NHTSA Complaint #10448945 — 2004 HONDA ACCORD

I DROVE SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 15 FROM VICTORVILLE TO FONTANA, CALIFORNIA, AND WHEN I PARKED THE CAR I NOTICED THE SMELL OF SMOKE COMING IN THROUGH THE AIR VENTS AND SAW A BIT OF WHITE SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HOOD. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING HIGH-PRESSURE FEEDER HOSE HAD A LEAK UNDER THE BUSHING THAT FITS INTO THE ENGINE HOSE CLAMP. THE LEAK WAS SMALL BUT PRODUCED ENOUGH LIQUID TO DRIP ONTO THE REAR OF THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST COMPONENTS, WHICH THEN HEATED THE FLUID AND CAUSED IT TO SMOKE. WE DUCT-TAPED THE HOSE FORWARD OF THE HOSE CLAMP, WHICH HELPED STOP THE LEAK AND DIVERTED THE DRIP A BIT REARWARD, AND WE DROVE THE CAR HOME. WE ASSESSED THE HOSE CONDITION AND CONSULTED WITH HONDA DEALER SERVICE AND PARTS PERSONNEL TO SEE IF THERE IS AN IMPROVED REPLACEMENT HOSE ' APPARENTLY NOT. I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT OEM POWER-STEERING HIGH-PRESSURE FEEDER HOSE AND O-RINGS FROM MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND HAD THEM INSTALLED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE HIGH-PRESSURE FEEDER HOSE WITH FLAMMABLE POWER-STEERING FLUID IS POORLY ROUTED CLOSELY ALONG THE TRANSVERSE-MOUNTED ENGINE FRONT AND ACROSS A REAR CORNER, ABOVE HIGH-TEMPERATURE ENGINE AND EXHAUST COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE PRE-CAT. THIS PLACEMENT AND HOSE FAILURE IS VERY MUCH LIKE THOSE IN RECALLED ACURAS, ALSO MANUFACTURED BY HONDA, DETAILED IN RECALL IDS # 68810, DEC. 4, 2007; # 70296, FEB. 27, 2008; AND # 82159, APRIL 29, 2010. *TR