MajorCommonBody & Rust

Honda CR-V: Rear Sill, Inner Wheel Arch and Floor Pan Rust — RD / RE Generations

Rear Sill, Inner Wheel Arch and Floor Pan Rust — RD / RE Generations is a common body & rust fault on the Honda CR-V on the 2001–2011 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $3,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 59 documented faults on the Honda CR-V.

Vehicle: Honda CR-V
Years: 2001–2011
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Honda CR-V as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda CR-V faults59 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

RD4 and RE-generation CR-Vs — especially JDM imports — develop rust at the rear sill/rocker seam, inner wheel arch lip, and floor pan above the rear beam mounts. NZ's coastal humidity and road salt in southern regions accelerate perforation. The inner sill seam is particularly vulnerable as factory underbody protection thins in that area. Serious corrosion can compromise structural integrity at WOF and reduce crash protection.

What you would notice

Paint bubbling or lifting on the lower rear sill or rocker panel
Visible rust scaling inside the rear wheel arch lip
Soft, perforated, or flexible floor pan when pressed near rear seat
Musty smell inside cabin from moisture ingress through rusted floor
Rust visible in the spare wheel well

How to check it

Where to look. Rear sill / rocker panels, inner rear wheel arches, floor pan at rear beam mounts

Inspect the rear rocker panels at both ends, inner arch seams, and the spare wheel well floor for perforations.
Lift the boot floor mat and press the floor pan firmly.
Check the rear beam mounting points on the underside with a torch.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$700 to $3,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the car lived near the coast or in a high-rainfall region?”
“Has any rust treatment or panel repair been carried out?”
“When was the underside last inspected?”

Now check the Honda CR-V you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Honda CR-V buyer questions

Is rear sill, inner wheel arch and floor pan rust — rd / re generations serious on a Honda CR-V?

We rate it major and common on the Honda CR-V. RD4 and RE-generation CR-Vs — especially JDM imports — develop rust at the rear sill/rocker seam, inner wheel arch lip, and floor pan above the rear beam mounts. NZ's coastal humidity and road salt in southern regions accelerate perforation. The inner sill seam is particularly vulnerable as factory underbody protection thins in that area. Serious corrosion can compromise structural integrity at WOF and reduce crash protection.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda CR-V?

$700 to $3,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda CR-V years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2001–2011 Honda CR-V. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Inspect the rear rocker panels at both ends, inner arch seams, and the spare wheel well floor for perforations. Lift the boot floor mat and press the floor pan firmly. Check the rear beam mounting points on the underside with a torch. Look here: Rear sill / rocker panels, inner rear wheel arches, floor pan at rear beam mounts