An ongoing problem with oil filter leaks and resulting fires in 2003 and 2004 Honda CR-Vs has led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reopen and expand an earlier investigation into the same matter

Risk Management, Nov, 2004

An ongoing problem with oil filter leaks and resulting fires in 2003 and 2004 Honda CR-Vs has led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reopen and expand an earlier investigation into the same matter. When the problem first surfaced in July, NHTSA determined that the likely culprit was technician error during oil changes and advised Honda to caution its dealers and service technicians about the problem.

But since new incidents have continued to be reported, NHTSA has been forced to question the effectiveness of Honda's service communication and conduct a more serious investigation, which may lead to a recall of the vehicles.