P0171 on a 2013 Honda Cr V

P0171 means the engine computer is adding more fuel than normal on bank 1 because it sees too much air or not enough fuel.

Not your vehicle? See general P0171 info.

Most common causes on the 2013 Honda Cr V

Ranked from 381 NHTSA owner complaints filed for this vehicle.

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1
Defective VTC Actuator
High severity
A loud rattle or grinding noise on cold startup, often accompanied by a check engine light, indicates a failing Variable Timing Control (VTC) actuator. This is a widely documented issue for this engine.
Reported in 15 NHTSA complaints
2
Stretched or Jumped Timing Chain
High severity
A stretched timing chain or broken chain guides can throw off engine timing, leading to poor performance, check engine lights, and potential catastrophic engine failure. Often linked to the VTC actuator defect.
Reported in 6 NHTSA complaints
3
Vacuum Leak
Medium severity
Unmetered air entering the intake manifold after the MAF sensor causes a lean condition. Look for cracked or disconnected vacuum hoses.
Common cause
4
Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor
Medium severity
A dirty or failing MAF sensor underreports the amount of air entering the engine, causing the PCM to inject less fuel, resulting in a lean code.
Common cause
5
Low Fuel Pressure / Failing Fuel Pump
Medium severity
If the fuel pump is weak or the fuel filter is clogged, the engine won't receive enough fuel to match the incoming air, triggering a lean code.
Common cause
6
Faulty Oxygen (O2) Sensor or Air/Fuel Ratio Sensor
Low severity
A degraded upstream O2 sensor can falsely report a lean condition to the PCM, causing it to set P0171 even if the actual mixture is fine.
Common cause

These causes are aggregated from NHTSA owner complaints and general repair knowledge — this is not a diagnosis. P0171 on your car still needs shop confirmation before any repair.

Common symptoms

Check engine light
Rough idle
Hesitation
Surging idle
Poor fuel economy

What to check before replacing parts

Review short- and long-term fuel trims on bank 1

Look for: High positive trims (commonly worse at idle, improving with RPM) mean the computer is adding fuel to compensate for excess air or insufficient fuel — that pattern is this code's fingerprint.

Smoke-test the intake

Look for: Smoke escaping (or a hiss you can hear) at intake boots, gaskets, or vacuum hose connections confirms unmetered air is entering after the MAF sensor, which is the most common cause of a lean code.

Inspect the PCV hoses and valve

Look for: A cracked, split, or disconnected PCV hose, or a PCV valve stuck open, draws in extra unmetered air the same way a vacuum leak does.

Clean and test the MAF sensor

Look for: Visible dirt or oil film on the sensor element, or a grams/second reading that doesn't track expected airflow for RPM, means the MAF is under-reporting air and causing the computer to under-fuel.

Verify fuel pressure

Look for: Pressure below spec (weak pump, clogged filter, failing regulator) starves the engine of fuel and produces the same lean trim pattern as a vacuum leak — rule it out before chasing leaks.

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Matching symptoms

Car Runs Rough