Honda CR-V Tail Lights

Honda’s compact crossover SUV, widely known as the Honda CR-V, debuted in the North American market in 1997. CR-V stands for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, although British publications use Compact Recreational Vehicle. Proudly using its compact car brother Civic’s platform, the CR-V boasts larger cabin room thanks to its SUV body.

The Honda CR-V has five generations under its belt since it began production in 1995. Among its various awards are the U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best SUV Brand, Kelley Blue Book’s 2019 Best Buy Compact SUV, 2019 IIHS Top Safety Pick, 2019 Edmunds Editors’ Choice: Best SUV, among others.

Despite its many awards, the Honda CR-V is not immune to damage and deterioration. One component that easily gets damaged are the tail lights since they are installed on the rear end corners of your Honda CR-V.

There have been recorded reports of failing Honda CR-V tail lights on the internet. Most of these issues involve the brake light bulb, tail light switch, and rear turn indicators. If you wish to avoid bigger problems on your Honda CR-V, here are a few symptoms of a failing tail light.

Tail lights that don’t turn on along with the headlights

Typically, your tail lights are wired to turn on whenever the headlights are on. If the tail lights don’t light up at the same time with your headlights, it could be due to burnt-out or worn-out tail light bulb. It’s also possible that the wiring is grounded. A failing tail light is difficult to notice as drivers rarely walk to the rear to examine them. To avoid road violations relating to a failing tail light, consider checking them once a week.

Brake lights that won’t light when brakes are applied

Another easy-to-miss sign of a failing tail light assembly is a busted brake light bulb. This is more difficult to notice as the driver would need to step on the brake pedal and check if the lights are working properly. This is impossible to trace unless you back up your Honda CR-V close to a wall. By doing this, you could evaluate your brake lights’ reflection through your side view mirrors and rear view mirror.

Another more effective way is to have someone step on the brake pedal as you stand at the rear of your vehicle. The ideal scenario is to check your brake lights once a week. Another form of this problem are tail lights completely turning off when stepping on the brake pedal.

Dimmed light

Worn or burnt-out halogen or LED tail light bulbs can cause the light to dim. Dimmed tail lights can be a hazard, especially in poorly-lit areas, as other drivers won’t know see your rear easily. Tail light dimming could also result to flickering when ignored for some time.

Automatic function doesn’t work

Modern Honda CR-V models are equipped with automatic headlight and tail light. This feature is designed to automatically switch the lights as soon as the sensors detect low ambiance light. If your tail lights and headlights don’t automatically turn on, it could be due to dirty or failing ambient light sensor. The dirt may have been compromising the sensor’s ability to detect light and darkness.

The main benefits of replacing a faulty Honda CR-V tail light is safety. By making sure your tail lights are properly lit, you are reducing the chances of getting rear-ended by another car. Other lights in the tail light globe also need to be evaluated to ensure a fully-working tail light. Another benefit of replacing a malfunctioning tail light is you could avoid getting pulled over. Busted-out tail lights are considered an equipment violation and you can get a ticket for driving a vehicle with a broken tail light. 

There have been five generations of the Honda CR-V, with each one featuring a different design and part fitting. To get the most accurate result in our catalog, simply input the exact year, make, and model of your vehicle. You can opt to purchase a tail light assembly replacement or a Honda CR-V tail light bulb. There are also LED tail light bulbs if you want to upgrade your older CR-V model’s tail light.