HONDA CRX · model year

1991 HONDA CRX

9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1991HONDACRX carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 CRX is latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch with 2 filings, followed by structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 77 investigation files overlapping the 1991 CRX, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH2
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS1
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20181031UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS

Mileage: 927,701

20120305ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY CAR HAS HAD A PROBLEM FOR AWHILE REGARDING THE SEAT BELT WARNING WOULD SOMETIMES GO OFF WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS UNHOOKED WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN CONNECTED SINCE STARTING THE CAR. I WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE IT HOOKED UP. ABOUT A TWO MONTHS AGO I NOTICED AN OCCASIONAL BURNING SMELL. OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS MY CORNER MARKER TURN SIGNALS STOPPED FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. WHEN THE SIGNAL WAS IN THE RIGHT TURN POSITION THE CORNER MARKER SIGNAL ON THE RIGHT WOULD FLASH DIM AND THE LEFT WOULD FLASH. THE REVERSE WOULDN'T HAPPEN WHEN SET TO LEFT TURN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THROUGH SERVICE MANUALS AND ONLINE I TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE "INTEGRATED CONTROL UNIT" (ICU) WHICH IS PLUGGED INTO THE BACK OF THE "FUSE BOX". IT CONTROLS FUNCTIONS SUCH AS TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE WARNING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND SEAT BELT WARNING. THIS UNIT CARRIES THE PART NUMBER 38600-SH3-A11. IT HAS BEEN USED THROUGH OUT A NUMBER OF HONDA VEHICLES SUCH AS THE CIVIC AND CRX I THINK FROM 1988 TO 1991.

Mileage: 200,000

20100920LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

1991 HONDA CRX , TRAVELING WESTBOUND WHEN THE HOOD LATCH FAILED. THE HOOD CAME OPEN AND STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. *BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0519-90)*JB

20061013STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FRONT HOOD FLEW UP AND SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE CONTACT, THE WINDSHIELD GLASS HAD SEVERAL SMALL FRACTURES AND THE HOOD WITH DAMAGED AS WELL. THE CONTACT TIED THE HOOD DOWN WITH A CABLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

Mileage: 166,000

20061013LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE FRONT HOOD FLEW UP AND SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE CONTACT, THE WINDSHIELD GLASS HAD SEVERAL SMALL FRACTURES AND THE HOOD WITH DAMAGED AS WELL. THE CONTACT TIED THE HOOD DOWN WITH A CABLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

Mileage: 166,000

20020731ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

MAIN RELAY- POOR SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD CAUSE HOT STARTING PROBLEMS. THIS HAS BEEN CLEARLY DOCUMENTED @ THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.MARKL.F9.CO.UK/HOWTO/ELECTRICAL/MAIN-RELAY/MAIN-RELAY.HTM THIS IS A BLATANT FACTORY FLAW WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH VIA RECALL YEARS AGO. I SOLVED THIS ISSUE BY FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS AND RE-SOLDERING 2 BROKEN CONNECTIONS AND ONE DRY SOCKET. THE PROBLEM CEASED IMMEDIATLY. THESE WERE INFERIOR FACTORY SOLDERS. THANK YOU.*AK

20011026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE EXITING FREEWAY AT 30 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT, AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND DIED. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED, AND ON THE SAME DAY IT DIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20011026ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE EXITING FREEWAY AT 30 MPH TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT, AND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND DIED. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED, AND ON THE SAME DAY IT DIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20000731STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

HATCH BACK DOOR ASSEMBLY BROKE, CAUSING DOOR TO BE RELEASED FROM UPRIGHT POSITION. *AK THE HYDROLICS ON THE HATCHBACK FAIL TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE STATES THAT THE HATCH BACK DOOR IS TO HEAVY FOR THE HYDROLICS. THE OWNER BELIEVES LOADING AND UNLOADING USING THE HATCHBACK IS UNSAFE. *YH

Compare 1991HONDACRX to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 9 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1991 HONDA CRX have?
The 1991 HONDA CRX has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 HONDA CRX?
The most-complained component for the 1991 HONDA CRX is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1991 HONDA CRX safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.