2012 Honda CR-V: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Oct 1, 2023 · Electrical · NY

In July of this year, I took a 20 minute drive with my kids and then went to a bagel shop. I tried to turn on the car and it acted like the battery had been drained. I got a jump, had my battery tested, and it was fine. A week later, it started happening nearly any time I took a short trip, and I needed to purchase a portable jump starter. I then had my alternator and battery tested again, and both were in working condition and passed. On September 12th, 2023, as I was pulling into my driveway, my power steering locked up on and off and I could not turn my car once it was in my driveway. I turned it off and it would not restart again (like I had left my lights on all night). I jumped it and let it run for an hour. I rode it around the block and it seemed fine, but I took it to a shop that I trust. They informed me that my alternator was only charging my battery when my high beam lights were on and that there was a service bulletin by Honda regarding a software update to the PCM if this occurred. Honda charged me $189 to have the software updated, and I needed a new battery because the faulty charging circuit fried a battery that I got this year. This should be a mandatory recall because if my kids and I were driving and my power steering locked like that on a highway, we could have been killed. If you had an actual recall on this, you could actually possibly save many lives on this popular vehicle!!!

Filed Dec 23, 2021 · Lights · KY

Driver's side low beam light went out. High beam and marker lights remained in working order. Spontaneously came back on. A few days later 12/23/2021, both the driver's side and the passenger side front low beams did not illuminate. Again, the high beam lights and marker lights remained in working order. I tapped the plastic on the lens, and both of them came back on. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Having no lights creates a serious safety problem in the darkness of night. I have not taken it to the dealer or independent mechanic yet. No officer, manufacturer or others have inspected the vehicle. No warning lamps illuminated and no messages were visible on the dashboard.

Filed Jul 21, 2020 · Lights · TN

Started vehicle while stopped and low beams did not come on and low beam headlights have failed to work properly. Daytime lights and high beams continue to operate.

Filed Jan 22, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 45,000 miles · CO

Low beam headlight switch failed and lost both low beam headlights at exactly same moment. Clearly a safety risk for night driving. I see honda has recalled this switch in past models. Failure occurred while driving at night.

Filed Jan 24, 2019 · Airbags, Lights · MD

Air bag light stays on and head light frequent replacemeny

Filed May 23, 2015 · Lights · 1,000 miles · SC

[xxx] reports high beams much lower intensity than low beams. They do not illuminate the road ahead at any speed. Must use low beams only. Safety hazard. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Mar 4, 2015 · Lights · 57,000 miles · NY

The high beams lights in my honda are a safety hazard, they aren't bright and don't light the road up at all. Its so bad that even if you leave the high beams on the oncoming traffic doesn't even notice they are on. I cant believe honda would allow something this unsafe to go to the customer. I have brought my vehicle to numerous honda dealers and they say there is nothing they can do because there isn't any recalls or safety bulletins pertaining to headlights on the 2012 honda. This needs to come to a head before someone gets seriously hurt by this horrible design. I have seen numerous chat boards online discussing the same issue I am having. Why should we as customers have to suffer from this poor design tactic. Hopefully something can come of this soon.

Filed Feb 26, 2015 · Lights, Visibility · 13,205 miles · KY

I. Headlights are terrible. I only drive occasionally at night. The high beam points too high and the low beam too low. I asked rep in service dept. At don jacobs, lexington, ky and he advised the headlights are set at factory. They could not do anything to adjust them. I don't think he even made out a report. But the more I think about it, honda should have a "fix" for this problem. 2. Battery. Local temps have been -/+ zero outside. My honda is parked in garage and temps in this cold weather in my garage is 34 degrees, average.. My honda "groans" when starting, but so far has managed to get started. I have not mentioned this to don jacobs as I didn't think they would do anything about it. They would probably say "it was set at factory".

Filed Feb 12, 2015 · Lights · PA

The head lights are extremely poor very very poor I could see better with a LED flashlight the lights point up at the trees on high and point down on low ... You can not see anything on high.. I almost hit 2 people walking on the road and also countless deer.. Changing the bulbs did not work.. The hole head light assembles need to be redesigned or the lowbeam bypassed so that the low and high are on at the same time... I am sure you have had complaints before due to the thousands and thousands of complaints online just google it I did that's how I found out it was just not me when I get arrested for hitting someone due to my headlights sucking I will be filing a class a law suit against honda.

Filed Nov 25, 2013 · Lights · 7,737 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns 2012 honda crv. The contact stated that the headlights failed to provide proper illumination coverage. The dealer adjusted the headlights several times however the failure was not corrected. The low beam headlights would not provide coverage overhead or on the sides of the vehicle. The high beam headlight would illuminate much higher than normal. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the headlight failure was not a manufacturing defect. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 7,737 and the current mileage 24,000.

Filed Nov 4, 2013 · Lights · 6 miles · VA

I have had the headlights adjusted 3 times. There is insufficient light to drive by at night. I do not feel safe on the road in this vehicle after dark. The dealer said it is the nature of the new reflective lights which do not shine out. He said there is nothing else they can do to fix them. I reported the issue to honda america and they say they will do nothing unless the lights are defective. Apparently not being able to see at night is not a defect. I have to drive with them on high beams to be able to see at all and if I switch to low beam upon meeting another vehicle I have to come to a dead stop as I cannot see where I am in the road. There is no beam which is directly in front of your drive path. Low beam with fog lights or high beam; neither is sufficient light to drive by. I live in a rural area with no street lights and lots of deer. I need the headlights replaced on this vehicle to be a safe driver. I have seen other complaints on the internet and am asking the nhsa to force honda to recall these vehicles to have the lights replaced with a different type of lighting. I barely feel able to drive on familiar roads there is no way I can take this vehicle to an unknown area at night. Please recognize this issue as a safety hazard. I am not interested in a law suit. I just want to be safe in my 2012 honda crv.

Filed Jan 14, 2013 · Lights · 8,900 miles · GA

For the first time since purchasing the vehicle in february 2012, I was driving in dark and rainy conditions this morning, taking our son to school. I had both the headlights and fog lights on, and I was amazed that the lights hardly lit up the road in front of me at all. The car was clean and the light lenses were not dirty at all. I couldn't believe how poor the car's front lighting was in these conditions. Normally, when it wasn't raining, I thought the car's lights were sufficient. Not great, but sufficient. Since honda does not offer any higher intensity head light bulbs, I will check with aftermarket suppliers. Honda is known as a very safety conscious car company. Having headlights that perform so poorly in the rain seems like a safety related defect to me. Many vehicles on the road today have much better and brighter headlights. Considering the price of the 2012 honda cr-v ex-l, it seems like honda should have installed higher intensity or even xenon headlights.