I purchased a new 2023 Honda CR-V Sport in April 2024. I was told at that time there were CR-Vs being built without the blind spot monitor chip, and therefore wouldn’t have a functioning blind spot detection. I opted to purchase one without the blind spot in the interest of time. No big deal for me. In Feb 2024, I was rear ended and had repairs done to the rear of the CR-V. Once I got my car back, there was an error on my screen every time I turned the car on, telling me my blind spot sensor isn’t working. It has been 10 months now working with the collision center who did the repairs and with the Honda dealership I purchased the car from, trying unsuccessfully to stop this alert from showing up.
When I talked with the service rep at Honda about it, he told me my VIN shows a functioning blind spot monitor, meaning Honda sold me the vehicle with incorrect VIN info. I explained the whole history to him and he was certain I was wrong. He called me 4 hours later and was fairly vague about it but had changed his tune. It made me feel suspicious of Honda, like they’re trying to keep this quiet.
Are you or your shop tech able to see the actual blind spot sensor?. This might provide a clue where to begin. .
From what I can tell there’s two sensors, at each rear corner, near or covered by the bumper. Look for a rectangular black plastic gadget. . There’s more to the system than just the sensors of course, and just b/c you have the sensors doesn’t mean the blind spot system is enabled.
This could be a simple clerical mistake or ambiguity what it means to say the car has that function . For example if all the hardware is installed but a portion of the software is missing, does the car have it, or not. Suggest to not focus on the VIN’s specified configuration.
My guess is that the folks who fixed it after the wreck had to update the software, and there’s some sort of software version compatibility problem. You may be Honda’s first customer with this problem and they are just finding out about it. If so, you may just have to wait for Honda to come out with some new software. Computerized cars, you know what that means…
That is likely a calibration issue. During a collision repair, the blind spot monitor modules must be restored to the proper mounting position, then a calibration can be performed. Any deviation in installation angle will result in a system malfunction.
That sounds like sales floor talk. Honda would not install blind spot monitor modules that are missing processor chips, there is no way to install circuit board processors at the dealer level.
The Monroney label that was on the vehicle’s window at the time of sale will show if the vehicle has blind spot monitor. The vehicle either has it or it doesn’t, there is no in-between. Have you been able to switch the blind spot monitor on/off in the vehicle feature menu?
You think a body man has access to Honda computer software updates? They usually just install new parts.
This response is basically what the dealership service guy said. But then how do you explain that the car did not have a functioning blind spot sensor from the time I bought it until the accident/repair?
Because of the “chip shortage” a couple of years ago, some vehicles were sold minus an electronic feature… or two. (Some cars were even sold with only one key fob, and those owners have just started to receive the missing fob over the last few months.)
It’s entirely possible that this is the situation with your vehicle. Why don’t you phone Honda of America, give them your VIN, and ask them to clarify whether your vehicle was delivered without that functioning feature?
I have no experience with the details of the repair process, just trying to learn. Educate me. If the body repair folks don’t do it, who performs this necessary calibration function ?
The service department agreed it was nonsense from the sales floor.
The body man may have noticed the blind spot modules were missing and install new units, the insurance company appraiser may have included those on the estimate. Adding modules to the network can cause problems that are difficult to resolve.
For Honda to have installed blind spot monitor modules with incomplete circuitry (missing processors) does not make sense. They would have omitted the modules.
The Monroney label will show if your vehicle is equipped with, and you paid for blind spot monitor.
The calibration procedure does not include a software patch, two different operations.
The dealership, after taking with Honda (corporate?) confirmed the vehicle does not have the blind spot chip. I’m not really clear on what the next step is but they have a “kit” coming from Honda this week and will take the car back then to work on it.
Like I say above, I’m just a knucklehead diy’er w/no MB experience, but trying to learn something about the blind spot system by following this discussion as best I can.
Do you know if the missing “chip” is part of each sensor assembly located – presumably – at the corners of the rear bumpers? Or is the “chip” located elsewhere? This seems to be quite a timing consuming ordeal for you. Have you asked if there’s a way to just return the vehicle to its prior config, sans the blind spot function. Or is that wha the “kit” is for?
I know nothing about cars so it’s hard for me to speak intelligently about this.
Not sure where the chip is located.
They said that the issue arose when the repair shop connected real cables into the system instead of dummy cables, which is what the original setup had. When they put in real cables, it “shorted” the system? They can’t seem to get the error cleared.
The engineers will have to provide a solution. Perhaps remove the BSM modules, then replace the “Gateway” module so the vehicle no longer recognizes an incomplete blind spot monitor system.
Each vehicle manufacture has their way of identifying vehicle configuration within the vehicle. For example; if a security module (alarm) is added to the car, from that point on, the other modules will be looking for conformation from the security module before allowing start-up.
The vehicle has been at the dealer for 10 months without resolution?
