Like the majority of Japanese vehicles, the Honda Crosstour focuses mainly on providing a reliable vehicle to its users. Being in the highly competitive midsize SUV segment, the Crosstour stands out due to its sporty design. However, Honda sold just over 16,000 units of this vehicle, making it carry a very limited set of complaints. The 2013 Honda Crosstour carries just 38 complaints and 3 recalls and most of the issues revolved around a faulty starter motor, which caused the vehicle to not start. The Crosstour is up against the Nissan Murano, the Ford Edge, and the Toyota Venza. This article briefs in detail the complaints and issues faced by the users and let's analyze if the Crosstour is worth the purchase.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Starter motor – Users stated that they would hear a grinding noise when starting the car and they were required to restart the car in order to get rid of the noise. In certain cases, the car wouldn’t even start and had to be towed to the mechanics. The car was diagnosed and as they anticipated, the starter motor turned out to be faulty and failed to crank the engine up. Mechanics recommended getting it replaced.
- Wiring – The cabin electronics and lights were said to flicker and ultimately stop working. Users suspected a failed battery but mechanics found it to be fully charged. Upon further inspection, the wiring harness was said to have been chewed by rodents due to its soy-based coating.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – Users stated that the car has very short oil change intervals and they feared that the oil was leaking, which caused it to get over soon. However, running a diagnostics revealed that the engine burned oil at a faster pace and that it was normal.
- Fuel pump – At low speeds, the car was said to hesitate when trying to accelerate. It felt like the engine stopped responding to the gas pedal and upon checking, it was found that the fuel pump had failed, resulting in the engine not receiving enough fuel. Holding the gas pedal for a while would not have any immediate response but lunges the car forward with the front wheel spinning after a few seconds. Dealers stated that the fuel pump needed a replacement.
- Brakes – A user found the brakes to feel weak, causing the car to take extra distance to stop. This raised concern and the car was taken to a lock mechanic for inspection. It was found that the rear brake pads had completely worn out while the front brakes still had ample life in them. The official Honda dealer claimed this to be normal but it is a clear sign of a premature brake weak.
- Steering – Users were driving when they noticed the steering suddenly felt stiff. It was clear that the power steering assist had given up and this made it difficult to maneuver the car. The dealers inspected the steering assembly and found the power steering rack to be needing a replacement due to a defect.
2013 Honda Crosstour recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
27th June 2019 |
19V502000 |
Passenger frontal airbag inflator may explode. |
An inflator explosion can lead to sharp metal fragments striking the driver or occupants with high force, resulting in serious injuries or even death. |
Dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator. |
|
2. |
16th May 2019 |
19V378000 |
Improperly installed passenger airbag inflator. |
Airbag inflator that hasn’t been installed the right way may not deploy in the event of a crash. |
Dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal airbag module assembly. |
|
3. |
27th September 2018 |
18V661000 |
Passenger frontal airbag inflator may explode. |
An explosion of the airbag inflator could send sharp metal pieces toward the occupant and injure or even kill them. |
The passenger frontal airbag inflator will be replaced. |
Should you buy the 2013 Honda Crosstour?
The 2013 Honda Crosstour without a doubt is a reliable vehicle with very few issues. To begin with, users noticed the starter motor to be faulty but only limited vehicles were affected. The other issues reported on NHTSA were one-offs and rare occurrences. That really does prove the reliability of this vehicle and all the 3 recalls on this car were for a faulty airbag inflator. The Honda Crosstour really holds great value and performance for the money but the fact that other cars in the segment look more like an SUV, makes it sell lesser numbers than its rivals. We recommend getting the wiring systems checked and also of the starter is in good condition before taking the car home but overall, the Honda Crosstour has great reliability and gets our approval.
