Headlights problems of the 2013 Honda CR-V

18 problems related to headlights have been reported for the 2013 Honda CR-V. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2013 Honda CR-V based on all problems reported for the 2013 CR-V.

1 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 02/09/2018

I am hoping, that by bringing this to your attention, something can be done to fix the poor headlights on Honda crvs. . We have had many 1990-1991 Honda accords that didn't seem to have an issue with headlights. We have a 2006 Honda crv, and now own a 2013 Honda crv. The headlight lamps would burn out often on the 2006 crv figuring the age and about 250,000. But on checking out possible solutions for our 2013 lack of good lighting at night, I found these blogs on the links below. So this is not a new problem and the safety issue is a big one! do we need an accident or worse yet a death to get this taken care of? the 2013 headlights don't go out far enough on low beam and I don't use high beam often as it only shows the reflector lights and the road is dark in front of the vehicle! we live in deer country. And god forbid a human should be in the road and not seen as a result of high beams or low beams not working properly. Understand that where I live it can get dark at 5. 00 p. M. At night during the winter. Thank you for your time and attention on this. . Read more...

2 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 06/20/2016

The headlights on this vehicle do not provide adequate illumination. We are reviewing/considering aftermarket lighting to correct this situation. The low beams only project about 10 feet in front of the vehicle (even with the driving lights on) and the high beams are very dim and offer very little light immediately in front of the vehicle. When turning, there is not enough light to safely see the side road if there are no street lights. In rural areas, the dim lights make it impossible to see wildlife such as deer soon enough to safely avoid them. My crv has been returned to the dealer twice and they were able to make some adjustments to try to fix the problem. The dealer has told me that customers have complained about poor lighting for many years and nothing has been done. I have purchased high output bulbs and the improvement has been minimal. I have called Honda and asked how I could obtain the better headlights that are available in europe and been told that I cannot. I have asked if driving lights could be left on with the high beams and told no. The dealer offered to install post-market non-Honda headlights for me but Honda told me that I would void my warranty. Honda customer service told me that she was not aware of any headlight complaints however many complaints are readily available on the internet. She took down my information and entered it into a computer and I have heard nothing back - that was a month ago. Something needs done about these headlights - someone is going to be seriously injured and obviously Honda does not care. This should be a simple fix as I know they have better headlights for this vehicle in the european market.

3 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 01/01/2015

Exterior paint is flaking off specificly on inside and outside angles. Plastic covers on headlight are fogging and permenantly etched.

4 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 09/20/2014

I purchased the vehicle from independence Honda in bloomsburg, PA. It was a Saturday close to closing time. The salesman and his boss were eager to make the sale, and said if you sign the papers today, name your price. All along knowing about the headlight issue/defect! I not knowing about the headlights, made the deal and paid in full. The following Monday I complained about a rattle and told them to adjust the headlights. They fixed the rattle and said the headlights were within specs or specifications! I would just have to get used to them! still didn't like the insufficient visibility so I took the vehicle to a local mechanic. This mechanic said the internet is loaded with people complaining about Honda's headlights. He suggested I contact the dealership. The same day I called the dealership and asked to speak to the service department manager. He said, "when the high beams are on, the low beams are off, that's just the way it is. " he also said, "the lights are not the same as on a GMC vehicle. " again was told - "get used to it!" my complaint - the headlights don't provide adequate lighting. It is most definitely a safety issue! it is a defect that is not being corrected. Does there have to be deaths before something is done? can you tell me what recourse is available for me to get proper headlights? Honda is getting away with murder!.

5 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 08/28/2014

I purchased my 2013 Honda Cr-v new on February 8, 2013. Today the right side headlight went out. Because of a history of problems with headlights on previously owned Cr-vs, I am not looking forward to what's ahead with the headlights on this car. I have owned a new 1997 crv, and a new 2006 crv. In both previous vehicles, which were purchased new and traded with over 250k miles on each, I had recurring problems with headlights constantly going out, often one within days of the other, and especially with the 2006 crv, every 3 to 4 months. I went to several Honda dealerships on numerous occasions and was always told that there was recall or persistent problem. I commute 120 miles roundtrip daily for work, and I work in a rural area, covering 6 very rural counties. Sometimes my headlight would go out while I was driving on dark, 2 lane rural highways. In the 2006 vehicle, my headlights were going out so frequently that I started buying 2 bulbs at a time so that I always had a back up bulb. This is a serious safety hazard that Honda has apparently avoided fixing over the years. I am aware of the owner blogs for crv-s where many Honda crv owners have complained about this. I have put family members on notice that if I am involved in an accident in my car at night and cannot speak for myself, they should pay special attention to whether my headlights were functioning properly. In addition, on this 2013 crv, neither the low beam nor the high beam head lights seem bright enough at night. Although I love the Cr-v otherwise, because of this persistent problem with the headlights that I believe Honda is aware of and has chosen not to repair, this will very likely be the last Honda that I purchase. This is a serious safety hazard, and I would not be surprised if there is eventually a class action lawsuit against Honda because of this problem.

6 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 12/17/2013

The high beam headlights on this vehicle and my daughter's similar car are a defective design. There are many complaints already regarding this. The only way you can see decently is with a combination of low beams and driving lights.

7 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 10/31/2013

The headlights keep blowing. Have been through 3 sets in 10 months! taken it in to Honda, and they blame the consumer's improper installation as a cause. We had auto zone help us install them each time. Been complaining since day 1 that the headlights constantly dim and come back up. Honda blames the cars "small battery" as the reasoning behind it. Then if it's their "battery" that's causing it then make the space bigger! also, on multiple occasions have noticed the car lags when hitting the accelerator. Has almost caused multiple collisions. You press the accelerator expecting the car to move, but it delays. Which is really dangerous when your trying to make a quick turn. Honda says "it's normal, all cars do it". There really needs to be recalls issued for these! these things are major safety issues! I've reviewed multiple people stating the same issues with their Honda's, and yet Honda refuses to help their consumers and still continues to produce faulty and dangerous cars.

8 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 10/02/2013

As the days became shorter, I was driving after dark and noticed that the headlights are dangerously inadequate. The low beams only project about 10 feet in front of the vehicle (even with the driving lights on) and the high beams are very dim and offer very little light immediately in front of the vehicle. When turning, there is not enough light to safely see the side road if there are no street lights. In rural areas, the dim lights make it impossible to see wildlife such as deer soon enough to safely avoid them. My crv has been returned to the dealer twice and they were able to make some adjustments to try to fix the problem. The dealer has told me that customers have complained about poor lighting for many years and nothing has been done. I have purchased high output bulbs and the improvement has been minimal. I have called Honda and asked how I could obtain the better headlights that are available in europe and been told that I cannot. I have asked if driving lights could be left on with the high beams and told no. The dealer offered to install post-market non-Honda headlights for me but Honda told me that I would void my warranty. Honda customer service told me that she was not aware of any headlight complaints however many complaints are readily available on the internet. She took down my information and entered it into a computer and I have heard nothing back - that was a month ago. Something needs done about these headlights - someone is going to be seriously injured and obviously Honda does not care. This should be a simple fix as I know they have better headlights for this vehicle in the european market.

9 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 09/02/2013

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Cr-v. The contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the headlights failed to illuminate the road adequately. The contact stated that whenever the low or high beam head lamps were engaged, they would distort the night vision of the roadway. The manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that the headlights could have possibly been a design flaw. The approximate failure mileage was 100.

10 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 07/10/2013

Tl-the contact owns a 2013 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that the low beam headlights were not bright enough to see while driving at night. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for an inspection. The failure was not reported to the manufacturer. The failure and current mileage was 120. Kmj.

11 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 07/06/2013

The headlights are atrocious, especially on high beam. There are dark spots all over the road, in the center of the road, and the road cannot be clearly seen. It is a safety hazard. I live in utah and traveling at night, the high beam headlights are so bad I could not see a deer or other wildlife if it were directly in front of me on the road. The low beams are almost just as bad. The road is not illuminated in a safe manner. This is a universal complaint (especially on the internet) and I cannot understand why the NHTSA has not looked into this. Unless on a well-lit street, the headlights are useless. The Cr-v should be immediately recalled and Honda should be required to remedy this situation ASAP. Moreover, why do the Cr-vs sold in europe have projector-type headlights and those sold in the us are the worst headlights ever. David drake.

12 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 06/04/2013

My wife has a 2013 Honda crv and is having a problem with the headlights. When she goes from low to high beams you loose most of the foreground illumination. On a dark road, when you need as much light as possible, this creates a very scary effect. There is without question a safety flaw with the headlight system. I brought the car back to the dealer but they couldn't help. I had them document on the slip that customer was not satisfied with headlight system. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before someone is killed because of this problem. I called Honda corporate last week and was provided with a case number and someone is supposed to call me back. With all the chatter on the internet regarding this issue, I'm sure they are aware of the problem. Hopefully, they will indicate exactly when this dangerous flaw in the 2013 Honda crv will be properly corrected. As of today, Honda has not responded.

13 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 05/15/2013

The headlights on this vehicle do not provide adequate illumination. We reside in a rural suburban area and the headlights do not give off sufficient illumination to properly see the road conditions. We are reviewing/considering aftermarket lighting to correct this situation.

14 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 03/30/2013

Brand new 2013 Honda crv. Worst headlights ever on any car I have owned. Nightime visibility is horrible. Went back to dealer and they acknowledged problem but claimed inability to do anything about it. Contacted Honda in California several times and they assigned a case number. Replaced the stock bulbs with higher intensity ones and achieved marginal improvement. Only a question of time before people start dying because of this horrible Honda design. Please make Honda recall these defective cars and fix them. Dealer told me I should have test drove car after dark so that I would not have bought it. Other dealer told me Honda sells 300,000 of these cars a year some of them are bound to be defective. Internet is loaded with crv owners like me with the same complaint. Please look into this. Go get one of these cars and drive it. Come drive mine if you want.

15 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 03/28/2013

I live in a dark mountain resort area in virginia. Although somewhat better in brightly lighted city streets, on darker streets and rural areas, it is almost impossible to see at night when making a turn. Both the high and low beam headlights are substandard and it is really dangerous to drive this car at night. This is not just my "opinion", other people have test driven my car at night and found it to be unsafe. The Honda Cr-v headlight problem has been well documented on the internet and many formal complaints have been registered. I have tried several times to bring these safety concerns to the attention of my local Honda dealer as well as in a survey response sent out by Honda corporate. It was obvious that no one wanted to address this problem so I am bringing it to your attention in the hopes that something can be done to correct these problems before someone is badly hurt or killed.

16 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 03/01/2013

The headlights on full beam are hopelessly inadequate and are a serious danger to drivers who live in rural areas where there are no street lights. The Honda dealer tried replacing bulbs but all to no avail and Honda denies there is a problem. I have been wrestling with this problem since I purchased the car in February, 2013 from zimbrick Honda in madison, wisconsin. The dealer has tried to help but is unable to fix.

17 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 12/20/2012

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Cr-v. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact noticed that the headlights were extremely dim and were not pointing toward the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to diagnose or repair the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 400.

18 Headlights problem

Failure Date: 10/30/2012

The headlights on the 2013 Honda crv are grossly inadequate. There is very little light on the road when the lights are on high beam. The light is very narrow and the road edge is poorly illuminated to the point that it is difficult to see our driveway when returning home after dark. My wife is afraid to drive this vehicle after dark. We have never owned a car with such poor headlights. The Honda dealership says there is no recall and there is nothing they can do. At my insistence, a brighter bulb was installed and that improved things only slightly. This is our third crv and our previous models (2004, 2006) did not have this problem. In my opinion this issue should be thoroughly investigated.


Other Exterior Lighting related problems of the 2013 Honda CR-V


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CR-V Service Bulletins
CR-V Safety Recalls
CR-V Defect Investigations