Honda Canada Faces Class-Action Suit Over Defective 1.5L Turbo Engines
Honda Canada is facing a class-action lawsuit filed before the Superior Court of Quebec. The company is accused of selling vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines with a head gasket design defect.
The problem allegedly affects Civic (2016–2022), CR-V (2017–2022) and Accord (2018–2022) models, and can cause coolant leaks, a loss of compression and even complete engine failure in some cases.
The case behind the lawsuit
The lawsuit, Martine Lupien v. Honda Canada Inc., alleges that the plaintiff's 2016 Civic suffered a head gasket failure despite regular maintenance. The estimated bill for the repair would be $5,000.
A similar class-action lawsuit was filed in British Columbia earlier this year, raising identical complaints and accusing Honda of ignoring the problem by not issuing a recall or offering reimbursement.
What is the source of the problem?
According to the lawsuit and several user testimonials on Canadian forums, the defect is allegedly related to the cooling system's tolerances and the quality of the 1.5T engine's head gasket. Under heat, coolant could seep into the combustion chamber or mix with the oil, causing misfires, internal corrosion and premature engine wear.