NHTSA Complaint #10171449 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

I TOOK MY HONDA ACCORD IN TO GET FIXED. THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAS GONE BAD AND WAS REPLACED WITH TRANSMISSION. CONSULTED WITH A HONDA DEALER ON THIS MATTER. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NEED DIAGNOSED AT MY CHARGE AND COULD NOT BE SEEN FOR 3 DAYS. THEY TOLD ME THERE ISN'T A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE MY WARRANTY RAN OUT, THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN DO TO FIX THIS AND IT WILL ALL COME OUT OF MY POCKET. I COULD NOT WAIT TO GET THIS FIXED. I THEN GOT 2ND AND 3RD OPINIONS ON MY VEHICLE. I GOT THE THIRD OPINION WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND HAD NO CHOICE DUE TO THE VEHICLE DYING WHILE IT WAS DRIVEN. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST TRANSMISSION REPRESENTATIVE THAT I COULD FIND. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER AFTER A FREE INSPECTION. I WAS ADVISED BY THIS PLACE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO DRIVE ANY FURTHER TO AVOID MORE DAMAGE. FIXED AT A TOTAL PRICE OF $2716. I AM UPSET THAT A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE HAS THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS VEHICLES NAME SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I CONTACTED HONDA CORPORATE DIRECTLY TO TELL THEM OF THIS PROBLEM AND SUBMITTED A CLAIM FOR THEM TO CHECK INTO THIS. I CONSULTED WITH ANOTHER HONDA DEALERSHIP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN TO GET THEIR OPINION. I TOLD THEM I HAD THIS WORK DONE AND IT WASN'T COMPLETED THROUGH HONDA. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THAT WAY ON THIS ISSUE. HE SAID HE THAT HE COULD HAVE CONTACTED HONDA DIRECTLY AND SOMETHING ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE EVEN IF THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I WAS TOLD THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED INTO MY VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY $500 MINUS LABOR. HAD I HAD KNOWN THIS, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MY HONDA TO THIS DEALERSHIP IN A HEARTBEAT. I HOPE THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THIS SO THAT OTHER HONDA OWNERS WILL NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PAST WEEK. *NM