It would be a good idea too search the forums for all the problems the newer ones have. Around here the prices have gone up again for CRV's used. A 120k mile 2010 EX-L can be in the 10K range or so. The grass is not always greener on the other side, or newer vehicle. DIY helps for repair costs on some items.

1. You mention trade in value, yeah you will never get full value for that on anything. If this car is rust free its worth keeping.

 

Well???.......the wife is still driving her 2011 EXL approaching 240k miles. Had to put an ac in it about 8 years ago-think? it was near $1000. It has been a fantastic car.

just thinking???- you could spend the $3-4000 and may could drive it another 100k miles. It is certainly worth considering.

 

Thanks for the input!

I have seen other 2010s (and even older) on FB Marketplace for up to like $7,000, but I'm assuming those don't have any problems.

That's one of the things that's pulling me more toward keeping it and fixing it is that older cars have been proven to be able to go 200k+ miles. If I get a <5 years old car, probably few of them have ever been driven close to that, so it's not for sure that they'd be able to last as long.

 

If you got something with the 1.5 turbo you'd be looking huge repair bills. Just look on this site. New nowadays new is not better, smart people are looking for the old more dependable cars.

In the search box above put in 1.5T head gasket. And that is much newer than the 2010 CRV.

 

If you are looking at $4,000 in repairs and the book value is about $4,000, if someone rear-ends you as you drive out of the shop you will basically get $4,000. In other words, you paid $4,000 for nothing. I would sell the car and get something newer. I had the same issue with my 1998 Accord. Transmission was going and it would have cost about the same to repair as the car was actually worth. Ended up getting a few bucks as a trade in and bought a 2014 new Civic.

 

If you like the vehicle and it’s not rusted, spend the $ to fix it and keep it. With non-working AC and deferred maintenance you’ll get below market if you sell it. So you’ll “pay” for the fixes one way or the other. CR-V’s are terrific!

 

If your car is in good condition you could sell it yourself after fixing what was only necessary.
I had the same dilemma myself I traded in a 2011 CRV in excellent condition only thing I ever did was put some seals in the power steering pump and it only had 108,000 mi on it. Expect them to give you wholesale no mater what and charge you retail for the newer car. They gave me 5,500 trade-in and charged me pretty much a little under retail for a 2021 CRV. I love the car and I love all the added safety features including the backup camera and all the airbags. Yeah I used to keep my trash can between the front driver and passenger seats...no way with the new car. Also I felt like my 2011 had more cargo space. This car interior seems bigger and more safe to me, something I was looking for. My sister has had several Hondas with over 200,000 mi on them I think one has about 250,000.

 

I meant to also say they sold my little 2011 CRV for over $10,000 it sold so fast that picture never made it to the dealers website. That's why I mentioned selling yours yourself if it's possible. I did not have another car to drive if I sold mine so that's why I had to trade.

 

I would trade. I had an ‘09 (which I really liked) that had the compressor issue. I did replace the AC but then the computer went out. I fixed that too BUT eventually the car was totalled. I got $7.8K from insurance which went to a ’21 EX-L. While I loved the ‘09 EX, the Gen 5 CR-V is so much better in so many ways. I can’t speak to Gen 6, of course.

 

If you don’t mind sharing, how much did your insurance premiums go up after turning in a claim? I’ve been concerned about this myself

 

Just replace it for about 1200 or so. I had to do it on my 2007 EX, which now has 170k on it. Other than regular wear items, I have only replaced the starter, power steering high-pressure line, and the passenger front door lock actuator. It has been a great car, comfortable to drive, and still looks great. You can eat off the engine. It has many miles left in it if you take care of it.

 

Did the door actuator problem resolve after you replaced it? Mine is doing the same thing, but I looked it up in many people say that after replacing the actuator that the problem begins rising in the same door or other drawers so I’m not sure what they said.

 

I am in the camp for fixing and replacing your car. If it has been taken care of, its got a lot of life left. I have a 2009 EX-L with 206k miles and still going strong (bought it in 2018 w/ 150k miles after I lost 2 cars to a house fire). It has an issue with the A/C where when the temp outside is really hot, it won't blow cold air. But once the temp comes down below 80 outside, it blows cold again. So I know the compressor still works. My sister's mechanic says he knows what the problem is and it is not the compressor. I will have him look at it maybe next week. I have had this issue since 2019 but I have a 3rd car plus I live in the SF Bay Area where the weather is not too bad in the summer. But like you, for the past 7 years, I have averaged around 7K miles on it. Getting a newer car means a bigger outlay than the repairs by a wide margin. If you have to take out an auto loan, it doesn't make much sense to borrow for a depreciating asset. Actually, of the items you mentioned, only the A/C is a repair item. The others are maintenance and consumables and do not cost very much even if you don't DIY. On a newer car, I have heard of the issues with the 1.5T engine, plus I dread getting a newer car with a large LCD with layers of menus. I like the simplicity of knobs and switches. New and newer cars are not cheap, by any measure.

 

Well, I ultimately decided to keep it and fix the A/C and get new tires and hope it'll not have any more issues for several years!

When I checked my maintenance logbook, I realized that I had actually already replaced the A/C compressor in 2019, but the mechanic said it was some kind of off-brand he'd never heard of, so hopefully the Honda brand one will hold up better!

I bought a new bluetooth attachment that has controls on it to make up for not having actual bluetooth in the car, but I figured other than that, I should keep on enjoying the things I certainly won't be able to get from a newer car at this point, like the roomy interior and cargo space, open space up front to put my flip flops, and 7 CDs.

 

For any future viewers, the OEM 2010 CRV Compressor, Part Number 38810-RWC-A03 ($675), is a "Sanden 4920" ($429).

Reciprocating AC compressors, the type on most automobiles, of higher quality, will operate longer than lower quality units. Even high quality units fail after extended use, however.