NHTSA Complaint #10426476 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN HONDA DATED SUMMER 2011, REGARDING THE WARRANTY EXTENSION OF THE "STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN AT LOW SPEEDS AND ENGINE RPM." THE TERM IS UP TO 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. I BOUGHT MY VAN IN AUGUST OF 2006, HOWEVER, SINCE I DRIVE ALMOST 100 MILES A DAY (HOME TO WORK), I HAVE MORE THAN 100,000. HERE IS MY CONCERN, I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS SAID PROBLEM (REGARDING THE STEERING WHEELS IS HARD TO TURN) IN THE HONDA DEALER IN CORONA EVEN BEFORE RECEIVING THIS LETTER, BUT ALL THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO COLD WEATHER. LATER ON ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, THEY SAID THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACE. RIGHT AFTER I RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM AMERICAN HONDA, I GAVE THEM A CALL AND TOLD THEM THAT I'M ALREADY HAVING THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, AND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE I WAS BROKE. I ASKED THEM IF I CAN BRING MY VAN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP EVENTHOUGH MY MILEAGE NOW IS MORE THAN WHAT THEY WANT WHICH IS 100,000 MILES. THEY SAID, THEY CAN'T HELP ME BECAUSE THEY ARE STRICT ON WARRANTY EXTENSION. AND, SINCE MY MILEAGE IS NOW 165,000 MILES, THEY CAN'T HELP ME EVEN IF THE YEARS QUALIFIES ME. THEY SAID TO CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND WHERE I BRING MY CAR FOR REPAIR AND SEE IF THEY CAN GIVE ME A DISCOUNT TO FIX IT. THE POINT IS IT IS NOT FAIR FOR THEM TO SET A LIMIT ON THEIR WARRANTY BECAUSE THIS IS AN OBVIOUS FACTORY DEFECT. THEY SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE ODYSSEY 2006 REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE BECAUSE BASED ON THIS LETTER, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF COMPLAINS ABOUT IT. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, BUT I AM HOPING THAT BY REPORTING THIS, WE CAN CONSIDER THIS PRODUCT DEFECT AS A RECALL. *TR