Engine Exhaust System problems of the 2001 Honda Accord

Regarding oil fire danger in Honda crvs and Accords. I owned a 2001 Honda Accord coupe that had a similar problem to the problem discovered in Honda crvs. This affects millions of Hondas and is a fundamental design flaw. The oil filter is located directly over a flexible, woven-metal hose that is part of the exhaust system. The hose is porous. When the filter is changed, the hose -- which is often extremely hot when one pulls into a service station for an oil change -- must be covered with a leak-proof material so that oil doesn't drip onto the flexible hose. If oil gets into the woven metal of the hose, it is nearly impossible to get out -- the only practical option is to let it burn/bake out. Many new Honda owners experience a strong oil odor after getting their oil changed for the first time -- this is the symptom of the problem. Anyone experiencing such an odor is at risk of fire, depending on how much oil dripped onto that hose. My mechanic cleaned off the excess oil with a rag, but some odor of burning oil remained for more than 1,000 miles. Honda knows about this problem and advises its service techs to cover the hose when they change the filter. But this is not known outside of the Honda community, so people who change their own oil, oil-changer chains and local garages generally don't know about this problem. (consumers then think that they got poor service from the non-Honda garage, which encourages them to bring the car to a dealership the next time and pay high rates for oil changes. ) Honda owners whose cars have this design can avoid the problem by having the pipe covered during the oil change -- but it is difficult to access the area when changing your own oil. Honda could correct the problem by installing an aluminum sheath over the flexible pipe to protect it against dripping oil. If oil fell on the sheath, it could still smell for a while, but the risk of fire would be greatly reduced. Thank you.

Once engine is warm, exhaust fumes and raw fuel get into cab. While sitting in traffic consumer feels dizzy. Engine has to be shut off. It is very unhealthy to breath. The dealer could not duplicate the problem after performing short and long term test, fuel pressure check, valve timing check and valve clearance check.

This model Honda makes a loud noise, coming from the underneath the car, when first started cold. The sound is more like a "thump" and is supspected (although I'm not certain) to be either the transmission or the exhaust system. I tried several different cars and the noise was consistent. The dealer tells me the noise is "normal" which is absurd. Honda has a recall pending on earlier model cars for an exhaust syustem problem--I'm wondering if this could be related. I am not an expert so do not know if this is a serious matter or not.