Honda has a recall affecting 563,711 examples of the 2007-2011 CR-V that are located in certain cold-weather states. Corrosion from salt and de-icing agents during the winter can cause corrosion that could result in a rear trailing arm falling off the vehicle.
This recall is specifically for CR-Vs sold or ever registered in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles have production dates from March 6, 2006, through December 5, 2011.
Gallery: 2007 Honda CR-V
Salt, de-icing agents, mud, and water can enter the rear frame through drainage and positioning holes. The substances can lead to corrosion of the internal structure.
Honda has 61 customer complaints about this problem in the United States. There are no instances of fatalities or injuries from this issue. The automaker's announcement says there are no reports of frame corrosion from this issue for vehicles outside of the salt-belt region.
Dealers will inspect the affected CR-Vs for corrosion to the rear frame. They'll determine the repair based on the ability to remove the bolt holding the rear trailing arm. Depending on the situation, the technicians will install a support brace to the frame, repair the frame, or even offer to repurchase the vehicle.
Owners who already paid to have this issue repaired before the recall can file for reimbursement of the cost from Honda.
The defect chronology that Honda submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that the company first dealt with the corrosion issue in January 2019 when it recalled CR-Vs in Canada for this problem. "After a market study of US market vehicles located in the Northeast region, Honda determined the rate of rear frame corrosion would not affect the structural integrity for the useful life of the vehicles due to fewer unpaved roads and lower sand/salt usage in the region as compared to Canada," the company said.
After receiving some reports in the US, Honda repurchased a CR-V in July 2020 to investigate the issue. It expanded the research in November 2021 and decided to conduct this recall in March 2023.
