NHTSA Complaint #10464090 — 2007 HONDA ELEMENT

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 HONDA ELEMENT "CS", JUST AFTER ENTERING A FREEWAY SOUTHBOUND, WHILE GETTING UP TO FREEWAY SPEED, A LOUD NOISE BEGAN TO COME FROM REAR OF VEHICLE AS IF A TIRE OR TIRES WERE COMING LOOSE. ONCE HITTING 55MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE SOMEWHAT, YET STILL CONTROLLABLE. I PULLED OVER & INSPECTED THE TIRES & WHEELS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. CONTINUED INTO NEXT CITY TO DEALERSHIP WHERE A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS DONE & ALL TIRES ROTATED. NOW WHILE ON CROSS COUNTRY TRIP ON 20 MAY 2012, THIS SAME ISSUE HAS OCCURRED ONCE AGAIN ON A SET OF NEW TIRES. THE CAMBERS CANNOT BE ADJUSTED ON THIS MODEL & YEAR VEHICLE. HONDA HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. IT WAS CORRECTED IN THE 2008 MODELS & SUBSEQUENT MODELS. THE TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY & "CUP" & COULD CAUSE THE TIRES TO BLOW, EITHER AT THE SAME TIME, ONE AT A TIME OR EVEN JUST ONE LEAVING DRIVER IN A POSITION OF BEING UNABLE TO CONTROL CAR FROM RAPID DEFLATION OF EXPLODING TIRE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE SERVICE WRITER AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY ELEMENT CS & HE TOLD ME HONDA IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS. I SPOKE WITH HONDA AMERICA & WAS TOLD THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THIS & THEY DID NOT THINK "... THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE." THIS ISSUE IS WITH THE HONDA ELEMENT CS ONLY THAT I AM AWARE OF. *JS