There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2013 Honda CR-Vin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
VTC rattles on startup. Please email me at [XXX] so we can start another lawsuit against Honda. This is a known problem that everyone from honda to your backyard mechanic are aware of. I used to love Honda. I even paid extra to get this specific Honda CRV. Kind of feel like a fool now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine rattles loudly for 2 seconds on cold start-up. The rattle started in 2021 at 90k miles, used to be intermittent but since 2022 it occurs every cold start-up. Two different mechanics have diagnosed the problem as a VTC defect requiring replacement, based on Honda’s TSB bulletin, which diagnoses the rattle as a defective VTC. No warning indicator lights have ever appeared for this issue. The cost to replace the VTC is $1200. A class action lawsuit has been filed for this very issue (JULY 5, 2023 case 3:23-CV-01238) - it states that a 2011 study showed that the VTC defect can stretch the vehicle’s timing chain and cause premature failure of the timing chain tensioner, and that damage to these internal engine components can cause catastrophic engine failure and lead to accidents. Honda should be held responsible for selling vehicles with defective parts, and owners should not have to pay for these replacements.
WHEN STARTING COLD, AS SITTING OVERNIGHT, TURN KEY ,GRINDING NOISE FROM ENGINE, ONLY TIME IT HAPPENS
A SURGE, VIBRATION, OR JUDDER MAY BE FELT WHILE DRIVING UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION
ENGINE RATTLES AT STARTUP, VTC ACTUATOR, AFRAID THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE START THE VEHICLE. *TR
VEHICLE STATIONARY. VARIABLE TIMING CHAIN ACTUATOR (VTC ACTUATOR) STARTED TO GRIND UPON ENGINE STARTS AT 90K. HAD THE VTC REPLACED FOR $700 AND WITHIN A YEAR IT FAILED AGAIN CAUSING THE SAME GRINDING NOISE UPON ENGINE STARTS. DEALER THEN REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONERS FOR $1200 SAYING THAT WAS THE ISSUE CAUSING THE NOISE. NEXT MORNING THE CAR IS MAKING THE SAME GRINDING NOISE. TOOK BACK TO DEALER BUT APPARENTLY THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE SOUND. VIDEO RECORDED THE SOUND TO SEND THEM. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE: TSB 16-012 I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2013 AND HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT HONDA. I SPENT OVER $2000 TRYING TO HAVE THIS FIXED AT THE DEALER AND THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED. I WANT TO SELL THIS VEHICLE BUT CAN'T ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO BUY A DEFECTIVE CAR.
THE CRV EXHIBITS A LOUD RATTLE FROM THE VALVE COVER. THE NOISE COMES ON EVERYTIME THE AC COMPRESSOR KICKS ON. DEALER REPLACED VTC ACTUATOR WITH NO RESULTS. THEN DEALER REPLACED AUTO BELT TENSIONER WITH NO RESULTS. NOISE IS LOUD AND TURNS PEOPLES HEADS AS I BACK UP OR TAKE OFF. IVE READ MANY SIMILAR STORIES FROM OTHER CRV OWNERS. DEALERS UNABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.
DURING LIGHT ACCELERATION THERE WAS A SHUDDERING AROUND 20-30 MPH. IT LESSENED AFTER I DECELERATED. IT CONTINUED FOR AROUND 8 MONTHS OR LONGER. I HAD IT CHECKED BY A NEARBY MECHANIC. HE PRINTED OFF SOME INFORMATION TO HAVE THE SOFTWARE UPDATED AND TO TAKE IT THE A HONDA DEALER. I CALLED THE CLOSEST, DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, COSTING ME $120 AND THEN PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FLUIDS EVEN BEFORE I EXPLAINED THE ISSUE. AFTER 3 1/12 HRS AND OVER $500 DOLLARS I WAS ON MY WAY HOME. BREAKDOWN ON THE BILL. LABOR AMT $490 PARTS $69.14 AND OF COURSE $39.13 TAX. I FEEL THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OWNERS OF HONDA CR-V HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THAT HONDA HAVE NOT STEPPED UP AND TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ISSUE, IF I HAVE ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THE SHUDDERING I WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA, EVER. I OWNED A HONDA CIVIC AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT CAR FOR AS LONG AS I HAD IT. SO TIME WILL TELL IF THE ISSUE IS COMPLETELY SOLVED. ALSO, THEY WANTED TO REPLACE MANY ITEMS THAT WAS NOT THE REASON FOR MY VISIT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA CR-V. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
I HAVE A 2013 HONDA CRV AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES. THE VSA, EPS, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH WHILE IDLE AND WOULD NOT PICK UP AFTER STOPPING. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND NOTATED THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TO STRETCH. I HAVE BEEN METICULOUS ABOUT MAINTENANCE ON MY VEHICLE. NOTABLY TIMING CHAINS SHOULD LAST THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND BEEN ADVISED THAT INDEED THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE VTC ACTUATOR (NOTABLY ANOTHER COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MODELS). THE PRICE TO FIX THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS CONSIDERING THE LOW MILES AND METICULOUS MAINTANCE BY THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO COMPLETED AS THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO YOUR ENGINE WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG.
ENGINE MAKES LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN STARTING COLD SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBED AS THE VTC ACTUATOR PROBLEM. CAR HAS 83,000 MILES ON IT. FYI.....THIS IS MY SECOND HONDA CR-V.....I TRADED IN THE LAST ONE AT 78,000 MILES WHEN IT WAS DOING THE SAME THING!!!
FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE ENGINE MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN I START IT. MOSTLY IN COLDER WEATHER. I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH ANOTHER HONDA CR-V OWNER AND THE SAME THING STARTED HAPPENING WITH THEM.
MAKES CRATING SOUND WHEN IT IS COLD STARTED
THE VTC ACTUATOR MAKES NOISE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONG TIME.
HEAVY VIBRATION IN GREAR WHEN COME TO A STOP ....FEELING VIBRATION ON THE SEAT...TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP SAY THEY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THER NO FIX FROM HONDA AT THIS TIME....DEALER STATE LOT OF CUSTOMER HAVE THE SAM COMPLAIN BUT NOTHING THEY CAN DO AT THIS TIME.....
MAKES GRINDING NOISE AT START UP. SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH VTC VALVE ISSUES
ON COLD START THE ENGINE MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 28,500 MILES ON THE CAR.
HAVE 2013 HONDA CR-V AND WHEN GO TO START IT AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT MAKES LOUD GRINDING NOISE FOR 1-2 SECONDS. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT'S THE VTC ACTUATOR AND IS A KNOW PROBLEM BUT NOT RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THEY WANT 500 BUCKS TO FIX THE ISSUES SINCE CAR OF COURSE ISN'T UNDER WARRANTY AND WON'T WORK WITH ME AT ALL. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL IN MY OPINION OF HONDA WITH AN ISSUES THAT IS KNOW AND COMMON.
AT THE STATIONARY POSITION, HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND EVERY TIME I START THE CAR. DEALERSHIP STATED IT IS A VTC ACTUATOR FAILURE.
ENGINE MAKES A RATTLE NOISE ON COLD START UP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE VTC ACTUATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 83000 MILES. THIS WAS IN AUGUST OF 2017. IT IS NOW JANUARY OF 2018, CAR NOW HAS 90355 MILES AND THE RATTLE NOISE HAS RETURNED. WILL TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WEEK TO SEE WHAT WILL BE DONE NEXT. FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED, HONDA HAS NOT COME UP WITH A REAL FIX. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS FOR PREVIOUS MODELS. COME ON NHTSA, PUT SOME HEAT ON THESE GUYS.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026