NHTSA Complaint #10278112 — 2001 HONDA ODYSSEY

IN APRIL 2009, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT(CEL) CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE CAR STALLED WHEN I STOPPED. IT RESTARTED AND WOULD REPEAT THIS WITH EACH STOP. I TOOK IT TO MY USUAL GARAGE (THE LIGHT WENT OFF ON THE WAY THERE!) AND THEY SAID THE ONLY CODE THAT COME UP WAS P0172 FOR RICH FUEL, THEY PUT FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE GAS AND IT DROVE FINE--WHICH IT DOES WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT OFF. IN MAY, THE CAR 'S CEL WAS STILL SPORADICALLY COMING ON AND STALLING,AND I CALLED THE 800# FOR HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH A RIANO. WHEN I TOLD HIM OF MY CAR'S SYMPTOMS AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY KNOWN PROBLEMS GOING ON OR RECALLS ABOUT THIS HE SAID "NO", AND TO JUST TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR A CHECK. AS THE LIGHT WAS OFF AT THAT POINT AND WHAT I'D GONE THROUGH AT THE OTHER GARAGE I DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHT WAS ON. ON JULY 20TH, I WAS SURFING THE INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THE DOT SITE WHICH MENTIONED THE EGR VALVE PROBLEM AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 8 YRS AND 80,000 MILES FOR REPLACEMENT BY HONDA. MY MILEAGE HAD JUST PASSED 80,000 THAT WEEKEND. I CALLED THE 800# FOR HONDA AND SPOKE WITH A BRIAN WHO STATED THAT MY CAR HAD BEEN MADE JUNE 26, 2001 AND IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. I TOOK IT TO BILL PAGE HONDA IN FALLS CHURCH, VA, (CEL STILL OFF AT THIS TIME) , THEY SAID IT WAS THE EGR VALVE PLUS A THIRD PRESSURE SWITCH. IF I'D BEEN TOLD OF THE EGR PROBLEM IN MAY WHEN I ASKED RIANO I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN THEN AND BEEN WELL UNDER THE TIME AND MILEAGE FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I FEEL THEY OWE ME THE $835.70 FOR REPAIRS AS THEY "LIED BY OMISSION". THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP IN THIS MATTER. *TR