FlamingS2k

Same kind of fire as these four people.
Check your car for this. I think it was the oil filter.
I have no idea what kind of damage yet, I'll will post the results.
Imagine flames under your hood, nightmare

Flames on passenger side of engine block, oil everywhere. Huge puddle behind me.
Whitness said he saw flames coming out from under the back.

No one was hurt, but it could have been much much worse.

My last oil change was 2k or so ago (like the book says) at my dealership.


https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=63691
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=89278
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=32405
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=14039

(P.S. Not my real S2k name, don't want this used against me.)

Thanks

tritium_pie

I hope Honda is doing some kind of recall to address this issue. Has anybody heard about Honda doing this?

Also, until then (because I haven't read any postings about what I just mentioned), is there a way to make a bracket/shield that would mount on the frame but be between the manifold and the oil filter? (Can u hear me aftermarket manufactuers? ) Something obviously easily removable for oil changes, but would deflect any spraying oil away from the manifold.

I don't have my S2000 yet otherwise I'd open the hood and devise semething-- but maybe somebody else has rigged something up?

Engines catching fire is a really really scary thing to read when you're planning your S2000 purchase (but yes, I will still buy one!)

Bret

From reading the other posts, the problem seems to be caused by a defective oil filter or improper installation. In my opinion as an industrial engineer, this is a design problem. Every car should be designed so that it will not catch fire if an oil filter is improperly installed or has a leak failure. Honda needs to address this issue because they are really setting themselves up for severe liability if someone gets hurt. Good luck.

FlamingS2k

I was very lucky I was only going like 30mph, I was able to slow down before the smoke fully blinded me.
A ton of oil was under the car, if I were going fast in a turn I would have spun out.

It sounds like my insurance co is going to blame honda, now I'll have to pay for a lawyer to fix this mess


I'll give the dealership a chance to make it right, but how do I know if I can trust them? Maybe they will just band-aid it on me.

This whole thing kinda doesn't make me want the car anymore

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm so confused and upset.

Thanks

ExOdy

That is nuts... What a huge hassle for something so stupid.

tritium_pie

Flaming2K-- I have a suggestion that has worked for me 95% of the time that I've had a major complaint against a company, whether it be a quality-of-service or quality-of-product issue: Write a letter. (Actually, there's a bit more than that, but this is the only sure-fire way to not get burned-- pardon my pun.)

Warning: LONG POST

In your instance (S2000 catching on fire), this is a step-by-step process of what I would do. And you want to do this IMMEDIATELY-- the sooner it is to when your car caught on fire, the more relevance it will have in the minds of those who address your situation. Silly, I know, but that's human nature.

1) Contact every other person that you know of that has had this happen to them. There are more than a few on this board, and perhaps they know of other people to whom this has happened. Maybe send them a copy of this posting.

2) Collect brief details of the circumstances that led up to the fire, i.e.-- had an oil change 1 week before, cruising at 65, then flames on passenger side. Noticed a lot of oil on the ground. You really don't need to investigate much more than a brief 2-3 sentence description because that is Honda's job-- not yours. Get these other burned S2000 owners to email the description to you, but don't press them too much if a few of them don't. (Hey, you're just trying to help them too-- no need to force anybody to be helped for their own good.)

3)a. Write a brief letter (approx 1-page) detailing what happened to your car, the circumstances when the actual fire occurred, what you believe led up to it (oil change recently), etc. Your description about what happened to you should be about a paragraph. Stick to the facts-- don't rant and rave. Describe the circumstances, what you have done, what is going on now, i.e. your Honda dealership is dragging their feet with the repairs, you've been stuck with a big bill, you're somewhat concerned about repairs down the line that might be necessary due to the lingering effects of the fire, etc.

b. In this letter, state that you have also spoken to other S2000 owners who have had a similar problem. Include the brief descriptions of their circumstances as well, their names and contact information (if they are ok with you giving out their contact info-- ask them about this when you contact them). A bulleted list works well, so that Honda can contact them easily. It also shows that you are organized, and therefore intelligent. I'm not kidding.

c. In your last paragraph, ask that Honda Motors please look into this and address your concerns immediately. In this paragraph state your honest concerns about this car going forward: Is it safe for my little girl to ride in the car? What will happen down the road if parts start failing prematurely?-- how will I know it's not related to the fire? How will I be reimbursed for current and future repairs? (This last one is crucial-- you're not seeking a huge settlement, you just want them to cover what is reasonable. Since you're being reasonable, they'll be more likely to be reasonable and err on the side of caution and in your favor.)

d. Include your VIN#, your contact information, etc. in the end of the neatly typewritten letter. Include the name and location of the Honda dealership that works on your car. Ask Honda Motors to work with them about rectifying the situation. (When your local Honda shop gets a call from Honda Headquarters about repairs on your car, you can bank on the fact that they will do an absolutely perfect job, your fluids will be topped off, maybe they'll give you a loaner, etc. They'll probably even do perfect jobs on every other Honda they're working on and will be working on for the next month, because they'll think they're under the microscope. Now is probably a good time to bring your other Honda in for any needed repairs, btw. )

e. Run spell-check. (Don't forget to do this-- I swear, it's the little things that count.)

f. write "CC:" (stands for carbon-copy) and include the other addresses/organizations to which you will be sending a copy of this letter. See #4 below for where to send your letter.)

g. Sign and date the letter.

4) Google the various head offices of Honda Motor Cars (in Japan and in the US) and get the addresses. Perhaps go to the website and find a particular person to whom you should address your letter (Consumer Complaints Dept., etc.) Also, go to BBB.org and find the address of your local BBB. You might even consider sending a copy to your insurance company, depending on your circumstances. Include this info in the CC: portion mentioned in 3e above.

5) Get the other people from Step 1 to do the same thing.

6) Mail your letters and in a few days, expect some phone calls from some very very apologetic Honda representatives. (For your letter to the BBB, include a brief cover letter stating that you have mailed the following letter to Honda Motors.) KEEP A NOTEPAD NEXT TO YOUR PHONE, and note who calls and what was discussed. Be sure to reiterate your concerns about repair costs going forward, what parts may need to be replaced, maybe even the re-sale value of your car. It did catch on fire, after all, and you're going to have to tell the next person you sell the car about that. Remain calm, collected and professional.

NOTE: In your discussions, do not admit to any part of the liability. You didn't do anything that would cause a fire in your S2000. If Honda believes otherwise, it's up to them to prove that.

NOTE: Don't sign anything without having an attorney review it first. (If you need a list of attorneys I can recommend... just kidding! ) Actually, you probably don't need to sign anything ever. I mean, why release them from future liabilities? You're not doing yourself a favor by signing some agreement to limit yourself to some level of compensation. It's not like you had a business agreement-- you are a customer. You don't owe them anything. Everything you owe Honda you paid for when you bought the car and/or the extended warranty, or in your monthly payments, etc. Don't let them try to hardball you-- if they do, see my "In Case of Hardball Tactics" section below. Hopefully they won't try to do this-- I haven't myself encountered this type of issue, but I've usually been able to describe the situation wherein I was the unwitting victim, and not perhaps somewhat liable for the problem. It's a bit different with vehicles though, especially if you've made some engine modifications (i.e.-- supercharger), or you take your car out on track days, etc. You probably do not want to make any engine mods until after the whole situation is rectified, btw.

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT THREATEN THEM WITH A LAWSUIT. Any company knows that this is a possibility. If you come across as a reasonable person, an otherwise satisfied customer, they will do their best to rectify the situation. Trust me, their best is very very good. If you come across as somebody who's first inclination is to call an attorney in the hopes of milking some $$$s out of them, they will go into pass-the-blame-to-the-customer mode and spin-the-media-story mode. That is a long, dark, ugly road and unless you've really been dragged through the wringer, don't do it. But if you have been yanked around, see my "In Case of Hardball Tactics" section below.

Granted, a car catching on fire is not good. Not good at all. They know that. They will bend over backwards to make right with you because they do not want this to blow up into a big media event, and possibly multi-million-dollar recall of S2000s. If you keep your letter very professional looking and sounding, they will not hesitate to contact you and make things right. On top of that, the worst thing that Honda could imagine in this circumstance is seeing on CNN some young, articulate, professional father, with his 3-year-old daughter in his arms, standing in front of a S2000, his daughter saying, "Honda, please don't burn my daddy!" You better believe that's what's going to pop in their heads when they see your letters (yours and everybody else's). As opposed to a rant-and-rave letter, in which case they're more likely to assume that you're stick-ignorant and inarticulate, and therefore wouldn't look and sound too good on the nightly news, may only make the local news, and since you're a rant-and-rave kind of a**hole, people are just as likely to think: "Ah look at that jerk. He probably screwed up something himself and now is trying to blame Honda..."

I have only encountered one company that didn't do anything after I filed a complaint: Rasputin Music (and let me tell you, the Rasputin Music employees at a particular branch were way out of line.) Everybody reading this: Please do not buy anything from Rasputin Music. Ever.

In case you're wondering, I have a lot of attorneys in my family, so I grew up knowing how to motivate companies that might otherwise be unmotivated.

Benjamin

Ok, the "In Case of Hardball Tactics" section. I have kept this section separate for good reasons: it's ugly. It's the dark-side (but still legal, of course). In fact, after some thought, I won't even post it here. If you need to know, send me a private message, and I might only help you out if you can really prove to me that you have in fact had your chain yanked around. The main reason is because I am very much against people trying to capitalize on situations in the hopes of getting large settlements out of a company.

FlamingS2k

Wow thanks Looks like I have a project for the week!