Christina Spicer  |  May 5, 2017

Category: Consumer News

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honda engine defect class actionA class action lawsuit filed in Illinois state court claims there’s a flaw in the design or construction of the Honda CR-V which frequently causes the passenger cabin of the vehicle to fill with noxious gas fumes.

The lead plaintiffs allege that Honda knows the problem exists, but fails to repair or replace affected vehicles. According to the Honda class action lawsuit, 2015 through 2017 Honda CR-Vs are affected by the alleged defect.

The lawsuit states that Hondas that are purchased as new are supposed to be covered by a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty; however, Honda allegedly refuses to honor those warranties when it comes to the seeping gasoline fumes in these compact sport utility vehicles.

“Plaintiffs and class members have no confidence and peace of mind in a manufacturer that continues to sell vehicles it knows reek of gasoline yet refuses to repair or replace as required by its warranty,” the Honda class action claims.

The plaintiffs allege that they noticed the gas fumes in the passenger cabin within the first year of owning their CR-Vs. They claim the odor causes them to suffer from stomach aches and headaches and stops them from driving their cars. According to the Honda class action, the odor of gas becomes strong and does not seem to depend on driving conditions, speed, or how long the car has been running.

The plaintiffs say they and other CR-V purchasers were deceived by Honda and would not have bought the vehicle if they had known about the gas seepage problem. Further, the plaintiffs claim, Honda has been aware of the problem since 2015 due to customer complaints, but has refused to do anything about the defect causing gas fumes to seep into the cabin.

“Plaintiffs and class members were exposed to Honda’s long-term, national multimedia marketing campaign touting the supposed reliability and driveability of the class vehicles, and class members made their decisions to purchase their Honda CR-V based [on] Honda’s misleading marketing that concealed the true, defective nature of the Honda CR-V,” say the plaintiffs in their class action.

The plaintiffs seek to represent a nationwide Class of those who purchased a model year 2015, 2016, or 2017 Honda CR-V and reported gas fumes in the passenger cabin.

This suit joins another class action filed in Illinois last September. In that action, a Wisconsin couple alleges that gas fumes seeped into their CR-V, but no Honda dealership would provide a repair or replace the vehicle.

The plaintiffs in this current class action allege that Honda has breached it warranty and violated state consumer fraud laws. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs.

The plaintiffs are represented by Alexander Loftus of Stoltmann Law Offices PC.

The Honda CR-V Gasoline Odor Class Action Lawsuit is Carol Miles, et. al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. 2017-CH-06331, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

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33 thoughts onHonda CR-V Class Action Says Gas Fumes Fill Passenger Cabins

  1. Gary Chappell says:

    I own a 2018 and it has a similar problem. While gas fumes in the cabin are a legitimate issue, the bigger issue is the high-pressure fuel injection system in these vehicles, years 2015 through 2018, forces gas into the oil as it is pumped into the pistons. By regularly checking your oil level, you’ll see them rise because gas is being pumped into the oil. This will no doubt shorten the life of the car and its overall performance.

    My 2018 suffers this problem and I want to make sure it is rectified. Please do your research and expand this suit to include 2018 vehicles. Any vehicle with the “

  2. Amanda Silva says:

    I’m so glad I googled this problem to find I’m not alone! Please add me to the suit. I have a 2016 Honda CRV

  3. Carol Peterson says:

    I have a new 2017 CR-V. Please add me to the suit. Thank you.

  4. Albert Donnay says:

    There are more comments about this Honda problem making people sick under another article posted in Sept 2016 at

    https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/343631-honda-class-action-filed-unfixed-cr-v-gas-odor-problem/

    I urge everyone to read the entire comment of Elizabeth Whipple, who gives a very detailed description of her symptoms:

    “Onset symptoms of burning eyes, heachache, face flushing red, nausea, smell of chemical burning like an exhaust, sensation of chest tightness, rapid heart beat, which always included post symptoms (usually the following day) raspy sand-paper-like sore throat, several canker sores within mouth, fluid like congestion in lungs ( morning coughing as it loosened ) as well, my sense of smell was impermeated with fume smell ( like an old tailpipe and motor burning oil smell ) which lasted for 36-48 hours after exposure — Its been 6 months now with ups and downs and renting safe vehicles while waiting for 2 months for a Honda Customer Relations report via email which does not include anything, other than “No fume smell was detected””

    As a toxicologist specializing in CO, I urge people who notice any of these symptoms while driving to drive with a portable CO detector that displays from zero and alarms instantly at low levels (see Pocket CO for example, that fits on a key chain. I have no affiliation). CO is invisible and odorless so Only a CO detector can warn you about exposures. Opening two or more windows a few inches should be enough to keep CO levels from building up inside while driving. You can also use these CO detectors to measure the level of CO in your exhaled breath, which is high in people with chronic CO poisoning but readily treatable after exposure stops.

    Honda also needs to start buying some CO detectors for its dealers who currently don’t have any so they can starting test cars for CO leaks and also test the effect of any repair they attempt. As long as Honda calls this an odor problem, it is distracting all involved from treating it as a much more serious CO problem.

    1. Elizabeth Whipple says:

      Much gratitude Albert, Thank you for your expertise and compassion! Yes you are correct to mention CO monitors — Im sensing that there is also other health threatening hydrocarbon emissions within the “Fume Mystery” such as Benzine and other life threatening hydrocarbons ) — very dangerous for humans and all living things! ( my dear travelling companion husky dog, Mica included ) — Recently, August 2017, there has been a massive widespread RECALL for 2018 Honda CRVs — RE: FUEL FEED PIPE LEAK — the notice includes a notice of “May exceed evaporative emissions standards” “May cause engine fire if leak is near ignition” — The dots will begin to connect as more and more CRV owners source to find, and voice to be heard, that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of CRVs / Owners with this similiar condition — Thank you kindly, Elizabeth

      1. Elizabeth Whipple says:

        Oops pardon the typo above — RECALL of 2017, not 2018 CRV

  5. Larry says:

    Add me please

  6. Tim L. says:

    The description does not make clear whether the fumes are exhaust gas, including carbon monoxide, getting sucked back into the car from the tailpipe, or gasoline fumes from a leaking gas tank or fuel injection system. Exhaust is relatively odorless in new cars but fairly common to be pulled back in, especially in hatchbacks. Leaking gasoline fumes are much more obvious and probably violate Federal evaporative emissions standards.

  7. Dennis Nelson says:

    Add me to the suit please.

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

  8. Tami says:

    I have a 2016 Honda CR-V plz add me

  9. Karen says:

    I have a brand new 2017 crv. How do I join suit

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

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