NHTSA Complaint #10347592 — 2004 HONDA CR-V

2004 CRV: AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF PROBLEM-FREE DRIVING ON FREEWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND SOME CLUNKING/RATTLING NOISES COMING FROM BENEATH THE CAR (SOUNDED LIKE WE RAN OVER SOMETHING AND IT WAS BOUNCING AROUND UNDERNEATH BUT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROAD). SOUND CEASED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN A FEW MORE CLUNKS/RATTLES BEFORE SOUND CEASED AGAIN. THEN WE NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER WORKING. ALL INDICATORS WERE ON, FAN WAS BLOWING, BUT AIR WAS NOT COOLED. SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS AGO (APPROXIMATELY 2005-2006) WHILE OUR CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A MORE GRADUAL FAILURE, NOT QUITE AS CATASTROPHIC AS THIS EVENT. DEALER MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT METAL SHARDS GETTING BLOWN INTO THE AIR COMPRESSOR AND FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY. WE HAD NO IDEA AT THE TIME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM OR THAT IT MIGHT RE-OCCUR. CAR WAS JUST SERVICED AND HAS ~60K ON IT. GIVEN THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, HONDA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE REPORTED TO HONDA OF NORTH AMERICA AND ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE CASE MANAGER. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE US TO INSPECT AND EVALUATE CAR. IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU, MAKE HONDA PAY UP! DON'T LET THE DEALERS INTIMIDATE YOU AND MAKE YOU THINK IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. *TR