2012 Honda Crosstour Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
80/100
#2 most-complained of 6 Crosstour years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2012 Honda Crosstour ranks 2nd worst of 6 model years, with a complaint index of 80 and 32 NHTSA complaints. Transmission & powertrain issues lead at 28% of complaints, with median failure mileage of 51,000, plus 4 recalls including three airbag inflator campaigns.
- Complaints
- 32
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 2 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 18 city / 27 hwy
Top 2012 Honda Crosstour problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain9 (28%)
- Engine5 (16%)
- Airbags3 (9%)
- Electrical System3 (9%)
- Other3 (9%)
- Steering3 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (9%)
- Visibility & Wipers3 (9%)
- Brakes2 (6%)
- Fuel System2 (6%)
What owners report
- Front axles cause steering wheel shaking and vibration during acceleration, often felt between 35 and 45 mph.
- Vibration and difficulty turning the steering wheel appear when driving around 50 mph, traced to worn CV axles on both sides.
- Sunroofs have shattered without warning while driving at highway speeds, sometimes described as a loud bang with no visible cause.
- A dashboard fire started spontaneously while the vehicle was parked and unattended overnight.
- An engine failure occurred after a timing belt replacement, leading to major internal damage shortly after the service.
- A side curtain airbag failed to deploy properly during a crash, despite deployment of the side airbags.
2012 Honda Crosstour recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.
- NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.
- NHTSA 18V661000Sep 27, 2018Airbags1,355,406 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.
2012 Honda Crosstour fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 27 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Crosstour years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Honda Crosstour a good year to avoid?
- Yes, relative to other Crosstour years. It ranks 2nd worst out of 6 years tracked, with a complaint index of 80 and a verdict of Avoid based on NHTSA complaints and recalls.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2012 Honda Crosstour?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues are the top problem area, accounting for 28% of complaints (9 of 32), with a median failure mileage of 81,500.
- Does the 2012 Honda Crosstour have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Crosstour, none marked do-not-drive. Three involve airbag inflators and one covers a side curtain airbag inflator specification issue.
- How does the 2012 Crosstour compare to other years?
- The 2012 model's complaint index of 80 is worse than 2010 (20, rated Best), 2013 (60, Caution), and 2015 (40, Good), but slightly better than 2014 (100, Avoid).
- What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Honda Crosstour?
- EPA rates it at 21 mpg combined (18 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100.