2012 Honda CR-V: Heat not working properly
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2012 CR-V report: heat not working properly. CarComplaints.com lists 20 owner complaints, average mileage 46,150 miles.
NHTSA has 4 owner complaints for the 2012 CR-V in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11099042 (filed 05/31/2018): “Honda 2012...black death. 78000 miles. total failure of ac system. must have ac in summer. why has honda not fixed this issue over past number of year.s and honda says nothing is being paid by them. yes, nothing covered. consumer must pay over $3,000 to repa…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #10671017 (filed 01/08/2015): “The heater/defroster failed to operate as it had in the past on december 6, 2013. previous to that date the air conditioner failed to cool properly starting in august, 2013. hazy white material coated the inside of the windshield requiring constant wiping so w…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: flushed heater core, replaced coolant (6 reports) replace heater core (3 reports) radiator/heater core flush (2 reports) replace radiator, core, all hoses and core sub-assembly (1 reports) service bulletin from honda found here (1 reports) AC /. Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Opening the A/C system requires refrigerant recovery equipment, and US EPA Section 609 certification is required to service vehicle A/C for compensation. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $410 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
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