NHTSA Complaint #10468741 — 2009 HONDA CIVIC

MY VEHICLE WAS AT MY MECHANICS FOR AN OIL CHANGE. PART OF THEIR SERVICE IS TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE. A TIRE WAS A LITTLE LOW. UPON PLACING THE AIR CHUCK ON THE VALVE STEM, THE VALVE STEM EXPLODED. POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THE PERSON WHO WOULD BE ADDING AIR WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. HONDA HAD IN JULY 09 (SAME MONTH WE PURCHASED THIS CAR) ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING USING ONLY A SHALLOW AIR CHUCK ON CIVICS AS THEY MIGHT EXPLODE. HONDA AND THE DEALERSHIP BOTH REFUSED TO REPAIR AT NO CHARGE. CLAIMING THAT THE MECHANIC WAS AT FAULT. NOTE THAT THE MECHANIC WHO WAS OPERATING THE PROPER AIR CHUCK AT MY REPAIR SHOP IS HONDA CERTIFIED AND ONLY USED A SHALLOW AIR CHUCK. HONDA HAS A PRINTED BROCHURE IN THEIR SHOW ROOM THAT EXPLICTLY STATES THAT A DRIVER MUST GO TO A DEALERSHIP OR ANYWHERE THAT AIR IS AVAILABLE AND FILL TO THE PROPER PRESSURE WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT COMES ON. MOST AIR FILL PLACES AT GAS STATIONS HAVE THE LONG HANDLE VERSION OF THE AIR CHUCK, WHICH IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED! NOT ONLY DID HONDA REFUSE TO REPAIR AT NO CHARGE, THEY ALSO CHARGED US FOR A FRONT END ANALYSIS. $175.00 BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART. MY WIFE REFUSED TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE OR TO GO ABOVE 50 MPH AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL OF A ROCK OR SOME OTHER OBJECT HITTING THE VALVE STEM. WE HAD MANY TRIPS WHERE WE HAD TO USE MY 1990 JEEP INSTEAD OF THE HONDA AT EXTRA EXPENSE. WE RECENTLY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET RID OF THE HONDA AND PURCHASED A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED. WE WERE NOT WANTING TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO YEARS. THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE DAMAGE, AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO THE PERSON PUTTING AIR IN A TIRE IS TREMENDOUS. ALSO, WHAT ABOUT A BLOW OUT, AND THEN A WRECK. ALL FOR AN INEXPENSIVE PART. WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER HONDA IF THEY ARE SO BLATANTLY WILLING TO DISREGARD THEIR OWN FINDINGS. *TR