I leased a 2015 Honda CR-V AWD LX on March 11, 2015. The following day I noticed a rough vibration/shuddering/chattering that appeared to be coming from the transmission when the rpms ranged between 1,000 and 2,000. The roughness was evident at any speed (mpgs) when the tachometer reading was between the previously stated range. The service technician reported feeling the same roughness, but noted that the problem was characteristic of the CRV with a CVT transmission. On Tuesday March 17, I went back to the dealer and discussed the problem with the service manager. He also stated that he was aware of that particular problem and that it was peculiar to the 2015 CRV with the CVT transmission. He took my car for a test drive and admitted feeling the chattering. It was also evident to me as I sat in the passenger’s seat. He then took out another new CRV and it too exhibited the same characteristics.
Are you aware of this problem? The internet is full of other owners with the same complaint.
Whether anyone else is aware of the problem or not, if you are not satisfied with both the car and with the dealership’s response to your complaint, then you need to “Kick it up a notch” by referring the problem to Honda of America at the corporate level. I will never understand why so many people blithely accept the words and the inactions of recalcitrant dealerships when there is almost always help available on the corporate level.
Contact information can be found in your Owner’s Manual.
On a new car like this when the problem can be duplicated on another car it is considered “normal”. Often times when there are enough complaints of a certain issue the manufacturer will implement a repair, but not always. I would call Honda customer service and ask for an inspection with a factory rep. If the problem is stated again as normal it may be something that you will have to accept If you plan on keeping the car. I did do a Google search and it does appear to be a common issue. CVT transmissions rely on the ecm to control the “shifting”. From the complaints I see about this transmission it’s sounds like something a software change may fix.
Yeah some of us are not big fans of the current CVT transmissions. If it is the same on all the other ones, it is a characteristic of the vehicle and not a defect that the dealer will be able to resolve. You might be able to do a quick trade to a different one though.
Nope, the Accord 4 has the CVT. Others only come with the V6 I think (non-CVT).
Correction - you’re right, the Crosstour does come with the 4 and a 5-speed AT in FWD.
I have a similar problem with the Subaru Forester with CVT, although to a lesser extent. Basically the CVT programming sets the “gear ratio” too low at speeds of 20-30 MPH, with the result of the engine turning only 1000-1500 FPM and lugging. I can live with it, as it only occurs for an drive at those speeds for some distance with no speed changes.
Obviously this can be fixed with a software change.
edit: but I like the CVT aside from that. Great fuel economy, smooth driving with no “clunks” of gear shifting. Hopefully the reliability will hold up.
WE recently test drove an Accord with the CVT. We found it noisy throughout the RPM’s, it felt like a bearing needed to be changed somewhere, but it was just the way the new car was I guess.
My wife owns a Nissan Sentra with a CVT transmission and it has a noticeable whine. Not bad but noticeable. I’ve driven other Sentras with the CVT and they have the same whine. My wife no longer notices it and she loves the car so I don’t mention it anymore. I learned my lesson when I mentioned the fact that her tiny toy teacup chihuahua had a slight shedding problem.
Road and Track says the CRV CVT is “one of the best.” If R&T’s test car had a shuddering/vibration in the CVT, you can be sure they would have criticized it.
Your CVT has a problem. Elevate it through Honda regional management and don’t let them off the hook.
Since it appears to be common to all of the cars w/this configuration, I suggest to live w/it. It’s just a lease, you’ll have an opportunity to switch cars in no too long. It would be a good idea to get some documentation of what has happened. One way, you could write a letter to the dealership manager that you’ve shown this problem to the dealership, summarize the response, who it was that helped you with it, and why the dealership believes it to be normal to this vehicle.
I was just cruising on the Ford Escape forum and there were bunch of threads mocking the CRV for its vibration. I didn’t have the time to read them, but seems like it is not an isolated problem.
The problem is, the owners felt the problem after buying it. If everyone knew this trait and it became a deciding fact, it would have been fixed. People need to run their try out cars through the ringer before they buy or lease.mSome car makers just haven’t jumped of board yet with CVTs because of these little idiosyncrasies. With a lease, maybe you can negotiate a trade to another. Car. Otherwise, I would ride it out if the car is fine otherwise.