Used Honda CR-V 2006 - 2012 reliability review

What should I look for in a used Honda CR-V?

Although four-wheel drive is standard, the CR-V was primarily engineered for on-road use, so you’ll need to check for damage under the nose and rear of the car to make sure a previous owner hasn’t attempted some overly optimistic off-roading.

Also, while the interior is fundamentally well put together, it’s prone to superficial wear, becoming scuffed and marked quite easily.

The five-speed automatic gearbox is an acquired taste; it doesn’t impact too heavily on fuel consumption or emissions, but it does restrict the performance somewhat, so it’s best reserved for those who do most of their mileage in town.

Is a used Honda CR-V reliable?

Short answer: yes. In our 2023 used car reliability survey covering models between six and 20 years old, the CR-V was rated as the most reliable used large SUV on the road. Its score of 95.7% was all the more impressive because the earliest models are more than 15 years old.

Honda performed well in our rundown of the most reliable used car brands, too, with a 90.7% score putting it in fourth place.

General consumables such as filters, fluids, wiper blades shouldn’t cost much more than for a family saloon. However, a common complaint is the CR-V’s appetite for tyres; having to replace them after a mere 12,000 miles is not unknown, especially for models riding on larger alloy wheels.

The brakes can take a pounding, too, so make sure that you keep them regularly inspected: especially the discs, which can pit or develop a distinct lip of a few millimetres depth on the edge when worn.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine needs its valve clearances checked and adjusted every 75,000 miles, so carefully inspect the service history to make sure that this has been done on schedule.