Over the past week, I’ve had three people tell me that they’re hearing a horrendous buzzing sound when I talk to the over the Bluetooth connection on my 2012 Honda CR-V. This after six months of flawless performance. Perplexed, I investigated.
Sure enough, even though the sound is crystal clear on my end, there’s a horrible buzzing sound on the other end. It’s almost like someone is running a band saw in the background, making it very difficult for them to converse.
I’ve checked for possible sources of electrical interference (e.g., from my after-market Garmin GPS unit) but I haven’t been able to find an explanation. Since we also have a 2012 Honda Odyssey with a Bluetooth connection, I’ve been able to rule out my phone as the source of the problem — it really is unique to the CR-V.
Update: I’m please to report that the buzzing problem has been solved. They (finally) replaced the microphone and that took care of it.
For the record, this is with an iPhone 4S (same deal with my wife’s iPhone in my car), though I’ve now read about people having similar problems with Android phones so it doesn’t seem to be specific to a certain model of phone.
After a bit of Googling the most likely culprit appears to be the Bluetooth microphone. I’ll have to take it in to be diagnose to be 100% sure but until they can show me that something else is to blame, that’s my working hypothesis.
If you’ve been having problems with a noisy Bluetooth connection, please share details in the comments section, below.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Wife purchased new 2012 Honda CRV with BlueTooth hands free phone. Her iPhone4 connects rather well, goofing up only occasionally but has terrible audio from car to called party. Remarkably degraded audio when phone connected, then as highway speed increases, audio gets worse, hissing, buzzing, severe distortion of words spoken, basically unreadable to other party. Have taken back to Honda dealer several times and continually get report that “can’t find or duplicate problem” which is a diversionary and definitive lie. I can duplicate problem every time. Changing phones does not alter problem. Problem is directly related to the vehicle BlueTooth and vehicle velocity, hence I focus on the car audio system, either the hands free mic noise cancelling is defective as it is computer altered proportional to vehicle speed, or the hands free mic pickup is interfered with by the cockpit noise cancelling feature (active noise cancelling by using car radio speakers). Honda has apparently reached the point where the customer doesn’t matter once the purchase has been made. The cars were great and durable, now the dealers are nothing more than Flim-Flam artists. Does anyone know a direct route to USA Honda headquarters, head of USA service or customer support? This seems to be the only way to get a resolution of this problem.
Many others are having issue including me:
http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/14-problems-issues/18246-2012-cr-v-phone-noise-2.html
Hoping for a solution
Been having this trouble for months. Crystal clear in the car on my end but described as sounding like I am in a bee hive by the people I talk to and a squeeling noise. This issue is not in any car review done on the CRV which I find interesting. Next stop Honda.
I’m having the exact same thing! I’ve been planning to stop into my Honda dealer and will now be sure to show them these comments! Thank you all for sharing. I’ll be back if I find a solution.
I have the same issue….its not the phones…..try it with the engine off…..poof no buzzing sound…..I tried it with 2 different cell phones….engine on buzzing…engine off no buzzing…..clearly a HONDA issue.
I un-paired my phone from the HFL because it’s useless. Money for nothing.
Everyone I have attempted to talk with using HFL complains that they hear nothing but noise and it’s impossible to carry on a conversation.
I would have saved a lot of money buying a base Ridgeline and purchasing a Jawbone or Bose earpiece.
For a company that prides themselves on quality this is unacceptable. My Ford 150′s with SYNC make this seem like a talking through 2 tin cans with a string.
Having the same buzzing sound with our bluetooth on our 2012 CRV.