MajorCommonEngine

Honda Stream: R18A High-Mileage Piston Ring Oil Consumption

R18A High-Mileage Piston Ring Oil Consumption is a common engine fault on the Honda Stream on the 2006–2014 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $250 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 22 documented faults on the Honda Stream.

Vehicle: Honda Stream
Engine: R18A
Years: 2006–2014
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Honda Stream as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda Stream faults22 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Catalytic converter yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

High-mileage R18A 1.8L engines, typically beyond 150,000km, exhibit elevated oil consumption caused by worn piston ring land faces allowing engine oil to bypass the rings into the combustion chamber where it burns with the fuel charge. Honda acknowledged elevated oil consumption on R18A-equipped models in several markets through service information. Affected units consume more than one litre of oil per 3,000km in moderate cases and up to one litre per 1,000km in severe cases. Secondary damage includes spark plug fouling, catalytic converter contamination from oil-laden exhaust gases, and blue-grey smoke on startup and hard acceleration. Advanced cases require a full engine rebuild or engine replacement for permanent resolution.

What you would notice

Blue or grey smoke from the exhaust on cold start or during hard acceleration
Engine oil level dropping between service intervals with no visible external leaks
Oil consumption exceeding one litre per 3,000km
Spark plug electrodes and insulators coated in oily black deposits
Strong oil smell from exhaust and potential catalytic converter damage in advanced cases

How to check it

Where to look. Engine internals: piston rings, ring lands, cylinder bores, and combustion chamber

Check the engine oil level and condition on the dipstick. Ask the seller how frequently they top up oil between scheduled services. Observe the exhaust pipe for blue smoke during a cold start and again during a brief hard acceleration run. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove and inspect one or more spark plugs for oil fouling. A cylinder compression test or leak-down test will confirm ring seal integrity.

Parts involved: Catalytic converter.

What it costs to put right

$250 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Does the oil level drop between service intervals without any external leak?”
“How often do you top up the engine oil between scheduled changes?”
“Have you noticed any blue or grey smoke from the exhaust, especially on startup?”
“When were the spark plugs last inspected or replaced?”
“Has a compression test or leak-down test ever been performed on the engine?”

Now check the Honda Stream you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Honda Stream buyer questions

Is r18a high-mileage piston ring oil consumption serious on a Honda Stream?

We rate it major and common on the Honda Stream. High-mileage R18A 1.8L engines, typically beyond 150,000km, exhibit elevated oil consumption caused by worn piston ring land faces allowing engine oil to bypass the rings into the combustion chamber where it burns with the fuel charge. Honda acknowledged elevated oil consumption on R18A-equipped models in several markets through service information. Affected units consume more than one litre of oil per 3,000km in moderate cases and up to one litre per 1,000km in severe cases. Secondary damage includes spark plug fouling, catalytic converter contamination from oil-laden exhaust gases, and blue-grey smoke on startup and hard acceleration. Advanced cases require a full engine rebuild or engine replacement for permanent resolution.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda Stream?

$250 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda Stream years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2006–2014 Honda Stream. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.