NHTSA Complaint #10293016 — 2001 HONDA ACCORD

A FEW MONTHS AGO WE BEGAN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE DIMMER CONTROL FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WAS FAILING, AND THEY REPLACED IT WITH A GENUINE HONDA PART. THIS DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. INSTEAD, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ARE NOW NON-FUNCTIONAL, CAUSING THE WHOLE CLUSTER TO NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS SEARCHING THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V256000. WHICH STATES, 'ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE DIMMER CONTROL FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS COULD FAIL DUE TO HEAT BUILDUP. CONSEQUENCE: IF THIS OCCURS, THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS MAY FAIL AND, AT NIGHT, THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES, SUCH AS THE SPEEDOMETER'. I PHONED HONDA AND WAS TOLD OUR CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I THEN SEARCHED THE WEB, AND FOUND MANY INSTANCES WHERE OTHER 2000/2001 HONDA ACCORDS HAVE SUFFERED THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE CALLED OUR LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THE NATIONAL 800 SERVICE NUMBER, ALL OF WHOM HAVE TOLD ME THAT OUR CAR IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THIS RECALL. THOUGH, THE SITUATION IS TOO MUCH ALIKE TO BE A COINCIDENCE. *TR