NHTSA Complaint #11202733 — 2018 HONDA CR-V

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2018 HONDA CR-V EX IN DECEMBER 2018 FROM A NEAR-BY HONDA DEALER. WE LIVE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD, AND DO MOST OF OUR DRIVING LOCALLY. WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS AFTER DRIVING, WE STARTED NOTICING A STRONG GAS SMELL IN THE CABIN AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. THE ISSUE HAS PERSISTED, AND STARTED TO GET WORSE. WE RESEARCHED OUR ISSUE, AND NOTED MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING OIL DILUTION PROBLEMS ON 2018 CR- V 1.5L TURBO-CHARGED ENGINES. IN EARLY APRIL 2019, WE HAD OUR FIRST SERVICE VISIT TO CHECK OUR CABIN GAS SMELL PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER. MILEAGE 1,500 MILES. ON THE SERVICE REPORT, DEALER NOTED "CONFIRMED OIL AND GAS MIXTURE COMPLAINT. OIL LEVEL WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL ON DIPSTICK. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT DOES NOT HAVE A FIX AT THIS TIME. PLEASE CHECK OIL LEVEL OFTEN". WE HAD THE DEALER PERFORM AN OIL AND FILTER CHANGE DUE TO STRONG GAS ODOR IN OUR CABIN. THE DEALER INDICATED HONDA WILL NOT PAY FOR THE OIL CHANGE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PART OF A KNOWN UNRESOLVED ISSUE. THERE IS NO RECALL IN MARYLAND YET, BUT THERE SHOULD BE IN OUR OPINION. SINCE CHANGING THE OIL THREE WEEKS AGO, THE GAS ODOR IS LESS OBSERVABLE AT THIS TIME. WE CONSIDER THE OIL DILUTION PROBLEM TO BE A HEALTH CONCERN, AND A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM ON THE CR-V. WE ARE CONCERNED TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH NO FIXES AVAILABLE IN MARYLAND. WE UNDERSTAND HONDA HAS ALREADY ISSUED FIXES FOR OIL DILUTION ISSUES IN NEIGHBORING PENNSYLVANNIA AND DELAWARE.