The bottom line: If the engine in your 2017 to 2019 CR-V has failed, ask a Honda dealer to check it before you pay anyone. Honda now covers a leaking head gasket for 10 years or 150,000 miles, and on any 2017 until May 31, 2027 at any mileage.
Free recalls also replace the fuel pump, which can stall the engine. The turbocharger and fuel injectors have no such cover.
If you pay, a 2018 EX at typical mileage still sells privately for over $9,000 more than even a new dealer engine costs. At high mileage, or sold to an instant buyer, a fixed CR-V fetches much less, and selling it broken can come out ahead.
Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, so you know what the car fetches broken before you decide.
What would buyers pay for your CR-V with engine trouble?Fill in one form, answering whether your CR-V still starts and drives, and set real offers against Honda's answer or a repair quote.
Key Takeaways
- What owners report has changed: in complaints about problems that began by 2021, fuel in the oil comes up most often, and in later ones, failed fuel injectors, head gaskets and the recalled fuel pump come up most.
- Owners told NHTSA they paid $4,000 to $6,700 for a head gasket, often with new injectors in the same bill, and about $1,400 to $2,600 for injectors alone.
- For the six running CR-Vs from these years that we quoted, the best instant offers came to $5,390 to $11,229, well under what Kelley Blue Book puts on the same years in a private sale.
- Honda’s oil dilution warranty for the 2017 and 2018 ran for 6 years from each car’s first sale and has ended, and the class settlement over the same problem no longer takes claims.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Will Honda Fix Your CR-V’s Engine for Free?
It may. In a memo to its dealers, Honda extended its warranty on the cylinder head gasket in the CR-V and several other models. The failure it covers is coolant leaking into a cylinder, which shows up as overheating, coolant loss, misfires and codes P0300 to P0304.
How long the coverage lasts depends on the year:
- A 2018 or 2019: 10 years from the day it was first sold new, or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first, under bulletin 26-016
- A 2017: until May 31, 2027 at any mileage, under bulletin 26-098. If its 10 years from first sale end later, one still under 150,000 miles is covered until then
The coverage stays with the car, so it applies to a second or third owner too, Kelley Blue Book reported. It is a warranty extension, not a recall, so a dealer’s VIN check is where it shows.
To qualify, the dealer must see coolant entering a cylinder through a borescope and send Honda the picture, so have a Honda dealer inspect it before another shop opens the engine. The bulletin pays for that inspection as part of a covered repair and names no payment for one that finds no leak, so ask first what you’d pay if it finds none. If the head or block has warped, the dealer replaces the head, the short block or both.
The bulletin’s parts list has no fuel injectors. If your quote bundles injectors with the head gasket, ask the dealer which part of the bill the warranty takes.
No bulletin extends coverage to the turbocharger, and Honda’s regular powertrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles has ended on these cars. A turbo is yours to pay for.
Bulletin 26-016 lists every 2017 to 2022 CR-V trim and leaves eligibility to the VIN check, but its repair steps are written for the 1.5-liter turbo in the EX, EX-L and Touring. An LX from these years has a 2.4-liter, so have the dealer run an LX’s VIN too. Bulletin 26-098, the 2017’s any-mileage extension, names only the 1.5 turbo. If a dealer won’t inspect the car, call Honda’s customer service on 888-234-2138.
Neither bulletin mentions paying back a head gasket repair already done. If you have the invoice, take it to the dealer and to Honda’s customer service, and ask.
Is the Fuel Pump Recall Done on Your CR-V?
Two recalls replace the fuel pump in these CR-Vs for free: 21V-215 for some 2018 and 2019 models, and 23V-858, which reaches every year from 2017 to 2019. Honda’s filings name one symptom, the engine stalling while you drive.
Some 2017s were also under recall 17V-442, for a fuel pipe that can come loose, stall the engine and leak fuel. You can check all three yourself with your VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup.
One owner told NHTSA an independent shop replaced the engine and the stalling carried on, so rule the recalls out before you pay for an engine.
What Happened to Honda’s Oil Dilution Warranty?
In the 2017 and 2018, fuel could get past the piston rings into the oil and raise its level, mostly in cold weather, Consumer Reports found. Honda’s fix was new engine and transmission software and an oil change.
Bulletin 19-032 also extended the warranty on camshafts, rocker arms and spark plugs damaged by it to 6 years from each car’s first sale, with no mileage limit. Every 2017 and 2018 is now past those 6 years.
A class settlement over the same problem, approved by a federal court in Minnesota, paid back some oil changes, towing and diagnosis costs, and it no longer takes claims.
The 2019 was left out of both, because Honda told Consumer Reports its engines were updated before sale. Some 2019 owners say the problem went on, and have sued over the 2019 to 2021 models in Mackie v. American Honda, in the same court.
Which Part Has Actually Failed?
Owners have filed 1,199 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 to 2019 CR-V, and what they describe has shifted. As the cars aged, fuel in the oil gave way to injectors, head gaskets and the fuel pump.
| What owners described | Problem began by 2021 (837) | Began in 2022 or later (362) |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel in the oil | 48% | 8% |
| Fuel injectors | 4% | 33% |
| Head gasket or coolant loss | Under 1% | 27% |
| Every warning light on at once | 4% | 23% |
| Limp mode or sudden loss of power | 6% | 21% |
| Stalling | 17% | 21% |
| The recalled fuel pump | Under 1% | 14% |
| Engine seized, blew or was replaced | 4% | 12% |
| Turbocharger failure | Under 1% | 9% |
Many owners describe the same scene: every light on the dash comes on together and the car drops into a low-power limp mode. Owners got there from several different faults, so the lights alone don’t tell you which part failed.
These are the signs that point to each part:
- The head gasket: coolant going down with no leak under the car, overheating, white smoke and misfire codes P0300 to P0304
- The fuel injectors: a code for running too rich, P0172, with misfires and a smell of fuel
- The turbocharger: a sudden loss of power under acceleration, often on the highway
- The fuel pump: the engine stalling while you drive, which the recalls cover
Go in this order:
- Have a Honda dealer run your VIN for the head gasket warranty and both fuel pump recalls. That costs nothing.
- If coolant is going missing, ask for the bulletin’s head gasket inspection before any other repair.
- Pay for a diagnosis only if nothing is covered. Kelley Blue Book puts a dealer’s diagnosis at $212 to $294 across New York, Houston and Los Angeles.
What Does Each CR-V Engine Repair Cost?
These are Kelley Blue Book’s dealer estimates for a 2018 in three cities, parts and labor included. The city changes the order: New York is the cheapest of the three for a head gasket and the dearest for an engine.
| Repair, 2018 CR-V | New York, NY 10001 | Houston, TX 77002 | Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel injectors | $1,812 to $1,978 | $1,427 to $1,577 | $1,805 to $1,973 |
| Head gasket | $2,313 to $2,517 | $2,861 to $3,115 | $3,084 to $3,358 |
| Turbocharger | $3,041 to $3,295 | $3,097 to $3,355 | $2,750 to $2,980 |
| Engine replacement | $6,584 to $7,062 | $6,142 to $6,618 | $5,225 to $5,659 |
Owners’ bills ran higher. In complaints to NHTSA, owners reported paying $4,000 to $6,700 for a head gasket, and several of those bills covered new injectors and spark plugs as well. Injectors alone cost them about $1,400 to $2,600.
Priced as two separate dealer jobs, a head gasket and injectors together come to $4,125 to $5,331 across the three cities.
A quote well above the range for its job deserves a second one, from a dealer or an independent shop. One owner was quoted over $16,000 by a Honda dealer for a new engine, more than twice these estimates.
The price in your ZIP code. Kelley Blue Book’s page for each year prices these repairs where you live, and values your own CR-V by trim and mileage: 2017, 2018, 2019.
It gives no independent-shop figure for a head gasket, a turbo or an engine, and an independent shop’s labor is often cheaper. Ask before you buy a part yourself, because some shops won’t fit one you bring in.
Does Fixing a 2017 to 2019 CR-V Pay Off?
At typical mileage, yes, because the car is worth so much more running. In good condition, a 2018 EX sells privately for $16,550 by Kelley Blue Book’s figures, and trades in for $13,000.
| Route, 2018 EX, typical mileage | What it costs you | After a $16,550 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Head gasket under Honda’s warranty | Nothing | $16,550, its full value |
| Fuel injectors at a dealer | $1,427 to $1,978 | $14,572 to $15,123 left |
| Head gasket at a dealer, no warranty | $2,313 to $3,358 | $13,192 to $14,237 left |
| Turbocharger at a dealer | $2,750 to $3,355 | $13,195 to $13,800 left |
| Head gasket, at the bills owners reported | $4,000 to $6,700 | $9,850 to $12,550 left |
| New engine at a dealer | $5,225 to $7,062 | $9,488 to $11,325 left |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
For that car, every repair route leaves more than $9,000 after a private sale, so selling it broken wins only if your best offer beats that.
At typical mileage, the 2017 EX is worth $14,900 and the 2019 EX $17,900, which leaves about $7,800 and $10,800 after the dearest dealer engine.
High mileage and an instant-offer sale both shrink what’s left. For the running 2017 EX-L with 145,000 miles that we quoted, the best offer was $5,390, less than several of the head gasket bills owners reported.
So weigh a paid repair against what you would really get for the car running. If you’d sell it yourself, use Kelley Blue Book’s private-sale value at your mileage; if you’d sell to an instant buyer, use a running offer.
What Would Your Repair Leave You?
The example is a 2018 EX with the dearest dealer engine and its private-sale value. Its offer is the best one for the running 2018 EX we quoted, cut by what our offer data takes off a car that doesn’t start. Put in your own figures.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
When Does Selling It Broken Make More Sense?
Selling as it is can still be the better call when:
- The quote comes close to what the car fetches running at its mileage, and a second shop can’t beat it
- The car has other trouble too, such as body damage, a failing transmission or a salvage title, so it won’t fetch full value once fixed
- Honda won’t cover the repair and you can’t pay for it up front
In each case, get offers before you pay for anything. The best offer is the number a repair has to beat.
What Do Running CR-Vs From These Years Get Offered?
These six 2017 to 2019 CR-Vs were quoted through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form, and all six drove. They show what instant-offer buyers offer for a CR-V that runs, without a private sale.
| Running CR-V | Miles | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Honda CR-V EX-L | 145,000 | $5,390 | $3,399 |
| 2018 Honda CR-V | 120,000 | $7,045 | $4,278 |
| 2018 Honda CR-V Touring | 107,000 | $7,591 | $7,170 |
| 2018 Honda CR-V EX | 139,000 | $7,859 | $4,330 |
| 2019 Honda CR-V EX-L | 37,000 | $10,023 | $7,785 |
| 2019 Honda CR-V EX | 35,000 | $11,229 | $10,350 |
Offers vary a lot from car to car, so get your own. Even for the two 2019s, both under 40,000 miles, the best offers were well below the $17,900 Kelley Blue Book puts on a 2019 EX sold privately.
The best offer beat the second by a few hundred dollars on some cars and about $3,500 on another, so one more quote can be worth real money.
The other buyers offer less for it broken, too. In our offer data, across cars of every make and age, buyers offer 46% less for one that doesn’t start than for a comparable car that drives, and 29% less for one that starts but can’t be driven.
How Do You Sell a CR-V With Engine Trouble?
A diagnosis isn’t needed for offers: the instant-offer buyers we quoted take cars that don’t run, and they price the fault from what you tell them. So tell them exactly.
If the car is stuck in limp mode or keeps stalling, don’t answer that it drives. Choose starts but doesn’t drive, or doesn’t start, because that answer decides the tow truck, and an offer made on a car described as driving can be cut at pickup.
Those buyers pay when they take the car, so have the title in your name and at hand on pickup day.
Put a number on your CR-V as it is. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool sends one form to several buyers, so you can weigh a real offer against the repair quote or Honda’s answer.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
American Honda: warranty extension memo to dealers, 2016 to 2026 multi-model cylinder head gasket
The memo of August 26, 2026, as published by autoevolution: the models, the 10-year or 150,000-mile term and the bulletin list. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: Honda models get extended warranty over head gaskets
The extension counts from the original purchase date and transfers to a later owner when the car is resold; it is a service bulletin, not a recall. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Honda Service Bulletin 26-016: Warranty Extension, 2017 to 2022 CR-V cylinder head gasket
Coverage to 10 years from original purchase or 150,000 miles; the borescope inspection and the head and short block replacement. Filed with NHTSA. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Honda Service Bulletin 26-098: Warranty Extension, 2017 CR-V 1.5T cylinder head gasket
Coverage for the 2017 CR-V 1.5T to May 31, 2027, regardless of time in service or mileage. Filed with NHTSA. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 21V-215: low-pressure fuel pump, 2018 and 2019 CR-V
The fuel pump inside the tank may fail and stall the engine; dealers replace the pump assembly free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 23V-858: fuel pump, 2013 to 2023 CR-V and other Honda models
An expansion of 21V-215 and 20V-314; the fuel pump may fail and stall the engine; dealers replace the pump module free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 17V-442: fuel supply pipe, 2017 CR-V
A fuel supply pipe may disconnect, stalling the engine and leaking fuel; dealers replace it free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Honda Service Bulletin 19-032: Warranty Extension, 2017 and 2018 CR-V software update
The original powertrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles, extended to 6 years with unlimited mileage from the original sale date for camshafts, rocker arms and spark plugs; EX, EX-L and Touring. Version 4. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Judge approves Honda oil dilution class action settlement
Final approval in the District of Minnesota for 2017 and 2018 CR-V and 2016 to 2018 Civic owners: reimbursement of oil changes, towing and diagnosis, the product update and the warranty extension. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Consumer Reports: Honda extends warranty on troubled turbo engines
Honda's statement that 2019 CR-V engines were updated before sale, and the cold-weather software fix. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Mackie v. American Honda Motor Co., No. 0:22-cv-00736 (D. Minn.)
Class action over oil dilution in the 2019 to 2021 CR-V, Civic and 2018 to 2021 Accord. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints, 2017 to 2019 Honda CR-V
The 1,199 complaints filed under engine for the three model years, read from NHTSA's complaints API and grouped by the year the problem began; owners' repair bills as they reported them. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2018 Honda CR-V repair pricing
Dealer estimates, parts and labor, for ZIP 10001, 77002 and 90012: head gasket $2,313 to $3,358, turbo $2,750 to $3,355, fuel injectors $1,427 to $1,978, engine replacement $5,225 to $7,062. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2018 Honda CR-V engine diagnostics
Dealer estimate for ZIP 10001, 77002 and 90012: $212 to $294. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2017 to 2019 Honda CR-V values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, typical mileage; the 2017 and 2019 EX from their own year pages. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 19, 2026
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