Honda Motor Co. will notify about 1,200 owners of 2011 Accords and CR-Vs of possible engine oil leaks due to a manufacturing problem, a company spokeswoman said Monday.

The automaker also has notified dealers that some 5,000  2011  Accords and 4,300  2011 CR-Vs on dealer lots must be inspected for the part involved, spokeswoman Gina Cappelletti said.

The moves come at a time when Honda has seen its U.S. market share decline despite massive recalls at rival Toyota Motor Corp. and newer vehicles such as the Honda CR-Z hybrid have received a tepid response from critics.

Honda also announced in December that it would end production of its boxy, slow-selling Element crossover.

Honda notified dealers of the potential problem in Accords and CR-V in a service bulletin dated Dec. 3. A copy of the technical service bulletin was obtained by Reuters. Customers will be notified of the problem in mid-December, Honda said in the notice.

The vehicles in dealers’ inventory “must be repaired before they are sold,” Honda said in the notice.

Most of the vehicles will require only an inspection to determine whether a part was cast incorrectly, Honda said.

The notice followed a notification dated Nov. 24 in which Honda told dealers excess paint was a possible cause of engine oil leaks by the cylinder head cover in 2006 to 2010 Accord, Civic Si, CR-V and Element models.

The repair for that issue, sanding away the extra paint, would be covered under warranty, the Honda notice said.

Honda began to sell the 2011  Accord in August. The notice covers some two- and four-door Accords. The automaker began to sell the 2011 CR-V in October and the repairs cover some two- and four-wheel-drive models.

Automakers use a system of notices to dealers for repairs that are not in their judgment considered  safety issues, which require formal recalls under U.S. auto safety rules.