NHTSA Complaint #10260422 — 2008 HONDA CR-V

MY STORY BEGINS (2/14/09) WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING OFF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. DURING REMOVAL, USING A MANUAL LUG WRENCH, HE SNAPPED OFF TWO WHEEL STUDS. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, (2/16/09), WE TOOK THE CRV TO THE ORWIGSBURG SERVICE CENTER, OUR LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, TO HAVE A STATE INSPECTION PERFORMED AND REPLACE THE BROKEN WHEEL STUDS. WHILE AT THIS SHOP, OUR MECHANIC PULLED ALL FOUR WHEELS, AND INFORMED US THAT ALL THE WHEELS STUDS, 20 IN TOTAL, WERE BENT OUTWARD, IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL PATTERN. WE WERE THEN ADVISED TO CONTACT AMERICAN HONDA, AS THIS WAS CERTAINLY DUE TO SOME TYPE OF PRODUCT DEFECT. DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION WE HAD, AT OUR EXPENSE, THE CRV TOWED TO LEHIGH VALLEY HONDA FOR INSPECTION, AND WE ASSUMED, A WARRANTY REPAIR. IMAGINE OUR SURPRISE, WHEN LEHIGH VALLEY HONDAS' SERVICE ADVISOR INSINUATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THAT WE HAD SOMEHOW THROUGH OUR OWN CARELESSNESS, DAMAGED THIS VEHICLE. HE THEN DETERMINED THAT SINCE HE HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH DAMAGE, IT MUST HAVE BEEN OUR MISUSE OF THE CRV THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE AND THUS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE HONDA WARRANTY. I SHOULD POINT OUT AT THIS POINT, THAT THE INSPECTION WAS THOROUGH ENOUGH TO OBSERVE THAT THERE WERE THREE BROKEN STUDS, & FIFTEEN DAMAGED ONES. REFER TO ATTACHED REPORT. I AM CURIOUS AS TO WHERE THE ADDITIONAL BROKEN STUD WAS, AND WHY ONLY 18 OUT OF A TOTAL 20 STUDS WERE DETERMINED TO BE BENT. WE HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION, THE 18 BENT STUDS, WHICH WERE REPLACED BY OUR REPAIR SHOP. FURTHER, THEY REFUSED TO RELEASE COPIES OF PICTURES THEY ALLEGEDLY TOOK TO MY HUSBAND WHEN HE REQUESTED SAME. MY LOCAL MECHANIC SUGGESTS THAT EITHER THE WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE, OR PERHAPS THE TIRES. HE HAS, AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE, REPLACED ALL 20 WHEEL STUDS AND BEARINGS WITH GENUINE HONDA PARTS. HE HAS INFORMED ME THAT WE MUST BRING IT IN AT 1,000, 3,000, 6,0000 ETC. INTERVALS, AS HE BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SOMETHING INTRINSICALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THAT THE BENT STUD SITUATION WILL REOCCUR.*TR UPDATED 04/12/10.*JB