Case file · HONDA-CR-V-2023-2026 · Field document

Honda CR-V 2023–2026 · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes — not generic used-car advice.

1. Check 01

   Run the VIN at Honda's recall site (recalls.honda.com) or NHTSA before you even drive it. On any 2023–2025, confirm the steering gearbox recall (24V-744) shows completed.

2. Check 02

   On a 2023 Hybrid, confirm all three hybrid recalls are closed: e-CVT (23V-588), high-voltage battery module (24V-745), and high-pressure fuel pump (24V-763).

3. Check 03

   Test drive at highway speed for at least 15–20 minutes. Sticky steering shows up as momentary extra effort off-center or a wheel that doesn't self-center — it often won't appear in a 5-minute lot drive.

4. Check 04

   On a 1.5T that lived on short trips: pull the dipstick. Oil above the full mark or a gasoline smell in the oil is the fuel-dilution tell. Ask for oil-change receipts.

5. Check 05

   Check the 12V battery date code and health, especially on a hybrid that sat on a dealer lot — deep discharges from sitting are a known pattern and shorten battery life.

6. Check 06

   Sniff for raw fuel smell around the engine bay and rear underbody on hybrids (fuel pump and fuel line recalls both presented as fuel odor).

7. Check 07

   Cycle the infotainment screen, cameras, and driver-assist features; owners have reported screen blackouts and occasional false automatic-braking events to NHTSA.