NHTSA Complaint #10378306 — 2004 HONDA ACCORD

WINDSHIELD WIPER DO NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN. I LIVE IN SAN DIEGO AND IT RARELY RAIN HERE SO I RARELY HAD TO USE MY WIPERS. EVERY TIME I USE MY WIPERS IN THE RAIN IT WOULD STOP WORKING AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES - THE WIPER WOULD START MOVING SLUGGISH AS IF GETTING STUCK THEN IT WOULD ACTUALLY STOP MIDWAY ON THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO TURN THE WIPERS OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES TO GET IT WORKING AGAIN AND THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I NO LONGER DRIVE THIS CAR IN THE RAIN FORTUNATELY IT DOES NOT RAIN VERY OFTEN IN SAN DIEGO. IT WORKS FINE WHEN NOT RAINING (WINDSHIELD FLUID CLEANING WINDOW). I CHECKED THE RECALL FOR HONDA AND FOUND THAT THE 2003 ACCORD WAS RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR AND THIS RECALL WAS ISSUE ON 4/17/2008. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER HOW MANY OTHER ACCORD YEARS WERE AFFECTED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR ISSUE. HONDA ACCORD 2003-2007 ARE BASICALLY THE SAME BODY STYLE SO IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE SAME TYPE OF WIPER MOTOR DEFECT EXIST IN ALL THESE MODELS. I WAS GOING TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER LAST MONTH, SAN DIEGO HAD A HUGE RAIN STORM AND I HAD TO USE MY ACCORD AND NEARLY GOT IN AN ACCIDENT SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO SEE. I AM GOING TO GET THIS WIPER FIXED NOW SINCE IT IS TOO MUCH OF A RISK NOT TO (I HAVE A SECOND CAR SO IT IS RARE THAT I USE THE ACCORD WHEN IT RAINS - WHICH TOO IS RARE IN SAN DIEGO). *LN