NHTSA Complaint #10174366 — 1999 HONDA ACCORD

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM SF TO OUR HOME IN SANTA ROSA, AND I NOTICED SMOKE STREAMING FROM THE TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THEN THE ODOMETER DROPPED FROM 65 TO 0, WENT BACK TO 65, THEN FLUCTUATED. AS I TOOK THE EXIT OFF THE FREEWAY, THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER, AND JERKED WHEN I GAVE IT GAS. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE TOW TRUCK. THE ENGINE DID NOT START WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRIED IT, ALTHOUGH IT CRANKED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MARIN HONDA. THEY TESTED AND FOUND THE ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD FAILED. THEY REPLACED IT BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE D4(TRANS GEAR SELECTION)LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROBLEM, AND THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TRANS FLUID 7 WEEKS AGO.(MY WIFE TOLD THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISOR THAT WE HAD THE TRANS WORK DONE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN IT FACT IT WAS JUST CHANGING FLUID AS PART OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE). MARIN HONDA CHARGED US $205 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH. THE D4 STARTS FLASHING WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED AND SHIFT TO ANY ONE OF GEARS. AND IT MAKES A BIG CLUNK AND THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES WHEN THE GEAR IS SHIFTED TO REVERSE OR DRIVE. I CALLED MARIN HONDA CUST ADVISOR AND TOLD HIM IT MUST BE RELATED TO IGNITION SWITCH REPLACEMENT, BUT HE'S ADAMANT THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. WHEN WE CHECKED YOUR WEBSITE AND LOOKED UNDER "RECALL" FOR 1999 ACCORD, WE FOUND IT HAD IGNITION SW RECALLS IN THREE DIFFERENT YEARS, 2002, 2003, AND 2005. IGNITION SWITCH(2002), CYLINDER WEAR, COLLAR, PLATE LATCH(2003), INTERLOCK FUNCTION(2005). COULD TRANS RANGE SENSOR CKT MALFUNCTION BE CAUSED BY HEAT FROM THE IGNITION WIRING BURNING OUT? *NM