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August 02, 2004
From: Ed McCabe
WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - At least 27 Honda CR-V sport-utility vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years burst into flames shortly after getting their first oil changes, The Washington Post reported on Friday,
No injuries were reported, but many of the vehicles were destroyed, usually with 10,000 miles or fewer on their odometers, the newspaper said, citing records provided to the U.S. government by Honda.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration investigated the situation and concluded July 1 that the cases were the fault of dealerships or others who improperly installed oil filters, the newspaper said.
According to the report, NHTSA and American Honda Motor Co. agreed that oil from the filters most likely leaked onto the vehicles' hot exhaust systems, quickly igniting.
"We consulted with Honda. Honda concluded it was a technician's error, and they have taken steps to make sure service technicians who work on this vehicle understand that they need to be particularly diligent when they replace the oil filter," NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson was quoted as saying.
Honda doesn't know why the fires are happening in only the two most recent CR-V model years and not earlier ones, spokesman Andy Boyd told the newspaper "That's the part we're still investigating," he said.
There were about 140,000 CR-Vs sold in the United States in 2003 and Honda said 22 of them caught fire from the apparent oil filter problem, the Post reported. So far this year, five owners of 2004 CR-Vs have reported such fires to NHTSA, the newspaper said.
CAUSE OF?FIRES
Ed McCabe, Senior Investigator
Insurors Service Bureau
Relative to the cause of the oil filter leakage caused fires on the CR-V: We have investigated three of these fires and can report with certainty that the leakage is caused by the falure of the mechanic to notice that the neoprene gasket from the original filter did not come off with the filter - and stayed on the filter base - on the occasion of the first oil change.
Double gaskets do not last long before blowing out. The gaskets are being held to the engine by paint - the engines are painted after the oil filter is installed. The problem is far worse on the new CR-V because the filter base is very hard to see.
Honda has been put on notice by my clients on each of these claims, but apparently still do not realize what the problem is. |
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