Fixed Ops Journal - August 2019 - F18

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

OIL PATCH

Honda addresses engine oil issue with extended warranties, software update
JIM HENRY

extension for as many as 1 million vehicles in
all 50 states, even though the automaker says
it doesn't expect to encounter complaints in
merican Honda Motor Co. is working
warm-weather markets. The extension proto stay ahead of potential consumer
vides an additional year of coverage on some
complaints related to a possible enpowertrain components for six years from
gine oil problem in hundreds of
purchase, with no mileage limits.
thousands of Honda CR-V and Civic models that
"Completion of the software update camhave a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine.
paigns is progressing well," Honda spokesman
On some of the affected vehicles, Honda
Chris Martin says. A recall of the affected vehisays, fuel could dilute engine oil. (See story,
cles is not under consideration, Martin adds,
below.) Honda plans to send customers letbecause "this doesn't represent a safety issue."
ters starting this month to make sure they're
The CR-V campaign is further along, since it
aware the company is offering remedies that
began sooner, Martin says. According
include a software update and a limto Honda, more than 190,000 CR-Vs
ited extension of its powertrain war- about 81 percent of the eligible toranty. Honda has not disclosed the
tal - had gotten the update. The Civcost of these fixes.
ic campaign had about a 62 percent
"They're doing the right thing - they
completion rate, covering more than
always do," Honda dealer Tim Higgins
89,000 vehicles so far, he adds.
says of the automaker. Higgins is presiDespite the broad scope of the redent of Saratoga Honda in Saratoga
sponse, Higgins says the oil dilution
Springs, N.Y., and a member of the HonHiggins: Owners' matter was not even discussed at a
da National Dealer Advisory Board.
dealer board meeting last month.
Higgins told Fixed Ops Journal that peace of mind
"It's really a nonevent for dealers," Higgins
some vehicle owners have called his dealersays. "Honda extended the warranty to give
ship with questions about the dilution issue
customers confidence."
since it surfaced last year. But he says "zero"
Chris Zamora, managing partner of Zamora
customers have brought their vehicles to his
Auto Group, which includes Honda of Superdealership for service because of the matter.
stition Springs in Mesa, Ariz., says the oil diluHonda took formal action last fall with a sertion issue isn't on the dealership's radar. "We
vice bulletin that applied solely to 2017 and
haven't seen any action on that," he says.
2018 CR-V models with the 1.5-liter turbo.
Honda's score in the J.D. Power Customer
That notification ultimately expanded to inService Index Study remains below the industry
clude 2016 through 2018 Civic models with
average for mass-market brands. It improved to
the same engine, all within a 21-state area that
815 (out of 1,000) in this year's study, from 809
gets severe winter weather since Honda says
in 2018. The last time Honda's score was above
cold weather can trigger problems.
average was in the 2015 study. 
This April, Honda added a limited warranty

foj@autonews.com

How Honda's oil dilution issue arose

ere's an explanation of the engine oil
dilution issue potentially affecting as
many as 1 million Honda CR-V and
Civic models, transcribed from a video American Honda Motor Co. posted in October. That's
when the automaker began notifying owners
in cold-weather states about potential problems:
"Your engine uses direct injection to spray
fuel into the cylinder. During engine operation, a bit of that sprayed fuel can stick to the
cylinder wall, travel down into the crankcase,
and mix with the engine oil in the oil pan. Later, that mixed fuel in the pan typically vaporiz-

PAGE 18

AUGUST 2019

es, gets directed back to the cylinder and is
burned off. But when there's more fuel mixing
with the engine oil than vaporizing, the oil can
be diluted by the fuel."
Driveability issues can include misfires and
a "whirling noise" from the engine compartment, according to a Honda service bulletin.
Honda says cold weather can make problems
more likely.
Honda extended the powertrain warranty to
apply "to any engine components, such as camshafts, rocker arm assemblies, and spark plugs"
that are damaged by the oil dilution issue.
- Jim Henry

Step by step

American Honda Motor Co. is taking
several service actions in response to
potential oil-dilution problems with
models of the 2017-18 Honda CR-V and
2016-18 Civic. The responses include a
software update that will eventually
apply to about 239,000 vehicles in 21
states and a limited nationwide
powertrain warranty extension that
potentially could affect about 1 million
vehicles.
Here's a timeline.
October 2018: Honda issues the first
software update bulletin for the oil-dilution
issue, for CR-V models with a 1.5-liter
turbocharged engine. In addition to the
update, some models require replacement
of the air-conditioner control unit. The
bulletin applies initially to 5 cold-weather
states: Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota,
South Dakota and Wisconsin. Problems
are most likely to occur in cold weather,
and limited parts availability could delay
repairs, Honda says.
December 2018: The service campaign
for the CR-V expands to 21 states,
based on improved parts availability.
Honda broadens the campaign to
include Civics with the 1.5-liter turbo
engine. The automaker mails notifications about the product update to CR-V
owners in the first 5 states. In the next
2 months, notices are sent to owners in
the 21-state area, which adds Arkansas,
Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island and Vermont.
April 2019: Honda extends its powertrain warranty for the affected models to
6 years/unlimited miles, from 5
years/60,000 miles, but only for certain
parts and only for conditions that could
be related to the oil-dilution problem.
The powertrain warranty extension
applies in all 50 states, although Honda
said it doesn't anticipate problems in
warmer climates.
August 2019: Honda plans to send
consumers notices about the warranty
extension.

Fixed Ops Journal - August 2019

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