Possible Reasons Why All Of The Warning Lights May Be On In Your Honda CR-V

The best-selling Honda CR-V exemplifies the ideal crossover SUV, merging comfort, utility, and fuel-sipping powertrains in a practical and fun-to-drive package. It has ruled the sales charts since launching in 1997, but has received its fair share of issues and complaints over time. Despite earning a largely bulletproof reputation for durability and reliability, a few model years of the Honda CR-V have received more customer complaints and factory recalls than most.

One of the most puzzling issues is when all of the warning lights turn on randomly while driving or after starting the engine. This problem has littered numerous CR-V forums worldwide, and is most likely to occur in the fifth-generation CR-V for the 2017 and 2018 model years.

It's common for all the warning lights to illuminate when starting the car. However, the lights should turn off immediately after the engine comes to life. If one or two lights remain on, the vehicle requires inspection, servicing, repair, or possibly all of the above. But if all the warning lights stay on or illuminate while driving, there are many possible reasons why your Honda CR-V's instrument cluster is glittering like a Christmas tree.

The fifth-generation Honda CR-V debuted for the 2016 model year. Still, it didn't take long for manufacturing and hardware-related problems to rear their ugly heads, particularly for the 2017 and 2018 CR-V. In particular, the 2017 CR-V logged more than 1,400 complaints and six recalls, while NHTSA archives revealed four recalls and more than 1,500 complaints for the 2018 CR-V.

The most common problems are illuminated warning lights due to bad fuel injectors or a failing throttle body. However, replacing the faulty parts didn't always solve the problem. Sometimes, the random illumination of all the dashboard warning lights could point to a faulty ECU. Meanwhile, some owners had to replace the 12-volt battery or the alternator to resolve the issue.

Admittedly, diagnosing the exact cause of the issue could be tricky, but it's not the end of the world. Some Honda CR-V owners were lucky to solve the "all warning lights are on" crisis by rebooting the dashboard computer.

1. Put the vehicle in accessory mode by pushing the START button without pressing the brake pedal.
2. Press and hold the power/audio button.
3. Select YES to reboot the computer.
4. Wait for the Honda logo to disappear and for the lights to reappear (usually takes one to two minutes).
5. Press on the brake pedal and start the vehicle.

Since the warning lights could all turn on collectively for many reasons, bringing your CR-V to the dealership or garage for proper diagnosis and repair is a better bet, especially if the check engine light is also on, or the problem still occurs after an ECU reboot.