NHTSA Complaint #10436192 — 2004 HONDA CR-V

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT MY LOW BEAMS STOPPED WORKING AND I COULD SMELL SMOKE. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO JUST ALL OF THE SUDDEN HAVE YOUR LIGHTS GO OUT. I COULDN'T SEE AND OTHERS COULDN'T SEE ME. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHT SWITCH, AND THE SMOKE SMELL DISSIPATED. MY HIGH BEAMS STILL WORKED. I GOT ONLINE AFTER THE INCIDENT AND REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT ALONE WITH THIS EXACT TYPE OF PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISOLATED BY SEVERAL OTHER CR-V OWNERS AS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM INVOLVING THE WIRING HARNESS THAT PLUGS INTO THE HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. IN ADDITION, I FOUND AN ARTICLE STATING THAT THE NHTSA HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM (NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER EA11012) . A CALL TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP RESULTED IN A VERY EXPENSIVE QUOTE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE HARNESS (SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS). I FEEL THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AND THAT HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 12/19/11 *BF *TR