Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 9971 | 06/04/2003 | 10002091 | Coolant in the engine oil pan. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 060103 | 06/01/2003 | 10002701 | Vehicle's emission type. *tt | 09/11/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| EA04027 | HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) | 09/09/2004 | 01/19/2005 | UNDERHOOD FIRES | ||
| In documents provided during ea04-027, honda identified a mechanism which causes the rubber seal (gasket) of the original equipment (oe) oil filter to adhere to the engine block of the subject vehicles.if an adhered seal remains when the oe filter is removed and a new filter is installed, a double gasket condition results.a subsequent rupture of the extraneous seal can result in oil contacting nearby exhaust system surfaces and a fire may occur.throughout its discussions with odi, honda has maintained that it is the servicing technician | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | ||||||
| PE04018 | HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) | 02/19/2004 | 07/01/2004 | OIL FILTER FIRES | ||
| This investigation identified 32 incidents of oil filter leakage in the subject vehicle population, with 22 resulting in vehicle fires.all of the incidents occurred following oil changes.honda's investigation of 14 of the fire incidents determined that five oil filters had stacked seals (double-gasketing), and nine oil filters had distorted or pinched seals.according to honda, both conditions result from failure to follow necessary repair procedures. stacked seals result from failure of the service technician to remove the old seal prior to installing the new filter and seal.distorted or pinched seals result from failure to properly lubricate the new seal prior to installation. oil leakage from a stacked, distorted, or pinched seal can be ignited by heat from the exhaust system, which is located near the oil filter in the subject vehicles.honda will issue communications to its dealers warning of the necessity to follow correct procedures when replacing oil filters in the subject vehicles and of the potential for vehicle fires to result from improper repairs.odi will continue to monitor the alleged defect in my 2003 and later cr-v vehicles.this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE04018 | HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) | 02/19/2004 | 07/01/2004 | OIL FILTER FIRES | ||
| This investigation identified 32 incidents of oil filter leakage in the subject vehicle population, with 22 resulting in vehicle fires.all of the incidents occurred following oil changes.honda's investigation of 14 of the fire incidents determined that five oil filters had stacked seals (double-gasketing), and nine oil filters had distorted or pinched seals.according to honda, both conditions result from failure to follow necessary repair procedures. stacked seals result from failure of the service technician to remove the old seal prior to installing the new filter and seal.distorted or pinched seals result from failure to properly lubricate the new seal prior to installation. oil leakage from a stacked, distorted, or pinched seal can be ignited by heat from the exhaust system, which is located near the oil filter in the subject vehicles.honda will issue communications to its dealers warning of the necessity to follow correct procedures when replacing oil filters in the subject vehicles and of the potential for vehicle fires to result from improper repairs.odi will continue to monitor the alleged defect in my 2003 and later cr-v vehicles.this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 honda crv. the contact was experiencing several failures the coolant leaked causing the air conditioning compressor to fail, the steering column overheats, the passenger air bag light illuminates with, or without a passenger in the seat. the cruise control activates on it | |||
| 06/30/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 crv was making a strange faint squealing sound. shortly after that the air conditioner stopped working, and was running funny. i took it straight to my mechanic. he had to replace the entire unit, at an overall cost of 1,200.00 a week later the same thing happened to my friend with her crv and as i began to search on line, it has happened to 100's of others with the '03 and '04 crv's. i am angry that honda hasn't issued a recall after covering the cost for most of these persons. clearly they are aware of the consistent problem with the air compressor. i am currently waiting to hear back from honda. *tr | |||
| 07/19/2008 | 72000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda crv. while driving between 25-30 mph, the compressor seized. the contact was able to continue to her destination. the dealer stated that due to a lack of lubrication, the compressor seized and caused damage to the air conditioning unit. she was first informed that this was an isolated failure with vehicles from another country with specific vehicle identification numbers. her vehicle is no longer under warranty; however, the dealer is willing to pay for half of the repair. the current mileage was 73,000 and failure mileage was 72,000. | |||
| 10/08/2004 | 9700 | 1 | |
| While driving, the vehicle caught fire. the oil was changed on yesterday. the consumer was waiting for a response from the manufacturer. *jb | |||
| 09/22/2004 | 22000 | 1 | |
| While driving 50 mph engine began to produce thick black smoke. dealer stated the oil plug was missing, and all the oil leaked from the engine. *ak | |||
| 12/17/2003 | 10150 | 1 | 04/25/2003 |
| I brought my 2003 honda cr-v ex model in to maine mall honda in south portland, maine for routine 10,000 mile scheduled maintenance, which includes changing the oil, rotating tires and inspecting fluid levels. within 5 miles of leaving the dealers location, the engine caught fire and the car was a total loss. i first noticed smole by looking in the rear view mirror approxiamtely 2 miles after leaving the dealers location. thinking it was just some spilled oil, i kept on driving until i noticed the low oil light come on the dashboard. i pulled the car over and smelled oil. at that point i opened the hood of the car and saw flames in the engine. the maine state police arrived within 5 minutes and determined that the fire was too far progreesed to save the car. the south portland and scarborough maine fire departments arrived within 10 minutes to put out the fire.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 08/28/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Just driving down the expressway and i hear a loud noise and my a/c stops working....it was 94 degrees in the midwest! got home that night and my tire was flat. i took my tire to get fixed and they pulled shards of metal out of the tire, which was new! when i took the car to get the a/c looked at, they said that the compressor had blown for no apparent reason and that it would be $1700 to repair!!!!! they told me that when the compressor blew, it sprayed pieces of metal throughout my car, and obviously into my tire! i called honda of america, and they offered to split the cost. i had no choice but to take this offer as it was summer and temperatures were over 100 with the heat index! honda refused to give me the damaged part. there are sooo many complaints against this same event happening, but honda refuses to do anything about it. there is a class action law suit, if you want to join. the more that join, the better the chances of getting honda to take responsibility. i have only owned honda's, but will now be buying a toyota! so disappointed in honda! | |||
| 07/08/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| 2003 honda crv total ac failure and contamination caused by compressor failure. replaced under warranty at 30,000 miles. occurred again at 55,000 miles. the second most recent time came with a loud bang and sound of loss of parts. did not notice items on ground after going back, but there was a great amount of green slippery fluid which was released. i assume that to be the oil from the compressor. also would assume it spilled onto roadway. *tr | |||
| 04/15/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Air conditioner failed to function requiring a $3,875.00 repair. upon investigation honda knows about this defective part but refused to pay for the repair. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Air compressor exploded on 2003 honda crv. honda will only pay for half the damage, and this seems to be a documented problem with this particular part. if honda has an ongoing issue with this part, they should either recall the part or pay for the entire cost of replacement. here is a link showing 22 pages of this same problem occurring with others. http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/honda-cr-v/tu0okfjgv9v3f3fgl thank you for looking into this matter. *tr | |||
| 07/24/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Air conditioning system failed at 60000, compressor arm snapped causing containments to enter system, need the whole system replaced. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Within the past year i have had both fans go out because the entire system was contaminated. also, the fan under the dash (the blower) has quit and i needed a new relay switch. they split the cost of the two fans in the engine compartment but they said the fan under the dash was separate. altogether it cost me over 1800 dollars. now i find out that there have been 35 complaints about the air conditioning system in the 2003 crv. i think it is a factory problem and they should have a recall.....and give me back some of that money. 35 complaints?? isn't that enough to signal a recall?? *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Air conditioning stopped working at about 70,000 miles. this is a well-known problem with 2003 and 2004 crvs. be sure to complain to honda america and ask them for assistance. they should pay for the compressor and you might have to pay about $400 in labor. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My ac system went out at about 80,000 mi. the honda dealer said both fans had burnt out and the whole system was contaminated. they split the cost with me but it still cost me $1600. i asked if there was a recall and he said there wasn't but the number of complaints i am seeing make me feel that honda should take more responsibility. the system failed. i did nothing to cause it. i feel cheated and am now looking at toyota for a replacement car. *tr | |||
| 07/05/2004 | 5000 | 1 | |
| Consumer stated after the first oil change oil began to leak from the vehicle. dealer stated because of the design of the vehicle it was difficult to change the oil filter without creating a puddle of oil on top of the frame rail. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/27/2003 | 3020 | 2 | 06/26/2003 |
| The clamps on the radiator were not properly sealed at the time the vehicle was manufactured. as a result the engine over heated while driving at highway speed. the anti freeze leaked out onto the engine compartment. the dealership tightened the clamp, but the head gasket blew a day later. *jb *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Concerns regarding fires following oil changes in 2003 crv.*mr the passenger seat belt jammed and the drivers door lock failed. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Pe04018 regarding engine compartment fires in 2003 honda crv.*mr insurance agent request results of preliminary evaluation pe04-018. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Concerns regarding vehicle fire after oil change. *mr the consumer suggested that this vehicle was known to catch fire if the oil filter was not properly installed at regular oil changes. the consumer also requested additional information on this issue. *sc *jb | |||
| 01/21/2004 | 10000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle fire regarding 2003 honda crv. *mr there was overheating of the electrical components that caused the fire. the consumers wife was locked in the burning vehicle. the locks remained activated and would not open from the inside or the outside, even though the ignition was off. the entire vehicle had become filled with heavy black smoke along with the instrument panel warning lights flashing. the consumer was informed that the damage found was consistent with a high resistance condition occurring in the crankshaft sensor oil control solenoid circuit wiring resulting in electrical overheating, resulting in a fire. minor heat and fire damage was sustained to the right front area of the engine starting near the crankshaft pulley extending upwards towards the valve cover area. upon examination of the fuse/relay center located in the passenger compartment revealed a 15 amp fuse protecting the ecu circuit was blown consistent with a component and or electrical failure within this circuit. *sc according to the technical report, the fire began in the engine compartment and was considered an accident not a manufacturer defect.*jb | |||
| 01/07/2004 | 3300 | 1 | 09/22/2003 |
| My 2003 honda cr-v ex 4wd had an engine fire one morning after i started the car 10 minutes later. the weather temperature was in the teens that morning. it was a total loss, it burned completely. the only recent work done to the car was its first 3000 mi oil change. i purchased this car in september 2003, and this engine fire happened on january 07, 2004. the car had 3300 miles on the odometer. i've searched nhtsa.gov web site's database, and found that there was another incident that is very similar to my situation. i've also found messages posted to newsgroups on edmunds.com that other people had the same engine fire after oil change. i am very concerned about the safety of this vehicle, and would like the government to launch an investigation against the 2003 honda crv's *ak | |||
| 10/06/2003 | 8200 | 1 | 03/25/2003 |
| 6 days after having throttle cable recall and a/t shift cable recall and o/c, car burst into flames (totaled) while driving 20-25 mph. honda says not defect? car had 8200 miles on odometer. no evidence that oil from o/c caused fire. honda investigations has no answer. fire started or was first evident in drivers wheel well area. *la | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| Consumer states engine stalled on three occassions. the last time he was in the middle of an intersections making a left hand turn when the engine shut off. ph | |||