NHTSA Complaint #11130174 — 2017 HONDA CR-V

A FEW WEEKS AGO, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, WHICH LASTED A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND WENT AWAY. ON ANOTHER OCCASION WE NOTICED THE SMELL AGAIN. I CHECKED THE FUEL FILL TUBE BUT FOUND NO PROBLEM THERE. I ALSO CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND DETECTED A FUEL SMELL BUT SAW NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. WHILE UNDER THE HOOD I CHECKED THE OIL AND SMELLED A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE OIL. THE FLUID LEVEL ON THE DIPSTICK WAS 7/8' ABOVE FULL LEVEL. I CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED THE LEVELS AND SMELL AND THERE WAS DEFINITELY GASOLINE IN THE OIL. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP (JOHNSON CITY HONDA IN JOHNSON CITY, TN) AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE 1.5L ENGINE WHEN IT WAS DRIVEN AT LOW SPEEDS AND SHOULD BE 'DRIVEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY TO 'BURN OFF' THE FUEL IN THE OIL'! (WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A 750 MILE INTERSTATE TRIP).THEY DID CHANGE THE OIL BUT THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. SINCE THEN THE OIL LEVEL HAS INCREASED TO ' ABOVE FULL LEVEL AND THE FUEL SMELL IS PRESENT. IN MY OPINION, GASOLINE IN THE OIL PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD IN THAT IT CAN IGNITE UNDER EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS AND CAN CAUSE RESPIRATORY ISSUES WITH PASSENGERS WHEN THE SMELL MIGRATES TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT HONDA HAS RECALLED APPROXIMATELY 350,000 OF THESE VEHICLES IN THE ASIAN MARKET, BUT THEY HAVE NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN THE U.S.