NHTSA Complaint #10351923 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

I OWN A 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY. SEPT 2009 MY AC ABRUPTLY STOPPED WORKING (BLOWING COLD AIR) I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I ALSO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A FLUKE, CHANCE HAPPENING THAT A ROCK MUST HAVE ENTERED MY CONDENSER THROUGH THE FRONT GRILL AND CAUSED A HOLE IN THE CONDENSER. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD COST APPROX $800 TO REPAIR BECAUSE THE CONDENSER HAS TO BE REPLACED. I THEN PAID TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM HAPPEN AGAIN ON 8/21/10. NOT EVEN A YEAR LATER. I DO NOT DRIVE ON DIRT ROADS AND AVOID CONSTRUCTION. THIS TIME I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR STORIES. I FOUND THOUSANDS OF THREADS OF OTHERS WITH HONDA ODYSSEY'S COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS ROCKS OR OTHER SUCH ITEMS TO PENETRATE THE CONDENSER. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THERE ARE AFTERMARKET GRILLS TO BE PLACED ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM WHICH IS YET AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE AND CHANGES THE LOOK OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I THINK A RECALL IS IN ORDER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR