Honda said it has stopped the sale of the 2011 Accord and CR-V and is asking its U.S. dealers to inspect more than 10,000 of the vehicles for potential engine oil leaks, including an estimated 1,200 vehicles that have been delivered to customers and another 9,200 vehicles on dealer lots. Dealers are inspecting their own stocks of about 4,900 Accords and 4,300 CR-Vs, all of them assembled in North America, to check for engine oil leaks.
A Honda spokeswoman said the action "is not a recall; it's a simple service bulletin." She described the oil-leak problem as "a manufacturing issue." If necessary, Honda dealers will replace an internal engine part called a rocker shaft holder to correct the problem.
Of the additional 1,200 vehicles that already have been sold, customers will receive a letter from Honda requesting that they return their vehicles to dealers for inspection and possible repairs.