2017 Honda CR-V Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
UPON REMOVING THE OIL CAP, THERE IS A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE MADE BY HONDA. WE WILL BE CONTACTING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT OUR LOCAL HONDA DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASE 10/2017. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 1,500 MILES. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE REPORTED STALLS AND LONG TERM EFFECT OF THE ENGINE ITSELF. I AM ALSO CONCERNED WITH POTENTIAL OF THE VEHICLE STALLING AND LOSING BOTH POWER STEERING AND ABS. I WANT THIS ISSUE ON RECORD WITH THE NHTSA.
GAS WAS FOUND IN THE OIL. OIL STICK WAS ABOVE THE NORMAL RANGE. POOR GAS MILEAGE.
ENGINE OIL SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE
4000 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE, CHECKED OIL DIPSTICK, OIL LEVEL TOO HIGH...OIL SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE. CRV NOT RUNNING SMOOTHLY, HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION.
AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW, I NOTICED AT AROUND 4K MILES THE OIL SMELLED HEAVILY OF FUEL AND WAS OVERFULL. THE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER WERE CHANGED. 5K MILES LATER THE OIL AGAIN REEKED OF FUEL AS WAS OVERFULL. OIL AND FILTER CHANGED AGAIN. AT AROUND 15K MILES THE OIL AGAIN IS OVERFULL AND APPARENTLY DILUTED WITH OIL. I DID RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THIS MAY BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE. I'M CONCERNED IF I ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE MAINTENANCE MINDER SYSTEM AND WENT 10K MILES PER OIL CHANGE THE ENGINE WILL LOCK UP FROM LACK OF LUBRICATION.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL HIGH
THE NEW GENERATION OF CRV VEHICLES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM REGARDING OIL DILUTION WITH FUEL AND OTHER LIQUIDS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAN RESULT IN PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE AS WELL AS OTHER PROBLEMS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE OUR OIL EVERY 500 MILES JUST TO MAKE SURE IT ISN'T TOO HIGH. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, YET THEY ARE SLACKING ON FINDING A FIX. THIS PROBLEM MAY POTENTIALLY BE AFFECTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES. CHINA ALREADY HALTED SALES OF CRVS UNTIL THEY FIX THIS PROBLEM. DEAR HONDA, FIX THIS PROBLEM! THE LONGER YOU SLACK, THE MORE CUSTOMERS (LIKE ME) YOU WILL LOSE IN THE FUTURE. IF YOU VALUE YOUR REPUTATION AS A RELIABLE CAR MAKER, THEN DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED.
OIL HAS STRONG SMELL OF GAS, AND OIL LEVEL CONSISTENTLY RISES OVER TIME UNTIL OIL CHANGE COMPLETED. AROUND 500 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE THE GAS SMELL RETURNS AND CONTINUES TO GET STRONGER WHILE ALSO INCREASING THE OIL LEVEL WELL ABOVE THE LOW AND HIGH ON THE DIPSTICK. HAS HAPPENED FOR OVER A YEAR SINCE I FIRST DISCOVERED MANY OTHER 2017/2018 CRV OWNERS DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM ONLINE.
IN MID-OCTOBER 2018, THE OIL LEVEL ON OUR 2017 CR-V WAS A HALF INCH PAST THE MAX MARK ON THE DIPSTICK. OIL WAS LAST CHANGED JUST 3400 MILES AGO IN MID-MAY. I SUSPECT THIS IS DUE TO THE WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM OF FUEL DILUTING THE OIL. THE HONDA DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM.
ONCE WHILE MOVING THE CAR TO WASH IT, STARTED IT DIS-ENGAGED THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE ENGINE WAS COLD. THE SECOND TIME STARTED THE CAR AND TOOK A TWENTY MINUTE,10 MILE TRIP TO COSTCO. 30 MINUTES LATER STARTED THE CR-V, AGAIN DIS-ENGAGED THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, THE CAR WAS WARM. TOOK THE CAR TO HONDA AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, BUT CHANGED THE ENGINE OIL WITH ONLY 2381 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.
AT THIS TIME I HAVE NOTICED A GAS SMELL IN THE OIL AND THE OIL LEVEL HAS BEEN HIGH EVEN AFTER 5000 MILES. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I WAS THERE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. NOW THAT IT IS GETTING COOLER I AM ALSO NOTICING THAT THE HEATER IS NOT WORKING WELL AND I HAVE TO HAVE THE DEFROSTER ON ALL THE TIME OR THE WINDOW FOG.
FUEL IS MIXING WITH THE ENGINE OIL IN THE CRANKCASE, MAKING OIL VISCOSITY THINNER AND SMELL OF GASOLINE. THE PROBLEM WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND VERIFIED BY OUR HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON OCTOBER 24, 2018. THEY SAID PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED BY COLD WEATHER AND SHORT TRIPS. WE WERE TOLD A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WE WILL BE NOTIFIED BY LETTER PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 22, 2018 TO SCHEDULE A TIME FOR REPAIRS. IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION, CALL THE DEALERSHIP BACK AT THAT TIME.
THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO MY VEHICLE DILUTING THE OIL WITH UNBURNT GASOLINE AND CREATING FUEL ODORS IN THE CABIN AS WELL AS PREMATURE ENGINE WEAR.. MY VEHICLE NOW HAS ~ 15000 MILES AND HAS JUST COMPLETED ITS 3RD OIL CHANGE. EACH OIL CHANGE HAS RECORDED ON THE SERVICE ORDER THE DRAINED OIL AMOUNT AND EACH TIME THE FLUID LEVEL WAS LARGER THEN WHAT WAS FILLED AT THE PRIOR OIL CHANGE. THE LAST CHANGE THE DEALERSHIP RECORDED 17 OZ MORE FLUID THEN WHAT WENT IN, THIS WAS ALL GASOLINE. THIS IS RESULTING IN GASOLINE ODORS IN THE CABIN WHICH ARE CREATING AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR MY PASSENGERS AND MYSELF. IT SEEMS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT ACCUMILATING GASOLJNE VAPORS IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE POSE BOTH A HEALTH HAZARD AND A POSSIBLE FIRE OR EXPLOSION RISK . HONDA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS A OIL DILUTION PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES BUT REJECTS THE NOTION THAT THE BYPRODUCTS OF THIS DESIGN FLAW, NAMELY THE ACCUMULATING GAS VAPORS POSE ANY SAFETY RISK AT ALL. SINCE HONDA HAS NOT REMEDIED THIS FLAW I AM ASKING THAT THIS TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATION INVESTIGATE THESE CLAIMS FOR VALIDITY AND INSTRUCT THEM TO CORRECT THIS HEALTH, AND SAFETY RISK AS WELL AS THE PREMATURE OR ACCELERATED WEAR OF MY ENGINE DUE TO THIS ACKNOWLEDGED FLAW.
ENGINE OIL DILUTED, SMELLING OF FUEL, DIRTY, AND INCREASING IN VOLUME. OIL WAS CHANGED (2ND OIL CHANGE) AND AT PROPER LEVEL 8/25/2018 AT 15,413 MILES. TODAY, AT 10/29/2018 AND 17,510 MILES, OIL LEVEL IS ABOUT 10 MM ABOVE MAX FILL MARK. BAD SMELL SOMETIMES IN CABIN.
DEAR: NHTSA I PURCHASE A 2017 HONDA CRV-EX WITH 1.5-LITER TURBO EARTH DREAM ENGINE. DURING THE PAST 6 MONTHS I'VE BEEN HAVING THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WITH MY HONDA CRV-EX. GAS SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, THE OIL SMELL LIKE GAS, RISING OIL LEVELS, CAR MAKING HORRIBLE NOISES, STALLING, LOSS OF POWER AND THE HEATERS DOESN'T WORK AT ALL IN COLD WEATHER. I FIRST NOTICE THESE PROBLEMS 6 MONTHS AGO. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED AT HONDA SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM OF FUEL MIXING WITH OIL STEMS FROM ONE OR TWO CAUSES: IMPROPERLY DESIGNED FUEL INJECTORS THAT SPRAY FUEL DIRECTLY ONTO THE CYLINDER WALLS OR THE ENGINE NOT HEATING UP ENOUGH TO VAPORIZE GASOLINE LEFT OVER IN AN ENGINE CYLINDER. EITHER COULD CAUSE FUEL TO MIX WITH THE OIL, DILUTING IT AND MAKING IT LESS EFFECTIVE AT PROTECTING AN ENGINE'S MOVING PARTS AND OVER TIME COULD SERIOUSLY DAMAGE THE ENGINE. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE LUBRICATION FUEL & OIL DILUTION. HONDA CORPORATION HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE TURBO ENGINE DEFECTS THAT CAUSE FUEL TO ENTER THE ENGINE OIL, DAMAGING THE BEARINGS, ENGINE PERMANENTLY AND DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS ETHICAL AT ALL FOR HONDA CORP. TO CONTINUE TO SELL 2017 & 2018 CRV WITH TURBO ENGINE TO THE CONSUMER KNOWING THE PROBLEMS COULD ENDANGER THE PUBLIC SAFETY. IT IS NEITHER SAFE NOR PRUDENT DRIVING THESE VEHICLES. MY TRUST IN HONDA RELIABILITY WAS CRUSHED WHEN I NOTICE AFTER MY 2ND OIL CHANGE THE COLOR WAS BLACK, THIN AS WATER AND SMELL LIKE GASOLINE AFTER ONLY 10,000 MILES. HONDA CORP. HAD TO RECALL 130,000 OF ITS POPULAR CR-V SUV MODELS AND 294,500 CIVIC CARS FROM CHINA EARLIER THIS YEAR. RECENTLY IT'S BEEN REPORTED HONDA STOPPED ALL SALES OF CRV'S IN CHINA. HONDA ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT RELEASED ANY RESOLUTION ASIDE FROM FREE OIL CHANGES. MY ENGINE HAS ALREADY INCURRED PREMATURE WEAR. *JS
STRONG ODOR OF FUEL OR OIL WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED ON FREEWAY. THIS HAPPENED TWICE AND LASTED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EACH TIME, THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS BETWEEN 5,000 AND 8 THOUSAND. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 18,000 AND HAS NOT HAD A RECURRENCE SINCE BUT AT 12,000 MILES [ 4,000 MILES AFTER THE FIRST OIL CHANGE ] I NOTICED THE OIL LEVEL ON THE DIP STICK WAS ABOUT A HALF AN INCH OVER THE FULL LIMIT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT HAVE A FIX AT THE TIME. THEY CHANGED THE OIL AT THAT TIME AND AGAIN AT ABOUT 17,000 MILES AT WHICH TIME THEY SAID THEY HAD A PARTIAL FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. IT NOW HAS 19,000 AND STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD THINK SOONER OR LATER IT'S GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE THAT COULD CAUSE SAFETY CONCERNS.
THE CAR HAS A SERIOUS ENGINE ISSUE ASSOCIATED TO THE 1.5 L TURBO ENGINE. THE ENGINE IS UNABLE TO WARM UP UP PROPERLY IN COLD WEATHER STATES AND THEREFORE IS UNABLE TO OUTPUT AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF HEAT THAT IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE CABIN WARM FOR THE OWNER. THE ENGINE IS ALSO DILUTING GASOLINE INTO THE OIL RESERVOIR LEADING TO A GASOLINE SMELL WHEN CHECKING OIL LEVELS. THIS OIL DILUTION IS GOING TO CAUSE EXTENSIVE WEAR WITHIN THE OIL RESERVOIR SINCE IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE UNDER PROPER AND NORMAL CONDITIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN COLD MORNING ON WHICH I HAVE ACCELERATED AND FELT THE VEHICLE STALL AND I FEEL THE OIL/GAS MIXTURE IS TO BLAME FOR THIS DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING DEFECT OF THIS ENGINE. I'M AFRAID TO ACCELERATE IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THAT MAY CAUSE ME TO GET REAR ENDED AND INJURED/KILLED DUE TO STALLING THE VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. HONDA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2017 CRV AND NEWER SINCE THE MANUFACTURER STATES IT IS NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS TO HAVE OIL AND GASOLINE MIXING. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BUYBACK OF THIS VEHICLE AND BE DONE WITH THIS BRAND FOR THE FAILURE TO CORRECT THIS AND POOR JUDGEMENT TO CONTINUE TO SELLING THIS VEHICLE.
1.5L TURBO ENGINE. OIL IS DILUTED WITH GASOLINE, RAISING OIL LEVEL, REDUCING FRICTION AND INCREASING ENGINE WEAR. IN WORST CASE THE OIL LEVEL CAUSES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ENGINE STALLING, CAUSING SAFETY ISSUE. OIL SMELLS STRONGLY OF GAS, INSIDE CABIN HAS STRON GAS SMELL AT TIMES. ENGINE DOES NOT HEAT ENOUGH TO WARM THE CAR IN COLD WEATHER.
OIL DILUTION: I HAD AN OIL ANALYSIS DONE ON MY 2017 HONDA CRV AND IT CAME BACK SHOWING 14% GAS IN THE OIL.
THERE IS FUEL GETTING ADDED INTO THE ENGINE OIL. SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE CAR AT TIMES. OIL WAS CHANGED BY DEALER 3000 MILES BEFORE AND NOW THE OIL LEVEL IS A LOT HIGHER THAN MAXIMUM AND THERE IS A CLEAR SMELL OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE OIL. THE ENGINE OIL VISCOSITY IS CONSIDERABLY DOWN. I AM SURE THIS IS KILLING LUBRICATION TO MY ENGINE. REACHED OUT TO DEALER, ONLY THING THEY CAN DO IS ANOTHER OIL CHANGE. THIS PROBLEM NEED TO BE ADDRESSED PRETTY FAST OR ENGINE WILL START SEIZING UP SOON. I EMAILED HONDA FOR A RESPONSE AND THEY ARE REFERRING ME BACK TO THE DEALER. CHINA HAS STOPPED HONDA FROM SELLING CR-V IN THEIR MARKET IN LIGHT OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM AMAZED I AM NOT SEEING A RESPONSE FROM US AUTHORITIES ON THIS IMPORTANT CONSUMER ISSUE.
VEHICLE HAS 1.5 L TURBO ENGINE AND GAS IS DILUTING THE ENGINE OIL. LEVEL HAS RISEN 10 MM ABOVE THE LAST OIL CHANGE LEVEL DONE 4/19/18, AFTER 5070 MILES. SOME OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS TO NHTSA AS A VEHICLE STALLING PROBLEM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAS NOT HAPPEN TO US, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT COULD. I REPORTED IT TO MY LOCAL HONDA SERVICE AT GANLEY HONDA OF N. OLMSTED, OH. THEY SEEMED TO BE UNAWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH CONSUMERS REPORTS DID AN EXTENSIVE ARTICLE ON THE 1.5 L OIL DILUTION PROBLEM.
FUEL IS MIXING WITH THE ENGINE OIL IN THE CRANKCASE. THE PROBLEM WAS VERIFIED BY THE SERVICE DEOARTMENT OF THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP, AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED.
2.0 LITER TURBO CHARGED ENGINE FUEL DRAWING INTO OIL INCREASING OIL LEVEL TO ABOVE MAXIMUM OIL LEVEL READING. MAY CAUSE DRIVE ABILITY PROBLEMS ACCORDING TO HONDA DEALER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL WAS IMPROPERLY LEAKING INTO THE OIL OF THE CRANK CASE. THE DEALER (BOB BRADY HONDA, 3955 E BOYD RD, DECATUR, IL 62521, (217) 876-3800) WAS PERFORMING THE ROUTINE OIL CHANGES, BUT COULD NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THERE WERE NO ENGINE RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. *TT UPDATED 12/19/18*JB
GASOLINE IS LEAKING INTO THE OIL CAUSING OIL SMELL IN CAR AND MAKING THE OIL THIN AND OVER THE FILL LINE ON DIP STICK.
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Quick Summary
The 2017 Honda CR-V has 225 Engine complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.