Honda recalls half-million CR-Vs for frame corrosion in 'salt-belt' states

Honda is recalling 563,000 CR-Vs from model years 2007-2011 that were sold or registered in parts of the United States where winter road salt usage is common, in order to address a potential frame corrosion issue. Honda says a buildup of road salt can cause the attachment points for the CR-V's rear trailing arms to fail, allowing the arm to detach while the car is in motion. This could cause a loss of control at speed, potentially leading to a crash.

"In salt-belt states where de-icing agents are used to maintain the roadway, the de-icing agents, along with mud and water, could enter the rear frame through drainage/positioning holes when the vehicle is driven through flooded areas or puddles at high speeds," Honda's defect notice to NHTSA said. "Over time, the accumulated de-icing agents/mud/water mixture could cause corrosion to the frame’s internal structure. If this occurs, the rear trailing arm can fall off."

Honda first investigated this issue in 2019 after a similar recall was conducted in Canada. At that time, Honda concluded that cars sold in the USA would not be subjected to the same wear and tear as Canadian-market vehicles and thus would likely live out their entire service lives without the corrosion posing a problem. However, since that analysis, the company has reported increasing complaints of rear frame corrosion in states with common road salt use — 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. In 2021, a new investigation was opened which eventually led to this recall.