NHTSA Complaint #10016528 — 1997 HONDA PRELUDE

THE FOUR SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 1997 HONDA PRELUDE IS DEFECTIVE. IT SHIFTS ABRUPTLY, SLIPS, AND HAS CAUSED INSTANCES WHERE MY SAFETY HAS BEEN JEOPARDIZED. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS REVEALED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. A COMPANY SUCH AS HONDA SHOULD RECOGNIZE THIS AS AN INHERENT PROBLEM, AND OFFER CONSUMER ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS THEY ARE DOING WITH THE 2000 THROUGH 2003 MODELS ( 100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTIES). I AM A YOUNG CONSUMER, WHO ONCE TRUSTED HONDA, AND WILL NOT REGAIN THAT TRUST UNLESS THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR "EXPENSIVE" PRODUCT. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT A LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND THEY ARE QUOTING COSTS OF FROM $1,000.00 TO $3,000.00 TO REPAIR. THE DEALER HAS ALSO STATED THAT THEY ARE SEEING NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF FAILURE WITH LATE MODEL HONDA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. I CANNOT AFFORD A HIGH CAR PAYMENT, AND CONTINUE TO PAY HIGH REPAIR BILLS FOR A LATE MODEL CAR. HONDA MOTOR COMPANY NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, OR POSSIBLY FACE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IF INHERENT FAILURES BEGIN TO CAUSE SEVERE ACCIDENTS. TOYOTA HAS BEEN ASKED/REQUIRED TO FIX THE OIL PROBLEMS WITH THERE 4 CYLINDER CAMRYS, SO WHY SHOULDN'T HONDA FACE UP TO AND ADMIT THEIR INHERENT PROBLEMS WITH THEIR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. *NLM