Dongfeng Honda-built CR-Vs recalled for lubricant issues

Dongfeng Honda Automobile is set to recall 130,455 vehicles to replace parts affected by lubricant issues which may cause safety hazards and damage the engine.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said the locally made Dongfeng Honda CR-V may encounter problems with lubricant levels in models fitted with its 1.5-liter turbocharged EarthDream engines during very cold periods.

The recall plan by Dongfeng Honda, the Sino-Japanese joint venture between Honda and Dongfeng Motor Group, includes free replacements of the air conditioning control unit and a software upgrade for the electronic control unit, besides replacing the motor oil, air filter and adding new engine cleanser.

For models equipped with continuously variable transmissions, the recall will also provide a replacement of the bottom water pipe for the radiator, and a software upgrade for the transmission control unit. Industry insiders have questioned the real reason for the recall as both the water pipe and the air conditioning have little to do with engine lubricant.

A source familiar with the matter said the recall shows Dongfeng Honda's responsibility, but added there was a lack of complete transparency.

"Dongfeng Honda has to give at least part of the data and tests results to show its plan is effective in solving the current lubricant oil issue," the source said.

"Customers or the watchdog will spend a very long period in reality to verify the recall's effectiveness, and now the carmaker needs to give us essential information to build our confidence." The current recall plan has been refined and upgraded in the past 75 days after the top quality watchdog rejected the automaker's initial recall plan proposed on March 1.

The rejected recall plan proposed earlier by Dongfeng Honda was to replace the motor lubricant oil, provide a software upgrade in the electronic control unit, extend the warranty to six years or 200,000 kilometers, and carry out further research.

A day after the rejected recall plan, Dongfeng Honda announced that it would "halt the delivery" of 2018 CR-Vs in response to problems with lubricant levels, without mentioning any specific defects.

The issues in locally made 1.5-liter turbocharged Earth-Dream engines were brought to attention last year by a group of owners of the Dongfeng Honda 1.5T 2018 CR-V, the automaker's most popular SUV.

Owners in China's northeastern provinces initially spotted problems with lubricant levels in the 1.5-liter turbocharged EarthDream engine during very cold periods, but more customers including those in southern Guangdong and Fujian provinces reported similar issues.

Dongfeng Honda said it had received 20,742 complaints nationwide as of January, but claimed in February that the lubricant level problems would not cause abnormal wear or shorten the lifespan of its engines.

The 1.5T EarthDream engine powers more than 10 locally made Honda models including the Dongfeng Honda Civic and GAC Honda Avancier.