NHTSA Complaint #10235218 — 2004 HONDA CR-V

IN SHORT, THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR ON MY 2004 HONDA CR-V BLEW APART AT 70 MPH AND 58,000 MILES SENDING METAL PIECES FLYING AND BOUNCE BACK FROM THE PAVEMENT HITTING ALL ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE UNDERSIDE OF MY CR-V. TO ADD TO MY FRUSTRATION, THE CR-V WAS GIVEN A 60,000 MILE SERVICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $955.76 AT 56,050 MILES TO GUARD AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING. AT THE 60, 000 MILE SERVICE ALONG WITH ALL THE REGULAR SERVICE, THE COMPLETE COOLING SYSTEM WAS CLEANED AND FLUSHED WITH STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT REMOVING OLD CONTAMINATED COOLANT, REPLACING WITH NEW COOLANT, ADDING A WATER PUMP, LUBRICANT, CORROSION CONTROL AND A SYSTEM SEALER . AT 58,000 MILES THE AIR COMPRESSOR BLOWING UP, I WAS 900 MILES FROM HOME TRANSPORTING TWO ELDERLY RELATIVES IN 110 DEGREE HEAT IN JULY IN OKLAHOMA. BY THE TIME WE REACHED THE NEXT AVAILABLE CITY, WE WERE ALL WIND-BURNED FROM THE INTENSE HEAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE DRIVING WITH THE WINDOWS PARTIALLY DOWN AND AT A MUCH SLOWER SPEED. IN THE END AND SINCE THE FLYING PARTS OF THE COMPRESSOR HAD GONE EVERYWHERE, I PARTED WITH $1,805.20 AT 58,154 MILES FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR COMPRESSOR, CLUTCH, COIL, CONDENSER AND, OF COURSE, THE COST FOR EVACUATION AND RECHARGING OF THE A/C SYSTEM AGAIN. THIS DOES SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM FOR HONDA SINCE WHOEVER IS SUPPLYING COMPRESSORS FOR THEIR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS NOT MEETING SAFETY STANDARDS. IT IS APPARENT FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE COMPRESSOR BEARING(S) FROZEN CAUSING THE COMPRESSOR TO JAM AND THE HOUSING TO OVERHEAT AND BLOW APART. THESE FLYING PARTS CAN GO ANYWHERE CAUSING MORE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND ADDITIONAL COST BEYOND JUST REPLACING THE COMPRESSOR ($542.78 PLUS LABOR); AND WHEN THESE COMPRESSOR PARTS ARE SPREAD ACROSS HEAVILY TRAVELED HIGHWAYS, THEY COULD CAUSE A TIRE BLOW-OUTS CONTRIBUTING TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR