According to a recent class action lawsuit, drivers of certain 2018-2023 Honda vehicles may experience stalling and oil dilution. Manufacturing defects in the engines of affected vehicles can cause the car’s oil to be diluted with fuel, causing significant wear and damage to the engine.
The Honda oil dilution lawsuit accuses the carmaker of knowingly selling and leasing vehicles with defective engines without informing customers or taking any meaningful action to fix the manufacturing defect.
Honda Oil Dilution Lawsuit Overview
Problems in certain Earth Dreams 1.5L direct injection engines may cause fuel to build up, causing the bearings to wear out. When the bearings in an engine wear out, this can cause engines to stall and fail. This engine defect causes affected vehicles to consume high amounts of oil.
In formal complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, multiple Honda drivers say they have often had to add oil in between regular oil changes. The current oil dilution lawsuit states that affected Honda vehicles have engines with pistons that may be too far away from each other, which causes oil to enter the combustion chamber, resulting in the oil consumption issue.
The current engine class action lawsuit against Honda accuses the carmaker of failing to repair affected cars, telling some customers that their engine problems can be resolved by driving longer distances. In 2019, Honda announced an extension of the factory warranty for more than one million 2016-2018 Honda Civic and 2017-2018 Honda CR-V vehicles.
How do I know if my engine is affected?
Affected vehicles have Honda Earth Dreams 1.5L engines. If you experience stalling, the check engine light turning on, gasoline/oil odors, loss of power, engine damage, or other Honda direct injection engine problems, your vehicle may have an oil dilution defect. Some drivers have reported significant gas fumes in the cabins of their vehicles, so much so that some say they felt dizzy and or nauseous while driving.
Even the smallest amounts of fuel mixed into the engine’s oil can have a significant effect on the engine’s performance, leading to excessive engine wear and tear, power loss, and lower fuel economy. In 2018, Honda released a customer service program for customers experiencing the Honda CR-V oil dilution issue. The program states that the oil issue may increase in cold weather.
What makes and models are affected?
The following Honda makes and models may have engine issues:
- Honda CR-V (2019-2023)
- Honda Civic (2019-2021)
- Honda Accord (2018-2021)
Older models of the Honda CR-V from 2016-2018 may also have engine defects. A current class-action lawsuit alleges Honda knowingly sold Honda CR-V vehicles with fuel contamination issues. Drivers of affected Honda CR-Vs report issues in their vehicles similar to those of vehicles with the Honda CRV oil dilution problem such as stalling, engine misfire, or engine failure.
To address the Honda Oil dilution problem in its Earth Dreams engine technology, the manufacturer offered software updates, part replacements, and oil changes for owners and lessees of affected vehicles through its 2018 service campaign. These fixes, however, do little to address the extensive engine damage and engine failure that some Honda drivers have experienced.
Who can join the lawsuit?
You may be asked to join an ongoing class action lawsuit if you own or lease a Honda vehicle equipped with a turbo direct injection engine, these include the Honda Accord, Civic, or CR-V from model years 2019-2022. Older Honda models from 2016-2018 may also be affected by the engine oil dilution issue.
Should I Pursue a Lemon Law Case or a Class Action Settlement?
We recommend pursuing an individual lemon law claim instead of a class action settlement as long as your case qualifies for relief under the California Lemon Law.
A class action suit could contain potentially thousands of claimants whose issues with their vehicles are not individually addressed. Engine repairs can be extremely expensive, and a class action settlement may not be enough in the long run to resolve the issues with affected vehicles.
Serious engine problems with an affected vehicle could qualify for lemon law relief through an individual claim against Honda. Remedies may include a replacement car, cash, or a lemon law buyback for owning or leasing a Honda lemon. A lemon law buyback or refund is the most common outcome in lemon law cases that qualify.
With a repurchase under the California Lemon Law, Honda would be obligated to refund all monies spent on the lemon vehicle minus a usage fee for when the vehicle was trouble-free, and reimburse you for any incidental expenses related to your lemon. Honda would also be responsible to pay off the remaining loan balance on the vehicle and pay for the consumer’s reasonable attorneys fees and costs.
To find out if you qualify for an individual lemon law claim, we recommend speaking with a qualified lemon law attorney who can review the unique details of your case to confirm your eligibility. In order to file an individual lemon law claim, you must opt-out of any class action lawsuits you may be included in by their respective deadlines. A lemon law attorney can assist you in opting-out of these lawsuits on time.
Work with the Top Honda Lemon Law Experts
When going up against one of the world’s top-selling auto manufacturers, you will want help from experts in the field of lemon law. Automakers like Honda hire legal teams who study lemon law exclusively and are trained to negotiate for the smallest settlement payout possible. This is precisely why you should seek the best lemon law representation available in your area if you want to win and obtain both the compensation and justice that you deserve.
Since 2009, the Lemon Law Experts have assisted thousands of consumers all over the state of California in recovering millions of dollars in compensation for their lemons. No matter where you live in California, if you are having car trouble and believe you may have a case, you should contact us. Our team can review your case at no cost to you and inform you of what you could potentially receive in a lemon law claim. To get started, please give us a call at 877-885-5366 or fill out an online case evaluation form on our website today.
