NHTSA Complaint #10003568 — 1996 HONDA ACCORD

THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BLEW AND OIL GUSHED OUT OF THE ENGINE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. MY WIIFE AND I HAD JUST MADE IT OFF THE INTERSTATE WHEN WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF OIL. UPON PARKING, WE SAW OIL POURING OUT OF ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND NO SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THE SEAL IS DEFECTIVE BUT HONDA DOESN'T HAVE A FULL RECALL AND WILL ONLY FIX THE SEAL WHEN IT BLOWS WHICH COULD CAUSE PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE IF THE ENGINE IS NOT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE US. IT SEEMS THE SEAL IS DEFINETLY DEFFECTIVE, BUT HONDA WON'T REPAIR IT UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAPPENS. OF COURSE, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE SEAL BLEW. I WAS INFORMED BY HONDA AMERICA THAT I JUST MISSED THEIR REIMBURSEMENT DEADLINE (JANUARY 1, 2003) BECAUSE MY SEAL BLEW ON JANUARY 24, 2003. I THINK HONDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THIS FAULTY SEAL REPAIR SINCE IT IS A DEFECT THEY ALLOWED IN THEIR VEHICLES.