These are the codes to look for on your K&N 204 oil filter
3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H or 9H,
Interesting that they note the safety concern:
If there is such a leak, oil could come into contact with the rear tire or rear brake of the motorcycle on which the filter was installed. If this were to occur, it could lead to a loss of control or a crash. Therefore, K&N is offering to replace the affected oil filters at no charge. This offer of a free replacement also applies to those covered KN-204 oil filters that were purchased for use in an application other than a motorcycle, such as an ATV or PWC (personal watercraft).
I thought it important to also note. That when you loose engine oil your engine can seize leaving you with an instantly locked rear wheel. This can result loss of control of your bike especially if it catches you by surprise or leave stopped and stranded in high speed traffic lanes.
I can't help but wonder what the difference in procedure or equipment was that contributed to this failure. Maybe there are inherent failures when welding the nut to the thin casing and each filter is supposed to be tested for leakage. Maybe the testing was bypassed by a tired employee or maybe the material for the casing was produced from different specification.
For me, it would be nice if K&N told us why there was a failure and the action taken to fix this. Many of us use this more expensive filter for it's convenience as well as performance claims because we are enthusiasts, interested in the difference/advantage of the filter. We're not just people that went to the local Jifquick oil change place that will hammer and chisel an oil change for us. For this reason, by character, we might be more interested and considerate of the facts that lead to this more dangerous possibility in face of the fact that it is more perilous to a rider than a driver. I think most people are more forgiving and loyal to honesty than the feeling we get from the robotic legal corporate response we too often hear today.
For the people that have had a breach and lost oil in this manner it might also be nice have them pick up the oil change that goes along with it.