NHTSA Complaint #10413796 — 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY

BOUGHT A 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY TOURING ELITE IN 3/2011. NOW 4 MONTHS LATER I AM GETTING THE "BATTERY CHARGE LOW" WARNING. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO THEM. THEY STATE IT'S NOT A PROBLEM AND I NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR MORE. IT IS CONCERNING THAT THE CAR SHUTS THE DOME LIGHTS OFF, EVEN THE DASH LIGHTS OFF AUTOMATICALLY. THIS IS A SUPPOSED SAFETY ITEM OF THE CAR THAT I AM TO IGNORE? I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED REGARDING THIS ISSUE. FIRST, HONDA IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS -- "IGNORE IT. IT'S NOT A PROBLEM." SECOND, THIS ISSUE, I FEEL, IS POTENTIALLY PLACING MY FAMILY IN DANGER IF THE BATTERY CANNOT STAY CHARGED. FINALLY, THIS IS NOT AN INFREQUENT ISSUE AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMBER OF POSTS/COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND OTHER FORUMS ON THE WEB (WWW.ODYCLUB.COM) YET HONDA CONTINUES NOT TO PUT OUT A TSB REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THE COMPLAINTS CONTINUE AND NO ACTION IS BEING TAKEN BY HONDA TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS REMINISCENT OF TOYOTA STATING THERE WASN'T AN ACCELERATOR PEDAL ISSUE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT, AND IT SEEMS THE LOWLY CONSUMER IS NOT MAKING IT HAPPEN. *KB