NHTSA Complaint #10355541 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

CONTROL PANEL DISPLAY (AUDIO-HVAC DISPLAY) FAILURE. I HAVE A 2003 HONDA 4 DOOR (W/O NAVIGATION)ACCORD EX. ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS AGO WHILE DRIVING THE DISPLAY PANEL FOR THE VEHICLE OPERATING SYSTEMS-RADIO, HEAT/AC, TIME BLACKED OUT. AT-NEAR THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE I WAS ON THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. A FLASHING (EMERGENCY) SIGN -FLASHING 'EMERGENCY' 'CHECK RADIO CHANNEL 530 OR 1610 FOR DETAILS'- NOTIFYING AN EMERGENCY. AS I WAS DRIVING AND COULD NOT SEE THE RADIO DISPLAY. IT WAS DARK. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS THE EMERGENCY NOTICE. MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HONDA AND WAS TOLD THIS REPAIR WAS A DEFECT. THIS REPAIR WAS PART OF A CAMPAIGN TO FIX THIS DISPLAY, PER HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 04-027 BUT THE PROGRAM FOR MY VEHICLE HAD EXPIRED. THEY MENTIONED THE CAMPAIGN WAS PART OF A CAMPAIGN NOT A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE SAFETY WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES IN THE PROGRAM. I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE THE ROADS ARE EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY MESSAGE SIGNAGE' ARE FREQUENT AND COMMONPLACE. NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THESE MESSAGES DUE TO A CAMPAIGN PROGRAM WHERE NO NOTICE WAS RECEIVED BY ME (I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE). THIS PROBLEM, WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY IMPLICATIONS SEEMS TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A DEFECT. AS I WRITE, THE DISPLAY IS DARK AND HAS NOT EVEN FLICKERED SINCE THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE. *TR