NHTSA Complaint #10316581 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) AUTO BEGAN HAVING RECALL RELATED SYMPTOMS DURING THE SECOND HALF OF JAN. (JAN. 17TH - JAN 31ST). MY WIFE ACTUATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN ?MIST MODE? AND THEY OPERATED VERY SLOWLY AND AT TIMES PAUSING THROUGH THE CYCLE OF ?MIST MODE? OPERATION. I TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE TO AN AUTHORIZED HONDA OF SERRAMONTE, COLMA, CA ON THE MORNING OF FEB 6TH 2010. VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN IN DRY CONDITIONS, LATER THAT DAY WITH THE HONDA RECALL (NO. Q78), (1.D. #29313) (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 08V169000, NHTSA ACTION #: PE07060) ALREADY PERFORMED AND ON THE FOLLOWING FOUR DAYS (FEB 7TH- FEB.10TH). WE WERE OUT OF THE COUNTRY; THEREFORE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN FROM FEB 11TH - FEB. 17TH. WIFE DID NOT USE THE VEHICLE FOR THE FOLLOWING FOUR DAYS (FEB. 18TH - FEB. 21ST). SHE STARTED USING IT ON MON. FEB. 22ND (NO RAIN). ON TUE. FEB. 23RD (RAINY DAY) SHE USED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN ?MIST MODE? 2 TO 3 TIMES WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, TOWARDS THE COAST (HALF MOON BAY, CA). I HAD APPLIED RAIN-X TO FRONT AND BACK WINDSHIELDS SOMETIME IN THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. LATER THIS DAY, SHE HEADED BACK TO HER OFFICE (IN BURLINGAME, CA). IT WAS THEN, THAT IT BEGAN TO RAIN HARD AND TRIED TO OPERATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN REGULAR MODE AT WHICH TIME THEY FAILED TO OPERATE AT ALL! TRIED TO OPERATE IN ?MIST MODE?, BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER! I CONFIRMED THE OPERATIONAL FAILURE WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME THAT EVENING. THE FOLLOWING DAY IN THE MORNING I ACTUATED ?MIST MODE?, AND THEY EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS THEY HAD BACK ON JANUARY AND IN FEB. 23RD. I CONTACTED HONDA OF AMERICA ON 24/FEB/2010 @ APPROXIMATELY 08:31 A.M., PST (THEIR CASE # [XXX] ). THE COVER INSTALLMENT IS NOT A REMEDY TO WHAT COULD BE INTERNAL CORROSION IN THE WIPER MOTOR/CIRCUIT BREAKER UNIT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT COULD LEAD TO A FATAL CRASH! MY WIFE MADE IT BACK HOME SAFE EVEN THOUGH THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRASH IN THE CONDITIONS SHE DROVE WERE VERY HIGH (RAIN-X CERTAINLY WORKED!). *TR