Grinding noise during cold starts

2012 CRV - Grinding noise during cold starts.
The dealer answered my concerns by “the cold engine oil needs time to goes up” !!! they did not convince me ?

Exactly when does the grinding occor and under what conditions does it stop?
How many miles do you have on this buggy, by the way?

It depends on the nature of the exact sound. But if it is truly a grinding sound, that isn’t normal, and the first suspect would be the starter motor isn’t properly engaging with the flywheel. If this is the actual problem, you’d be advised to deal w/this asap. As continuing to start the car will soon damage the flywheel. A new starter motor? $400 maybe. A new flywheel? $1400 or more.

There’s a service bulletin out for that. I had the same problem with my 2012 CRV. I am still under warranty and there was no charge for the repair.