NHTSA Complaint #10198562 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

WE OWN A 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY AND A 2004 HONDA ACCORD. THE 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY'S AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING. WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WERE INFORMED THAT IT WAS A HOLE IN OUR A/C CONDENSER. WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE AROUND $700 TO REPAIR AND WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I DISCOVERED THAT THE A/C CONDENSER IS EXPOSED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BUMPER IN THE OPENING OF THE BUMPER. I PROCEEDED TO TELL THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO CONTACT AMERICAN HONDA BECAUSE THAT IS OUT OF THEIR HANDS. I CONTACTED HONDA AND AFTER TWO AND HALF WEEKS THEY RESPONDED BACK BY SAYING THIS IS A GOODWILL AND THEY WILL COVER AT HALF AT THE WARRANTY RATE. I AGREED AFTER SUFFERING THRU 3 WEEKS OF NO A/C IN THE DEAD OF HEAT. I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH BECAUSE MY CONCERN STAYED THE SAME, THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. TO MY SURPRISE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MOST LATER MODEL HONDA'S. THE DESIGN MUST BE SIMILAR IN ALL OF THE MODELS, BECAUSE THE CR-V, ODYSSEY, CIVIC, ACCORD AND SO ON ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. HONDA NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND PUT A FIX TO THE GRILLS SO THE CONDENSERS ARE BETTER PROTECTED. IT APPEARS EVERYONE IS GETTING THE SAME STORY FROM HONDA AND WHEN YOU CALL THEY ACT LIKE YOU ARE THE FIRST TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN, WHEN IN FACT IT IS BECOMING A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AND COSTING CONSUMER MAJOR DOLLARS. THIS IS MY THIRD HONDA AND PROBABLY MY LAST AFTER THE WAY THE WHOLE SITUATION IS GOING DOWN. HONDA IS STICKING THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND AND HOPING TO RIDE THE STORM OUT. IT APPEARS ALSO THAT DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN REHEARSED ON WHAT TO TELL CONSUMERS, BECAUSE IT IS A COMMON THEME WHEN YOU READ OTHER COMPLAINTS. *JB