NHTSA Complaint #10402090 — 2001 HONDA PASSPORT

9/11/10 WHILE DRIVING 2001 HONDA PASSPORT, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED ON A FLATBED DUE TO EXTENSIVE FRAME ROT. THE HONDA DEALER SAID THE FRAME WAS SO BADLY CORRODED THERE WAS NO PLACE ON THE FRAME THAT THEY COULD ATTACH THE LOWER LINK BRACKET BACK ONTO THE VEHICLE. THE LOUD NOISE WAS THE LOWER LINK BRACKET BREAKING LOOSE FROM THE FRAME BECAUSE THE FRAME ROTTED THROUGH. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ROAD SAFE AND NEEDED A FRAME REPLACEMENT. SINCE AN EA HAD BEEN OPENED HONDA SUGGESTED I GO TO A GARAGE THAT CAN BYPASS THE CORROSION AND RIG SOMETHING UP THAT WOULD ALLOW A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL A RECALL WAS ISSUED. I DID THE REPAIR AT A COST OF $1,200.00, BUT IT WAS NOT GUARANTEED OR ROAD SAFE FOR ANYTHING BUT SIDE ROADS AROUND TOWN. LATER A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE LOWER LINK BRACKETS. MY LOWER LINK BRACKETS ARE NOT DEFECTIVE THEY ARE FINE AND COMPLETELY INTACT. THE PROBLEM IS MY ENTIRE FRAME IS CORRODED THROUGH ALL LAYERS AND IS RIDDLED WITH HOLES. THE BRACKET CANNOT BE ATTACHED BECAUSE YOU CANNOT WELD A BRACKET ONTO RUST AND HOLES. FROM THE DATE OF THE RECALL BOTH HONDA OF TORRINGTON AND THE INDEPENDENT GARAGE THAT DID THE TEMPORARY REPAIR SAID THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ROAD SAFE , FELL WELL OUTSIDE THE PARAMETERS OF THE WORST STAGE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THAT MY CASE WOULD BE REFERRED TO HONDA TO NEGOTIATE A SETTLEMENT. AFTER MONTHS OF CALLS TO THE DEALER ABOUT THE STATUS I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE DOWN FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WE REQUESTED TO BE PRESENT AND DID NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIRS UNLESS WE WERE. WE CALLED THE DEALER TO ASK WHEN THEY WOULD BE CALLING US DOWN. THEY SAID TO ARRIVE IN ONE HALF HOUR BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THEY WOULD BE BRING THE VEHICLE IN. WHEN WE ARRIVED 20 MINUTES LATER, WE WERE TOLD A STAGE 2 REPAIR WAS ALREADY DONE PER THE TECH-LINE. WHICH CONSISTED OF SPRAYING WAX OVER AN UNSAFE FRAME. THEY REFUSED TO PUT ON OUR INVOICE THAT IT WAS ROAD SAFE. *TR