NHTSA Complaint #10160047 — 2001 HONDA ACCORD

ON MAY 9 WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE (FOR OIL CHANGE, ETC.), I MENTIONED TO THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT RECENTLY THE YELLOW "MAINTENANCE LIGHT" COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I RETURNED THE NEXT DAY TO PICK-UP MY CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM, AND THEREFORE THEY JUST "RESET" THE MAINTENANCE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. WHILE DRIVING ON MAY 11, THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY CAR SPORADICALLY DROPPED AND THEN WENT BACK UP AGAIN (TOGETHER WITH THE YELLOW MAINTENANCE LIGHT FLASHING OVER AND OVER AGAIN). AFTER MUCH AGGRAVATION WITH THIS UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION, I AGAIN BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER (ON MAY 12) -- AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE ASSISTANT MANAGER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO GET A LOANER CAR FOR THE DAY...THE TECHNICIAN FINALLY LOCATED THE PROBLEM THAT DAY....MY CAR NEEDED A TOTALLY NEW GAUGE ASSEMBLY (TEMP GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, ETC), AND I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PART WAS OUT OF THE FACTORY WARRANTY AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $435.....IT ALSO WOULD TAKE ABOUT 1 WEEK TO ORDER. EVEN THE SERVICE TECH'S INDICATED THAT USUALLY THIS PART ONLY WEARS OUT AFTER THE CAR IS ABOUT 10 TO 15 YRS OLD. AS I DROVE MY CAR ON MAY 19, ALL GAUGES IN THE DASH ASSEMBLY WERE IMPROPERLY WORKING -- THEY (SPEEDOMETER, ETC.) REGISTERED AT "0" AS I DROVE AND THE GAS TANK GAUGE DROPPED TO "E" (EVEN THOUGH I HAD RECENTLY FILLED THE TANK)....DEFINITELY A DRIVING HAZARD! AFTER USING MY CAR FOR 3 DAYS IN THIS UNSAFE DRIVING MODE, I WAS FINALLY TOLD BY THE DEALER ON MAY 22 THAT THE GAUGE ASSEMBLY HAD ARRIVED. I HAD TO PAY $370.86 TO HAVE THIS PART INSTALLED ON MAY 22. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A GAUGE ASSEMBLY THAT IS SO CRUCIAL FOR SAFETY WHILE DRIVING WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE HONDA CORPORATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFO, LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. *NM