I’m Selling My Unreliable Honda CR-V and Buying A Toyota, My CR-V With Only 68K Miles Already Needs New Injectors at a Cost of $2,000

Should a 2019 Honda CR-V with 68,000 miles already need new fuel injectors? 

Jarod Coleman, in a Honda CR-V community Facebook post, says his 2019 Honda CR-V already needs its fuel injectors replaced. If that isn't bad enough, when Honda does the replacement, they say the spark plugs and oil will need to be changed also because fuel will foul the plugs and dilute the oil with gas. But there's more.

The cost with everything else they recommend is close to $3,000.

However, the question is, why does a 2019 Honda CR-V with only 68,000 miles need the fuel injectors and injector joint pipe to be replaced? 

Jarod, like many other Honda CR-V owners, purchased his vehicle with the expectation of reliability. However, with only 68,000 miles on it, it's starting to need expensive repairs. These are repairs he hadn't planned on or expected from a Honda vehicle, and it's a sentiment many can relate to.

He thought Honda CR-Vs were reliable.

He tried the cheap route, buying a couple of cans of fuel injection cleaner from the parts store and pouring it into the gas tank numerous times, but it didn't work.

Imagine Jarod's wife driving his CR-V to work (it's her car), and the CR-V's dashboard lights up with warning codes. She can't use the cruise control, and her small SUV's fuel mileage has dropped significantly, so she tells her husband something is seriously wrong with her car now. 

On top of that, with the malfunction indicators lit up like a Christmas tree on the dash, the radio and navigation screen will automatically scroll without any input whenever the warning light comes on. 

Now Jarod knows he has to get it to the dealer quickly. 

He scheduled an appointment with the Honda dealer for a free multi-point vehicle inspection and to get the CR-V's problems diagnosed. 

After four hours in the service bay, the service advisor tells Jarod he has a list of seven things that need to be done to get the CR-V running well again.

Jarod's 2019 Honda CR-V is parked next to his 2020 Toyota Camry

Jarod's jaw drops as he reads off the extensive list. 

Here is the breakdown of the items being recommended by the Honda dealer:

• Diagnose the problem: $89.95
• Oil change: replace engine oil and filter - 74.93
• Software upgrade: $155.00
• Fuel Injector and Joint Pipe Replacement: $1,417.41
• Spark Plug Replacement (4): $324.72
• Cabin Air Filter Replacement: $59.63
• Engine Air Filter Replacement: $84.74
• Brake Job - Replace front pads and rotors: $592.02

Total: $2,798.40

Some tasks are easy for Jarod to handle himself, such as changing the engine air filter and cabin air filter. However, since he's not a mechanic, he'll need the rest of the work done by the Honda dealer to fix the bad fuel injectors. That will cost him about $2,000.

"Jeez," he says under his breath, "I thought Hondas were supposed to be reliable. My CR-V only has 68,000 miles; it shouldn't need all this work done."

In his Facebook post, Jarod says,  

"I have a 2019 Honda CR-V with 68,000 miles. I have put in injector cleaner, but the poor drivability issue persists. It threw the P0172 "Fuel system too rich" code that occurred before I took it to the dealership.” 

“They didn't just spring the injectors on me. I took it in to have it formally diagnosed, as I suspected the issue. It will light the dash up like a Christmas tree, and you can't use cruise control."

"I'm not good with cars so that I wouldn't attempt the injector and joint pipe replacement. Simple stuff like filters, etc. I can do that, and I can take the brakes to an independent shop, which will be cheaper than the dealer." 

"But, the cost of the spark plugs, fuel injectors, software update, and oil, the dealership said, needed to be changed together due to the injectors being bad and leaking into the plugs, and oil is just unbelievable."

So, Is There a Problem with the 2019 Honda CR-V's Injectors?

There have been owner reports of issues with fuel injectors on some 2019 Honda CR-Vs, particularly those with the 1.5L turbo engine, like Jarod’s. 

What are the issues?

These issues can manifest as rich fuel conditions, misfires, and illuminated check engine lights, sometimes related to an "emissions system problem" message. 

Some owners on Reddit have reported needing to replace the fuel injectors, and in some cases, the issue has been linked to a recall for fuel injection software updates. 

However, there is no 2019 Honda CR-V recall for defective fuel injectors. 

What Are Other CR-V Owners Saying?

Reddit user Thundrbldr says, "My Honda CR-V has under 90K miles. I always used Top Tier gas. But the injectors are bad and need to be replaced. And the cost is $2,300." 

"I'm telling the wife that if next time we need a new car, if I consider a Honda again, to smack me on the side of the head and remind me that Honda just can't seem to get its act together in designing engines. It's the second time we've had a CR-V have a major engine problem under 100K miles."

Consumer Reports Gives the 2019 Honda CR-V Low Scores

Consumer Reports says the 2019 Honda CR-V has an overall reliability score of 69/100. The fuel system/emissions gets a low score of only 1/5. 

In the Consumer Reports owner survey, one owner said about the fuel injection system: 

"All the dash lights were on. Steering, braking, and every safety light. I had to read up about it; other CR-Vs are having the same issues." 

"The injectors are slowly dripping fuel, causing a fuel-rich situation when the car is started. This trips the emission systems fault to appear. We've waited two months for the dealer to get new injectors in." 

What Will Jarod Do Next?

Jarod is going to ask Honda to pay for some of the cost of new fuel injectors, but he will be out of luck. His 2019 Honda CR-V is out of warranty (5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty), and they will not cover it. 

Jarod will be stuck with the entire bill. 

When he gets the bad news, Jarod will likely get rid of his 2029 CR-V and buy a Toyota. 

He says, "If Honda offers me no kind of help, we will probably get rid of the CR-V and get another Toyota. I will look for an older 2020-2022 model year. I have a 2020 Toyota Camry now as my daily driver, and it's bulletproof." 

What Would You Do?

What would you do if you were Jarod? Spend the money to get the 2019 Honda CR-V fixed, or sell it and get a three-year-old Toyota RAV4 or another Toyota model to replace it? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out my Honda CR-V story: Honda Just Told Me It’s Going To Be $4,300 To Replace My 2022 Honda CR-V Radar, I Would Rather Trade It Off Than Pay That

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news, covering owner stories, and providing expert analysis, ensuring that you are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on X @DenisFlierl, @WorldsCoolestRides, Facebook, and Instagram

Photo credit: Denis Flierl