CarComplaints.com Notes: It's rare when a newer vehicle has defect trends, & the 2017 Honda CR-V has at least two — overfilled oil levels with a gas smell, & heat not working.
Both problems affecting the Honda CR-V's 1.5L "Earth Dreams" engine appear to be related to cold-climate regions.
CR-V owners also report no heat even after warming up their CR-Vs for 30 minutes — not even enough to defrost the windshield. So far, there has been no fix from Honda for this issue.
This has been a known problem with Honda and a number of models and model years. For example a recently filed lawsuit in the United States alleges a critical flaw in Honda and Acura’s turbocharged engines, raising concerns for owners of several popular models. According to the filing, certain 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines may be prone to overheating and head gasket failure. As with many class actions, the complaint claims Honda has been aware of the problem but failed to inform consumers.
The suit was recently filed in California and names six plaintiffs. It asserts that Honda has failed to properly develop turbocharged engines that can withstand high compression and heat, alleging that the head gasket is “susceptible to cracking.” If this happens, engine coolant can enter the cylinder head, degrading it and allowing coolant to leak into the cylinders.
The affected models named in the complaint include the 2018–2022 Honda Accord, 2016–2022 Honda Civic, 2017–2022 Honda CR-V, 2021–2022 Acura RDX, and 2019–2022 Acura TLX.
The suit was recently filed in California and names six plaintiffs. It asserts that Honda has failed to properly develop turbocharged engines that can withstand high compression and heat, alleging that the head gasket is “susceptible to cracking.” If this happens, engine coolant can enter the cylinder head, degrading it and allowing coolant to leak into the cylinders.
Not only could this mean there’s not enough coolant to cool the engine, but the engine itself can start misfiring. It’s also claimed that if coolant mixes with the engine oil, it can dilute and contaminate the oil, causing corrosion and excessive wear. Several owners have reportedly experienced complete engine failure, and some have been stranded on the side of the road after their vehicles suddenly gave out.
In my case the warning light came on to pull over immediately as the engine had overheated. with my wife driving. She called and we got the vehicle home. When I check the coolant level it was virtually empty. I added about 3/4 of a gallon. There was no indication of any coolant leak. No spots on the garage floor, no indication of any leaks around the engine, nothing on the driveway etc.. No leaks anywhere. When taken to the dealer for a diagnosis they concluded it was indeed a head gasket failure and the quoted price for the repair was an estimate of $4,500 to $5,000 or more. Ended up having my brother-in-law, a retired mechanic, do the work for free and I just covered the parts which still came to over $750.(That's why the cost reported in another section is so low for this complex repair.)
On top of that there was a bolt that needed to be removed but could only be removed by a Honda Service Center. So the car was trailered to the dealer to loosen the bolt and once the repair was completed trailered back to tighten the bolt. They would not sell the tool to remove the bolt, only to be done by an authorized Honda Dealer Service Center. I also had an extended warranty on the CRV which just happen to expire 3 months before the problem was discovered. Didn't exceed the milage limit but a couple of months. Just wondering when you take the vehicle in for service and the top off the fluid levels, how much coolant the technician kept adding without telling the owner that it appears an excessive amount of coolant had to be added between oil changes. Just thinking that it would more than likely would have been under warranty but except for topping off fluids and not documenting how much fluid was added as coolant.
Finally see Honda Service Bulletin 19-037 dated April 12, 2024.an update of the same bulletin issued April 29, 2022.
Have a 2017 Honda CRV that the head gasket is junk, only 104,000 miles told me was the battery at first so brought new battery . Two day later all the engine lights came on and was told the head gasket is no good and will cost $5620.97
Honda Canada refused to cover the cost of repair, even though the issue was identified as a premature failure by the service department. As a result, I have incurred financial losses, including the repair expense and the depreciation of my vehicle, since its resale value will be negatively affected.”
All Warnings Lights on. Morning misfire when cold with a sweet burning antifreeze smell from the exhaust. Vehicle enters limp mode at random, no power and hesitates during acceleration. Coolant reservoir is clearly low but the failure is just starting.
Appears to be common or starting to be common based on the time this engine has been on the road.
- Eric I.,
Carpentersville, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This has been a known problem with Honda and a number of models and model years. For example a recently filed lawsuit in the United States alleges a critical flaw in Honda and Acura’s turbocharged engines, raising concerns for owners of several popular models. According to the filing, certain 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines may be prone to overheating and head gasket failure. As with many class actions, the complaint claims Honda has been aware of the problem but failed to inform consumers.
The suit was recently filed in California and names six plaintiffs. It asserts that Honda has failed to properly develop turbocharged engines that can withstand high compression and heat, alleging that the head gasket is “susceptible to cracking.” If this happens, engine coolant can enter the cylinder head, degrading it and allowing coolant to leak into the cylinders.
The affected models named in the complaint include the 2018–2022 Honda Accord, 2016–2022 Honda Civic, 2017–2022 Honda CR-V, 2021–2022 Acura RDX, and 2019–2022 Acura TLX.
The suit was recently filed in California and names six plaintiffs. It asserts that Honda has failed to properly develop turbocharged engines that can withstand high compression and heat, alleging that the head gasket is “susceptible to cracking.” If this happens, engine coolant can enter the cylinder head, degrading it and allowing coolant to leak into the cylinders.
Not only could this mean there’s not enough coolant to cool the engine, but the engine itself can start misfiring. It’s also claimed that if coolant mixes with the engine oil, it can dilute and contaminate the oil, causing corrosion and excessive wear. Several owners have reportedly experienced complete engine failure, and some have been stranded on the side of the road after their vehicles suddenly gave out.
In my case the warning light came on to pull over immediately as the engine had overheated. with my wife driving. She called and we got the vehicle home. When I check the coolant level it was virtually empty. I added about 3/4 of a gallon. There was no indication of any coolant leak. No spots on the garage floor, no indication of any leaks around the engine, nothing on the driveway etc.. No leaks anywhere. When taken to the dealer for a diagnosis they concluded it was indeed a head gasket failure and the quoted price for the repair was an estimate of $4,500 to $5,000 or more. Ended up having my brother-in-law, a retired mechanic, do the work for free and I just covered the parts which still came to over $750.(That's why the cost reported in another section is so low for this complex repair.)
On top of that there was a bolt that needed to be removed but could only be removed by a Honda Service Center. So the car was trailered to the dealer to loosen the bolt and once the repair was completed trailered back to tighten the bolt. They would not sell the tool to remove the bolt, only to be done by an authorized Honda Dealer Service Center. I also had an extended warranty on the CRV which just happen to expire 3 months before the problem was discovered. Didn't exceed the milage limit but a couple of months. Just wondering when you take the vehicle in for service and the top off the fluid levels, how much coolant the technician kept adding without telling the owner that it appears an excessive amount of coolant had to be added between oil changes. Just thinking that it would more than likely would have been under warranty but except for topping off fluids and not documenting how much fluid was added as coolant.
Finally see Honda Service Bulletin 19-037 dated April 12, 2024.an update of the same bulletin issued April 29, 2022.
- Karl S., Maumee, US