NHTSA Complaint #10132702 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

I BOUGHT A NEW 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY EX-L AND DROVE IT ON ONLY 2 OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME I DROVE IT, I HAD THE WINDOWS BEHIND THE FRONT SEATS DOWN AND NOT ONLY WAS THE NOISE LEVEL EXTREMELY HIGH, BUT IT CREATED SOME KIND OF VIBRATION OR PRESSURE CHANGE WHICH CAUSED EXTREME PAIN TO MY EAR DRUMS. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER, I DROVE IT AGAIN, TRIED ALL COMBINATIONS OF ROLLING DOWN WINDOWS BUT AS LONG AS THE BACK ONES WERE DOWN, THE VIBRATION/PRESSURE TO MY EARS WAS INTOLERABLE. I HAD THROBBING IN MY EARS FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND IT FINALLY LED TO AN EAR INFECTION. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF DARLING'S HONDA (THE DEALERSHIP IN BANGOR, MAINE) AND TO AMERICAN HONDA. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED FOR 3 MONTHS TO TRY TO FIND AN ALTERNATE VEHICLE FOR ME. HOWEVER, AMERICAN HONDA SAID THEY WOULD DO NOTHING AND THE VEHICLE DESIGN IS NOT DEFECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HEARD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS. APPARENTLY RUPTURED OR PERFORATED EAR DRUMS ARE NOT CONSIDERED A HAZARD TO THE HONDA COMPANY. I NOW HAVE A NEW CAR I CANNOT USE UNLESS IT IS TOO COLD TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS, OR SO WARM THAT THE A/C IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE, BECAUSE IT IS A HAZARD TO MY HEALTH. *JB