Laguna Hills, CA – Aug. 14, 2019 – The CR-V is one of Honda Motor Company’s most popular automobiles, but a select number of 2019 models are being pulled from the marketplace due to a welding issue that affects the fuel tank. Should the weld not hold up, a leak may develop that could increase the risk of a fire and accompanying accident or injury. The 2019 CR-V recall is expected to take place in mid-September and owners are urged to keep an eye out for a mailer, which will inform them if they may be affected.
The Defect
Honda seeks to recall 134 2019 Honda CR-V models, pursuant to federal law, due to a safety issue that may have originated at some point during the manufacturing process, according to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It appears certain fuel tanks may be insufficiently welded onto the framing of the vehicle itself. Due to the makeup of roadway surfaces (e.g. potholes, divots, gravel, etc.), not to mention the winding nature of many of them, the fuel tank could detach over time, causing a leak. Fuel is flammable and may ultimately lead to an engine fire.
Timeline of Events
The vehicles believed to be the cause of the 2019 CR-V recall were all manufactured between Dec. 13, 2018 and June 27, 2019, according to NHTSA records. May was the first time Honda became aware of the problem after receiving its first claim on the last day of the month. The company immediately launched an investigation. Once the failed part of the original leak was sent to the supplier – Yachiyo Inc, based in Marion, Ohio – it determined the leak stemmed from faulty vapor return line joint connectors. Apparently, quality control failed to notice the flaw before the CR-Vs were shipped to dealerships.
Approximately two weeks after the supplier identified the flaw, Honda corroborated the component manufacturer’s assessment and decided to move forward with the recall. Honda said it’s not aware of any injuries or fires, as no one has reported such scenarios to the company as of July 25.
The 2019 CR-V recall is only the latest one for Honda Motor Company. In May, the company coordinated with NHTSA after determining certain models may have metal burrs lodged inside the steering column. In the event of an accident and the subsequent airbag deployment, these shards could cause injury. The recall involved 118,598 CR-Vs.
That same month, Honda issued another recall involving air bag safety, but this one was attributable to a faulty air bag inflator. Close to 19,100 models of various types were included in the recall, among them the Civic Hybrid, Accord, Fit, Insight and Pilot.
The Solution
Despite no reports of injuries or accidents, Honda says it will inform CR-V owners of this latest recall by first-class mail. Dealers have already been notified and drivers will receive word officially beginning around Sept. 16 at the earliest. Honda says that upon receipt of the potentially defective automobiles, the offending fuel tank will be replaced, at no cost to the owner. The 2019 CR-V is under warranty, but even if it was not, the fix would be free of charge.
Did you know that more than 25% of vehicles on the road today have recall order out on them that haven’t been addressed? Yours could be one of them. Find out by entering your car’s VIN at MotorSafety.org.
