NHTSA Complaint #10360743 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY BOUGHT USED W/ APPROX 61,000 MILES AND 60,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY, PURCHASED LAST WEEK OF JULY 2010, BREAKDOWN 10/6/2010. HAD SHAKE WHILE DRIVING AND WAS SERVICED, FOUND TO HAVE PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION, TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AND PROBLEM RESOLVED. CAR WAS DRIVEN PART WAY ACROSS COUNTRY, 1200 MILES, IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS, ALL HIGHWAY MILES. 20 MINUTES AFTER STOPPING FOR LUNCH, WHILE CRUISING ON HIGHWAY @ 70 MPH, CAR HAD INTERMITTENT CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM DRIVER'S SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON @ THIS TIME AND TEMP READING WAS NORMAL. MY HUSBAND TOOK CAR OFF CRUISE CONTROL, NOISE STOPPED, HE ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKED A COUPLE TIMES, HE SLOWED, STARTED SAFELY MOVING TO SHOULDER, CLICKING STARTED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SOLID, TEMP GAUGE SPIKED TO RED, CARON SHOULDER, NO POWER. FROM FIRST CLICKING NOISE TO ENGINE FAILURE AND FIRST WARNING LIGHT WAS APPROX 1 MINUTE. DEALER FOUND CAR TO HAVE CRACKED ENGINE, MELTED RADIATOR, BLOWN HEAD GASKET, NO COOLANT OR OIL IN ENGINE. NO ORIGINAL SOURCE FOR BREAKDOWN COULD BE FOUND EVEN AFTER COMPLETE ENGINE TEARDOWN. HEAD GASKET WAS NOT CAUSE OF BREAKDOWN. NO OIL LEAK, HAD OIL CHANGE @ DEALER PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, NOT YET DUE FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, OIL LIFE INDICATOR GAVE 50% OIL LIFE 20 MILES PRIOR TO BREAKDOWN. HONDA NOTIFIED AND NOT CONCERNED. WARRANTY CO DENIED CLAIM B/C NO CAUSE OF FAILURE FOUND. DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD CAR IS PAYING FOR NEW ENGINE, RADIATOR AND ANY OTHER REPAIRS AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FROM WARRANTY CO. SEARCH OF HONDA FORUMS (EDMUNDS.COM) FOUND MANY PROBLEMS W/ OIL CONSUMPTION ON 2005-2010 HONDA ODYSSEYS. *TR