NHTSA Complaint #10257200 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

MY CASE IS VERY SIMILAR TO ODI ID NUMBER: 10251868. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE BURST. ENGINE OIL LEAKED INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM ALSO. THE HONDA DEALER TORN DOWN THE ENGINE, AND DID A SERIES OF INSPECTIONS, LEAK DOWN TEST, AND PRESSURE TEST. NO VISIBLE SIGN OF A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. NO SIGNS OF WARPING AND/OR CRACKS ON THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT IS PROBABLY DUE TO A VERY POROUS CYLINDER HEAD. THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE FOR THE ENGINE OVERHEATING IS AS FOLLOWS: THE POROUS CYLINDER HEAD ALLOWED ENGINE OIL TO LEAK INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE OIL DETERIORATED THE RUBBER GASKET ON THE THERMOSTAT. (THIS WAS INDICATED BY FRESH ENGINE OIL RESIDUE FOUND ON THE DAMAGED RUBBER GASKET OF THE ORIGINAL THERMOSTAT.) THE DETERIORATED RUBBER GASKET BLOCKED THE FLOW OF THE COOLANT. WITHOUT ENOUGH FLOW RATE TO COOL DOWN THE SYSTEM, THE COOLANT BOILED INSIDE THE HOSES. PRESSURE BUILT UP, AND THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE BURST. COOLANT LEAKED OUT FROM THE DAMAGED HOSE, AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CAR HAS THIS PROBLEM. IT HAS NO MAJOR PROBLEMS BEFORE. I COMPLETED ALL NECESSARY MAINTENANCE ON TIME ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALL MAJOR MAINTENANCE SERVICES WERE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. TO CORRECT THE FAILURE, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE WHOLE CYLINDER HEAD, BUT THE TOTAL REPAIR COST FOR IT, INCLUDING CHANGING THE OIL-CONTAMINATED HOSES AND OTHERS, COST MORE THAN $4200. IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE. ALL THE OLD PARTS (DAMAGED HOSES, THERMOSTAT, ETC) ARE AVAILABLE. FYI, IF IT HELPS ANY INVESTIGATIONS, THIS CAR IS STILL TORN APART AT THE DEALER AS OF TODAY. *TR