULL/TORQUE STEER TO RIGHT UPON ACCELERATION. DRIVING AT CRUISING SPEED REQUIRES STEERING CAR TO LEFT TO CONTROL CONSTANT PULL TO RIGHT. THIS IS NOT A ROAD CROWN ISSUE. I SEE FROM MY OWN INTERNET SEARCHES THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR NUMEROUS YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE, BUT I HAVE NOT YET FOUND ANY COMPLAINTS ON FILE HERE. MANY CONSUMER STORIES FOUND ELSEWHERE DOCUMENT THAT A HONDA DEALER WON'T EVEN CONSIDER ASSISTING THIS PROBLEM IF THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY (LIKE MINE...). EVEN SO, MANY OTHER STORIES HAVE THE DEALER SAYING THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE IF THE ALIGNMENT MEETS THE VEHICLE'S PUBLISHED ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS. I AM TRYING TO GET A COPY OF A HONDA TSB THAT MIGHT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, BUT ACCESS TO HONDA MANUFACTURER WEBSITES IS BLOCKED ON ACCESSING TSB'S AND EVEN THIS USGOV SERVICE APPEARS TO REQUIRE PAYING FOR SUCH CRITICAL INFORMATION. I WILL KEEP LOOKING AND HOPE THAT THERE IS A DEFINITIVE CORRECTION TO THIS DANGEROUS VEHICLE BEHAVIOR AND I HOPE NHTSA WILL TAKE HONDA TO TASK ON THIS ISSUE FOR MANY CRV OWNERS. I SUGGEST NHTSA DO ITS OWN GOOGLE SEARCH FOR THIS PROBLEM AS A STARTING POINT. THANX!! *TR

2002 HONDA CRV: I WAS MAKING A TURN FROM A STOP LIGHT, INTO THE FREEWAY ON RAMP, AND I HEARD A LOUD GEAR DRAGGING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I LOST POWER STEERING AND THE CAR AND IT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER JUST AS I WAS ASCENDING ON TO THE ON RAMP, HOWEVER THE ENGINE STALLED AND SMOKE WAS VISIBLE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY BEFORE I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. I HAD TO PUT THE GEAR ON NEUTRAL AND PUSH THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. IT WAS NERVE RACKING WITH MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS IN THE CAR. I NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I INSPECTED ALL THE FLUID LEVELS AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS FROM AN AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILURE, WHICH CAUSED THE ACCESSORY BELT TO DRAG AND STALL THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED BUT AC WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. *TR

NOTICED HUMMING SOUND WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL GOING 40 OR MORE MILES AN HOUR AFTER BEING SERVICED AT HONDA FOR 75,000 MILE CHECK UP. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY IN NEW YORK AT MODERATE SPEED, EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY LOST STEERING. EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING WAS DIRECTED AT TRYING TO STEER, TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR WAS LIKE A BAD CARNIVAL RIDE CONDUCTED BY DEMONS. I SMASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, CAROMED OFF IT, VEERED TO THE LEFT AND SMASHED INTO THE CONCRETE MEDIAN JERSEY BARRIER ON THE LEFT. I WAS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I WAS ABOUT TO DIE. THANKS TO THE BARRIER AND MY SEATBELT AND AIRBAGS (I HAVE SIDE-IMPACT AIRBAGS WHICH DID NOT DEPLOY, ONLY THE FRONT ONES DID - THERE WAS NO PASSENGER IN MY CAR), I DID NOT GO INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS I BELIEVED I WAS ABOUT TO, WALKED AWAY FROM MY CAR AND AM SITTING HERE WRITING TO YOU NOW, QUITE BANGED UP AND BRUISED AND WITH A FRACTURED VERTEBRA BUT MIRACULOUSLY ALIVE. MIRACULOUSLY ALSO, NO OTHER CARS WERE INVOLVED. *** SOMETHING FAILED IN MY CAR TO CAUSE THIS AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT. THERE WAS EITHER A TIRE OR MECHANICAL FAILURE OF SOME KIND. (THE TIRES STILL HAD DECENT TREAD ON THEM.) MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAYS THE CAR AND TIRES ARE SO DAMAGED FROM THE IMPACT THAT THEY CAN'T TELL WHAT CAUSED IT AND THEY SHOW NO INTEREST IN PURSUING IT. (IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN A BLOWOUT.) I'M SURE SOMEONE WHO KNEW HOW COULD INVESTIGATE THE CAR AND FIND OUT WHAT FAILED. IT SEEMS TO ME IT SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO HONDA AND EVERYONE ELSE WHAT WENT WRONG HERE. I HAVE NOTIFIED AMERICAN HONDA ABOUT THE ACCIDENT AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER, BUT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME. (P.S. THE CAR HAS CRUISE CONTROL BUT I WAS NOT USING IT.) *LA

DEAR NHTSA I DON'T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH YOU WITH THIS BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I AM LEASING A 2002 CRV HONDA AND HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH IT UNTIL TODAY. WHILE I WAS COMING THROUGH MY APARTMENT COMPLEX A LOUD CRACK CAME FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE JOLTED TO A STOP AND I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO LOOK AROUND THE AREA OF WHERE THE NOISE CAME FROM. THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL APPEARED TO LOOK LIKE IT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AXEL OR SOMETHING. THEN I LOOKED FURTHER UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT AND ARM OR ROD TO THE WHEEL HAD BROKE IN HALF. THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL PIECE THAT BROKE AS WELL THAT APPEARS TO TAKE PART IN THE SECURING OF THE ARM OR ROD. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I FEE THERE IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD REGARDING LIVES WHO PRESENTLY OWN VEHICLE TO AS WELL AS MYSELF I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ONLY GOING BETWEEN TEN TO FIFTEEN MILES PER HOUR AND WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY AT A FASTER SPEED WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATALITY OR EVEN MORE FATALITIES DEPENDING ON THE TRAFFIC AT THE TIME. *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, TH STEERING WHEEL WILL PULL RIGHT OR LEFT. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE DRIVING OVER 60 MPH STEERING WHEE PULLED TOWARDS THE RIGHT, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE. *AK