NHTSA Complaint #10251868 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THE END OF MAR 2008 WITH 83000 MILES ON IT. APPROX 30 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE I TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, RADIATOR FLUSH AND TUNE UP. A WEEK LATER MY CAR OVERHEATED, THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE HAD BLOWN. A NEW MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAW EVIDENCE OF STOP LEAK AND SAID IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT HAD BEEN FLUSHED-HE TOOK CARE OF IT PROPERLY. THEN, APPROX 30 DAYS LATER I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR IT'S SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE AND HE SAID THERE WAS OIL LEAKING INTO THE RADIATOR FLUIDS-RIGHT NOW IT IS A ONE WAY LEAK, THE ANTIFREEZE IS NOT LEAKING INTO THE OIL. HE RECOMMENDED A HEAD GASKET JOB. DURING THE REPAIR IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECENT HEAD JOB DONE AND HE PUT OUT A QUERY ONLINE. THE INFORMATION THAT CAME BACK WAS THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT HONDA WAS AWARE OF, BUT SEEMED TO BE KEEPING QUIET ABOUT-THEY HAD NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE WARNINGS, SUGGESTIONS, OR RECALLS-THEY WERE DEALING WITH IT ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS...MECHANICS HAVE DETERMINED BY TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM (HEAD JOBS, REPLACING RADIATORS, ETC) AND IT NOT BEING SOLVED THAT IT IS A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. MY MECHANIC AND I AGREED TO WATCH IT CLOSELY AND BE VERY DILIGENT WITH OIL CHANGES. WITH EACH OIL CHANGE HE ALSO INCLUDES A RADIATOR FLUSH AS THERE IS ALWAYS OIL IN THE RADIATOR OVERFLOW TANK AS WELL AS THE OIL LEVELS ARE NEAR EMPTY. LAST NIGHT ON THE WAY HOME IT OVERHEATED AGAIN AND WHEN WE LOOKED IN THE RADIATOR IT WAS FULL OF SLUDGE. MY "RELIABLE" USED CAR PURCHASE LESS THAN NINE MONTHS AGO HAS BECOME A GREATER EXPENSE TO ME THAN IF I HAD PURCHASED A BRAND NEW CAR. THE ONLY REASON I PURCHASED THIS CAR WAS BECAUSE OF ITS RELIABLE REPUTATION AND THE MOST AFFORDABLE OF A USED CARS. I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD THIS CAR, OR TO GET RID OF IT AND GET A NEW ONE. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY WELCOMED! *TR