NHTSA Complaint #10195077 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

I OWN A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY EX-L. ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2007 I NOTICED THAT MY AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER PUTTING OUT COLD AIR. I ALSO NOTICED AT THIS TIME THAT MY TEMP GAUGE WAS OVER TO THE HOT LINE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF MY ENGINE AND LET IT COOL. ONCE I RESTARTED IT IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO THE HOT POSITION. ONCE I MADE IT HOME I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND NOTICED THAT THE FAN CONTINUED TO RUN AND THE CAR WAS EMITTING A BURNING RUBBERY SMELL. I CALLED THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS. I ASKED ABOUT THIS BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IF FOR SOME REASON THERE WAS A ROCK IN THERE THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT BUT I HAD NO CONCERN BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS RARE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING STATING THAT THERE WERE ROCKS IN MY RADIATOR AND THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT AND IT WAS GOING TO COST ME OVER $700 TO GET IT FIXED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND TALKED WITH HONDA AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT THEY SEE THIS ALOT. THEY SHOWED ME MY RADIATOR AND THREE ROCKS THAT THEY PULLED OUT OF IT SAYING THAT THESE ARE WHAT CAUSED MY PROBLEM. THEY ASKED IF THEY COULD FIX THE RADIATOR WHILE THEY HAD THE PARTS IN STOCK AND I SAID YES KNOWING THAT I NEED MY CAR ASAP. I LATER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TO QUESTION THE INCIDENT WITH THE ROCKS BECAUSE I TALKED WITH ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPENED THAT EASILY. THEY STILL HAVE THE OLD RADIATOR. THE LEVEL OF COURTESY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM HONDA HAS DRAMATICALLY DROPPED SINCE I HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE. THIS MORNING, SUNDAY JULY 1, 2007 I DECIDED TO DO SOME INTERNET RESEARCH ON HONDA ODYSSEY'S AND THIS ROCK PROBLEM AND I WAS AMAZED AND APPALLED AT HOW MUCH THIS HAPPENS AND HOW MUCH HONDA HAS JUST IGNORED THIS DESIGN FLAW. I FEEL THAT A DESIGN FLAW ALLOWING YOUR ENGINE TO OVERHEAT CAN PUT YOU AT RISK FOR A MAJOR ENGINE FIRE AND POSSIBLY DEATH AND HONDA HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THIS. *TR