Problems with 2004 Honda CR-V ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

While driving, the vehicle caught fire. the driver was able to pull over. the fire department and police was called. no injuries. the driver called the tow company, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the oil filter started the fire inside of the engine compartment. *jb the vehicle was first taken in for maintenance on 8/17/04 and was picked up on 8/19/04, the vehicle was driven for 20 minutes, then the fire occurred. *sc

It was just 2-3 weeks after purchasing my 2004 honda suv when the first story came out on the washington post about the crv's bursting into flames. *ak i was told by honda that i could no longer take the car back i would have to try to re-sell it and take the loss myself. here i am getting close to to the 5000 mile, which will be my very first oil change, and i see another follow up story on the washingtron post regarding the same thing. and still nothing being done about it. depending on some emails and letters being sent by honda is not resolving the issue. i am completely afraid of getting my first oil change, especially when i see that other consumers are taking their crv's to the honda dealers and the problem still occurs. what guarantee do i have? how safe am i suppose to feel when the honda dealers still don't do the oil change right? i am in awe that your organization is waiting for a high death toll to finally do something about it. how many deaths will it take for you guys to wake up and tell honda to do a recall? how many lives have to be taken for you to see that this is of high importance? i am scared of even parking my car in the garage after my first oil change. it absolutely ridiculous that you and honda are trying its best to save thousands of dollars and prefer to risk thousands of lives. and yet, the consumer is stuck with the problem and footing the bill if that occurs. i'm surprised i haven't heard of any lawsuits. it's to time to take action. i am completely dissapointed with honda and regret ever purchasing my vehicle from them. they have not come forth for the consumer. i hope the next time i write to you is not because i'm having to complain and write a detailed report of the same thing happening to me.

While driving the engine started leaking oil from the area around the oil filter. the oil leaked onto the hot engine which resulted in smoke. *nm *sc *jb

The vehicle leaked oil onto the engine manifold. *nm the consumer noticed a pool of oil under the vehicle. in taking the vehicle in to get serviced the mechanic found that when getting the previous oil change the technician never removed the old oil filter gasket and placed a new gasket over the old one. when the engine got hot the oil leaked between the two gaskets. *tc see odi 10092496 also. *dsy

As new owner of cr-v after read so many complaint regards the engine fire after oil change, i decide to file a complaint to honda for its irresponsible/ineffective actions to prevent engine fire. it is hard to believe that so many fire cases even up today, yet honda still did not want to recall or take real action to fix the problem. it is very scary to image the worse case - if you got the engine fire in one lane highway in the mountain area, there is no signal for cell phone to call 911 too. it is also dangerous to walk or even stay in that type of highway. owner of cr-v have no peace of mind to drive it after oil change. especially some engine fire occurred two months later after oil change based on complaint case. honda should fix the problem. honda should not just lay the responsibility down to technician. why only cr-v caught fire? not pilot? not suv from other makers? the engine fire cannot be simply explained by the sloppy job of technician performed as it happened/happens at different states in us. nhtsa, please open the investigation again as number of engine fire are increasing across us. please give consumer safe suv as it should be.*ak

I was on my way home from work, less than 2 miles from home. i stopped at a stop light and noticed smoke. i didnt' know it was my car at the time. i drove a half a block and my car filled up with smoke. i immediatly pulled over and a person behind me stopped and told me she saw flames from my car. i had immedialtly turned my car off as soon as i parked it, so i did not see the flames. an additional man drove up and said he had seen the fire also. oil had poured out from under my car. i had just had my first oil change on monday aug 23rd. i have approximatly 5500 miles on the vehicle. it is a 2004 honda crv. my dealership (chezic sayers) had the vehicle towed by campus towing. the tow truck driver told me that that was the third crv that he had towed with fire damage in the last 3 months.(his name was phil) i think there should be a recall if this has happened this many times. i also looked up on the internet and it said that there had been 27 fires linked to oil changes in this vehicle. i find that appalling. i could have been seriously hurt! as of right now, i am not sure of the cause because it was after 5pm by the time the dealership looked at the car. they said they would call me tomorrow. i am assuming someone will call me to find out what the exact problem was and to find out how it was handled.*ak

While driving, smoke appeared from under the hood. the consumer pulled over and had the vehicle towed. the consumer was informed that the problem was pertaining to a oil filter leak. please provide more information. *jb

On aug. 20th i took my '04 cr-v to the honda dealer where i bought the vehicle for its 5,000 mile service, including its first oil change. the next day, after driving it for several miles and stopping to get gas, i noticed a burnt odor. i popped the hood and noticed a small amount of smoke coming up from the back of the engine. i looked under the vehicle and noticed oil dripping from several locations. i returned the cr-v to the dealer. they examined the vehicle and told me that the problem was a "double-gasket" - the gasket from the factory-installed oil filter had stuck in place when the oil filter was removed, and a new oil filter and gasket was installed over the old gasket, resulting in an oil leak. amid many apologies, the old gasket was removed and the oil change was properly completed. had i been less attentive to the vehicle after the oil change, and had the vehicle been driven at highway speeds, there was a very good possibility that a fire would have resulted. why did nhtsa close their investigation of the cr-v fires? why did honda lay the blame on technicians? and why, after all the publicity the fires received and after honda presumably instructed their technicians to be especially careful with cr-v oil changes, are cr-v owners still at risk of a fire after an oil change? will it take a death before nhtsa and/or honda does something that effectively addresses this problem?*ak

Having seen the news reports on television and in my local newspaper about the fires resulting after the first oil change on 03-04 honda cr-vs i was more than apprehensive about my first oil change. i called my dealer to make an appointment and mentioned the fire problem. the dealer was unaware of any such problem. now i'm even more concerned! how can this be? isn't honda doing anything about this potential life-threatening issue?

Consumer filed complaint because she was upset about getting an oil change. she was afraid to drive. dealer will replace the vehicle at consumer's expense. *ak

After having the oil changed, the vehicle caught fire. *jb

2004, honda cr-v caught fire after first service. no prior warning. this happened today. honda hade consumer's vehicle, and kept it for next day. sometimes, not sure what outcome will be. saw program on internet msnbc about this problem relating to oil filter failure. *ak

2003 honda crv slips out of correct timing frequently resulting in unreliable engine performance and a loud tapping noise coming from the engine when running. this defect in the engine has been brought to the attention of the piedmont honda dealership service department on 2 separate service visits (9/13/2003, 4/30/2004). the piedmont honda dealership refused to correct the defect and stated _x001c_checked vehicle and compared to a new vehicle. sound is not abnormal and is characteristic of vehicle. performs as designed_x001d_ piedmont honda_x0019_s refusal has directly resulted in the engine stalling out on one occasion (8/16/2004) and refusing to start on 2 other occasions (7/28/2004, 8/1/2004). both times that the vehicle refused to start the owner was stranded at the least opportune time.*ak

We purchased the 2004 honda crv in february '04. it had 3500 miles on it when the oil was changed at holler honda in winter park, florida. the following week we drove it to williamsburg, virginia on vacation. while there, with my 81 year old mother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-laws in the car, we experienced what so many others have reported. passing cars honked their horns and screamed at us that our car was on fire. that was on july 29th. we are now back home in orlando and the car is at williamsburg honda in virginia. i am now terrified to drive a honda crv. i don't want the car back. i want my money back so that i can go buy a car that i'll feel safe driving. it has been 8 days and holler honda won't talk to me. they told me to have my insurance company deal with their insurance company. i guess i need to engage my lawyer and the tv stations.*ak

Our 2004 honda cr-v was taken to the dealer for its first oil change after 6 months of ownership and 2,038 miles driven. after driving a few miles toward home the oil began draining rapidly from the car and smoke was billowing from underneath the car. my wife, following in another car, signaled me to pull over. i did and immediately shut the engine off. the remaining oil drained out and the smoke and heat subsided. we believe a fire would have resulted if i had driven much farther.*ak when dropping off the car, i made a special point to remind the dealer this model had reported fire problems associated with oil changes. the dealer examined the car after the incident and admitted the filter had not been properly installed. despite the reminder, any steps taken by honda to remedy the situation, and service by a large honda dealer, this dangerous situation still resulted. we believe both honda and nhtsa are remiss in not ordering a recall of this vehicle for some modification to prevent such oil leaks from falling onto the catalytic converter or other parts hot enough to cause combustion. we did not drive the cr-v again and traded for a safer vehicle. the dealer indicated he would resell the cr-v. will it take burning injuries or death before you take action?*ak

Vehicle was stalling and skipping at times on long trips especially when the weather was hot. *ak the vehicle was taken to a local honda dealer but they found no computer codes to specify the problem. they then claimed that the gas tank had water in it and charged the consumer $560. within an hour of leaving the dealer the vehicle stalled again. the vehicle was taken back tot he dealer but they were unable to determine the cause of the stalling. the vehicle on has 6000 miles. *nm

We have2004 honda cr-v a/c compressor blew up today . its known defect withthis make of honda. can help us. *tr

Oil change to 2004 honda crv resulted in the predecessor of a fire. as soon as i started the car, a customer came running out pounding on my window. there was oil spewing out the bottom of the car. i had just read the washington post article regarding recent fires to crv's after oil changes. i showing the article to the technician and he assured me eveerything would be fine. to no avail. this is more than just shoddy mechanics work. too many of these vehicles are having this problem. including me! see odi 10083308, same vin. *dsy

Knowing that there is a potential hazard in getting the oil changed in my 2004 honda cr-v, i have been researching a solution. in that process, i have been told by several auto service places that they will not service my car due to the liabilities involved. they told me that other vehicles do not catch on fire when a gasket is left on or some oil leaks out, so something was changed in the cr-v engine that is allowing the oil to now reach the manifold. i will not feel safe when the time comes to deal with this. honda must take ownership of this problem. *jb

I can not believe that honda will not recall there 2003-2004 crv to prevent a fire or loss of life happening to someone. nor can i believe that your organization will allow this practice to go on. i have recently purchased my car, hoping for a piece of mind, yet i am constantly worried that i or my 2 year old son will not be able to get out in time. that is a pretty high price to pay. *la

Concern regarding safety of vehicle after oil change. significant oil leaked, recurred problem. *bf the consumer read and article which indicated that after the first and subsequent oil changes some cr-v's have caught on fire. the consumer explained this article to the technician when the vehicle was taken for it's first oil change. after each of the vehicle's three oil changes a puddle was observed in the consumer's garage. the consumer is concerned that the vehicle may catch on fire. *nm

While the vehicle was parked, the consumer noticed that oil was leaking from the vehicle. please provide more information. *jb see odi 10081292, same vin. *dsy

A thousand miles after the first oil change vehicle caught on fire while driving at 60 mph. the fire was due to poorly installed oil filters. dealer was replacing the vehicle without resistanc. *ak

The oil filter was changed on the first oil change for a new vehicle when the filre was change one of the gaskets stuck to the engine,the double banded gasket burst and oil was released onto the exhaust, causing a fire.*ak a new oil filter was installed after the extra gasket was removed.

I recently bought a new 2004 honda crv on june 27, 2004. about a month after i bought it i was informed not only of this website but of the fires that everyone is complaining about after they get their oil changed. i can't believe that a large corporation like honda is allowed to get away with this. or how a safety recall has not been issued yet. why is it we have to wait for someone to get killed before something is done? soon i will have to have my oil changed and that is terrifying to me. how about the next time and the next time i have to have to have my oil changed? is this something that can happen whenever the oil is changed throughtout the life of my car? do i just pray i get a service technician that knows what to do? as the nhtsa you need to take a closer look at this. *ak

Having just had the first oil change performed on my 2004 honda cr-v, i was only a few blocks away from the dealership which performed the oil change (hanover honda in hanover, pa) when smoke started pouring out from under the hood and through the air conditioning vents. i managed to get the vehicle off the street and the ignition switched off within seconds of the low oil warning light coming on. i was told by the assistant service manager that it appeared the oil filter was defective. after hearing reports in the news (on july 9, 2004) of other cr-v owner who experienced fires in their vehicles that seemed to originate with the oil filter, i wanted to file this report with nhtsa.*ak

While driving 50 mph, the consumer noticed smoke coming from the rear. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and pulled over. the vehicle caught on fire and the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the insurance company informed the consumer that the double gasket caused the vehicle to catch on fire. please provide further details. *jb

(1) vehicle (2004 honda cr-v, vin#shsrd68474u20079) was brought into brahman honda (local dealership in miami) for its first oil change on april 12th, 2004. continued normal usage of vehicle until engine caught on fire on june 16th, 2004 at 8pm.*ak (2) vehicle was being driven in normal traffic conditions along major street. as the vehicle we being driven, it began emitting large amounts of smoke from engine compartment. driver was able to disengage the vehicle at a major intersection. fire department came to extinguish the fire and move the disabled vehicle off the road. evidence of significant oil leak can be found. evidence of oil leakage can be found inside and underneath the vehicle. (3) vehicle has been brought into brahman honda. pending inspection by insurance company and honda mechanics.

On may 29, 2004, i purchased a honda cr-v, 2004, vehicle from casey honda in newport news. it is a four-wheel drive vehicle with automatic transmission. i had the vehicle for only two weeks and i only drove it 109 miles. the odometer right now shows 117 miles. on june 13, i was driving the vehicle in newport news, va when suddenly the engine stopped in the middle of the road, in front of the stop traffic light. there was a burning smell coming out of the hood and the check engine light came on. when i turn on the engine the tachometer show 1000 rpm, then 3000 rpm and then back again to 2000 rpm. thus the tachometer shows an unstable running engine when the transmission is on the _x001c_neutral_x001d_ or _x001c_parking_x001d_ position. i was able to start the engine after a few minutes and get home which was fortunately only a mile away. on june 14, 2004 i contacted the casey honda dealership and they sent their representative to tow away the vehicle. the odometer showed 117 miles. the same day the dealership serviceman, mr. kevin, called me and told that the vehicle is not drivable and that they have to keep the vehicle for about a week until the parts will arrive and they will try to fix it. he told me that the causes of the problem are some defective parts that they need to replace.

My 2004 honda crv ignited and burst into flames. this occurred the same day as the first oil change. mileage was 5,400.*ak

Purchased 2004 honda cr-v january 2004 from continental honda in anchorage alaska. we took it in for its first oil change (5,000 miles) on june 16th. after driving the 15 miles home, the engine started billowing smoke, and spuing oil (the trail of oil can still be seen on the street). the dealer had it towed to dealership, they explained it as a faulty oil gasket, and offered a free oil change. after driving for a few weeks, i noticed a clacking sound coming from the engine. i had the techintians check it out during the second oil change on august 16. after two weeks of looking for the problem, they deduced there was some "scoring" inside the pistons and that they had to replace the shortblock. they told me that this was a fluke (a first time incident) and that the engine will be sent to honda usa for further inspection. i finally got the call yesterday (september 9) that the car was ready to be picked up. in all fairness, the employees at the dealership were very professional and courteous.*ak

Honda cr-v(2004) a/c compressor: i was driving down the hwy and it sounded as if i had a flat tire, at that point my a/c stopped blowing cold air. i continued driving, thinking that i had to get my a/c recharged. then i heard a loud clunk, swerved off an exit (my steering wheel locked up) and my car began smoking. i pulled into the nearest parking lot, and discovered that the serpentine belt was broken. the belt broke b/c the compress had exploded, causing the clutch to lock up. the cost of the repair was $1400. the whole system had to be replaced: condenser, compressor, expansion valve. *tr

Took new 2004 honda cr-v into dealer (bob barbour honda of greenville, nc) for first oil change on saturday, may 15 2002. on sunday, while driving across town to church with my wife and two young children, i noticed a large amount of smoke. i pulled out of traffic and a man at a nearby business came running out yelling that my car was on fire. we exited the vehicle, unbuckled the children from the saftey seats and got away from the car. the fire dept was called to extenguish the fire. police officer also arrived on the scene. as it is a sunday, i have not been in contact with the dealer yet to determine how they intend to correct the situation. this is a very dangerous situation. *ak

While driving at 45 mph vehicle stalled. this caused a loss of steering and brakes. vehicle was taken to the dealership, and mechanic determined to replace the oil pump. *ak

The oil was changed in our 2004 honda crv and then as my wife was driving there was a massive oil leak causing the car to shut off in the middle of i270 with traffic wizzing by a speeds over 70 mph. my wife was fortunate that the car did not catch fire or that she did not get hit from the rear.*ak

My honda crv-ex 2004 went on fire on the highway. total loss. insurrance covered some of the personal lost items and some of the car rental cost. honda refuses to cover the difference (just doesn't answer). i called, faxed and mailed my itemized request. thank you for your help and understanding, victor prutu

1. in april, 2004, i took my new 2004 honda crv to a honda dealership for its 5,000 mile scheduled service. 2. the engine caught fire about ten minutes after leaving. i pulled off the road and almost immediately an off duty fire fighter pulled over and rendered help. thus, the only major damage was to the manifold, electrical harness, hood assembly and windshield. 3. the dealer accepted responsibility for the faulty oil change (they showed me the double o-ring that caused the incident) and paid for repair and related expenses. i would like to commend tampa hondaland for their integrity, concern and professionalism. 4. i received an official notification of the defect today from honda and am glad to see the system works. *jb

Durning the first oil change , the original oil filter gasket stuck to the engine block. this created a double gasket . the next morning while driving to work this gasket failed , spraying oil under persure all over the hot exhaust pipe and very hot catalytic converter. the oil bursted into flames. the fire ball went into the engine compartment. i turned off the ignition, and this stopped the oil that was feeding the fire. the fire quickly burned itself out. had i not been in a driving situation where i could quickly pull over and get out of the crv , this could have been a total disaster. there is now evidence of a fire inside my brand new engine compartment. to correct the problem i had a different brand , other then honda,oil filter put on.*ak

Purchased a 2004 honda cr-v in january, 2004 and with its first oil change on march 26, 2004, because of the double-gasket (not removed), it internally leaked all fluids leaving no oil in pan and causing difficulty in removing the filter.*ak service mgr., mark korallus and a mechanic came to where car had stopped, just a couple of blocks from dealership, with a 5 gallon tank of oil. upon inspection of vehicle, mr. korallus, informed me that it was caused by the double gasket. they then proceeded to clean the mess up with 6 cans of brake fluid. how safe can this be? there's no guarantee that this negligence on honda's part won't cause serious damages to the car in the future. worse yet, injuries. my car immediately lost its "new car" affect and i truly believe that it's not operating at its optimal performance as honda so highly promotes. i have left serveral phone messages for mr. korallus, but to date, he has chosen to ignore them.

The consumer's vehicle leaked oil onto the engine manifold. *nm the vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was determined that during a previous oil change the technician failed to remove the original rubber gasket before installing the new one. *nm see odi 10095399 also. *dsy

When driving vehicle stalled. consumer contacted the dealership on two separate occasions, but the problem still occurs. *ak dealer refused to tell consumer the specific defect on vehicle. *la

The consumer was driving on the freeway going approximately 60 mph and suddenly the dashboard illuminated in red and smoke was coming from the engine compartment. the consumer pulled over and called for assistance. the consumer was informed by the fire fighter that there were nuts and bolts missing from the engine. owner later called the dealer and was told to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. the consumer was informed that there would be a few changes made to the engine and the vehicle would be there for a couple of days. provide further details. *jb