NHTSA Complaint #10156621 — 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHIN THE SAME WEEK AS I WOULD DRIVE MY VEHICLE, WITHOUT NOTICE THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF. THIS EVENT WOULD OCCUR AT TIMES WHEN I TRAVELED ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 50- 60 MPH OR ON THE CITY ROADS WHEN I WOULD TRAVEL BETWEEN 25- 30 MPH. I CALLED LEITH HONDA TO SCHEDULE A DIAGNOSIS AND I EXPLAINED THAT I BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS COVERED BY A RECALL ISSUED BY HONDA CORP. I WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WAS COVERED THE REPAIRS WOULD BE COMPLETED AT NO COST AND MY DIAGNOSIS FEE WOULD BE REFUNDED. I HAD THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED ON 4-28-06. THE REPAIR ORDER STATES DIAGNOSE AND REPLACED ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THE RECALL REPORT ON THE HONDA CORP. WEBSITE STATES "HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., HAS DETERMINED THAT A DEFECT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXISTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH ON CERTAIN 97-00 HONDA AUTOMOBILES. ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN WEAR PREMATURELY DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH. WORN OUT IGNITION CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING." THIS DESCRIBES MY EXACT PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER ON 5-2-06 AND TOLD HIM THAT REPAIRS I HAD ON 4-28-06 SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE RECALL. HE TOLD ME THAT ACCORDING TO THE PAPER WORK HE COULD NOT TELL THAT THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE WAS THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS RECALL WAS COMPLETED BY MAHWAH HONDA ON 5-17-02. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MAHWAH HONDA AND THERE IS NO RECORD OF THAT REPAIR. (THE ADVISOR AT MAHWAH HONDA FAXED ME A LIST OF REPAIRS FOR THIS VEHICLE). I WAS THEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT LEITH HONDA THAT SINCE THE RECALL WAS SHOWING AS COMPLETED IN 2002 THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT TO BE FIXED A SECOND TIME. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA CO., LTD TO FURTHER PURSUE THIS MATTER. *NM