NHTSA Complaint #10470836 — 2002 HONDA ACCORD

ON AUGUST 3, NOTICE A LOUD CRACKING SOUND IN RIGHT FRONT OF CAR. TOOK CAR TO HONDA DEALER AUG. 9. WAS CONTACTED BY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, STATED FRONT CROSS BEAM WAS CRACKED NEARLY INTO TWO PIECES AND THAT DUE TO THE SERIOUS DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE CAR IT CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. I WAS ASKED TO COME AND OBSERVE THE CONDITION. UPON ARRIVING I ASKED HOW THIS COULD OCCUR, CAR IS GARAGED, EXCELLENT CONDITION, WELL MAINTAINED. I WAS INFORMED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS CONDITION BEFORE AND THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING DRAINS ONTO THIS BEAM MAKING IT WET ALL THE TIME. THEY BELIEVE THIS HELPED THE BEAM RUST, IN ONE AREA ONLY, UNTIL EVENTUALLY NEARLY BREAKING INTO 2 PIECES. I ASKED IF HONDA ACKNOWLEDGED THIS DEFECT I WAS TOLD THEY KNOW THE DRAIN DRIPS ON THE BEAM AND THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL?? I CALLED HONDA USA FOR ASSISTANCE ON THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY CONDITION, I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT BECAUSE OF THE CARS AGE THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. I WAS ONLY ASKING FOR HONDA TO SUPPLY THE PART, I WAS WILLING TO PAY THE LABOR COSTS. IF THIS FRONT CROSS BEAM WOULD HAVE BROKEN COMPLETELY THROUGH WHILE DRIVING IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A TRAFFIC CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR WORSE. I LEARNED THAT HONDA RECOGNIZED THE SAFETY PROBLEM AND CHANGED THE AC DRAIN LOCATION IN NEWER MODELS YEARS 2004 OR 2005 SO THAT IT NO LONGER DRAINS ONTO THE BEAM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONDITION THAT CERTAINLY HAS HAD TO RESULT IN TRAFFIC CRASHES, HOPEFULLY NO INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED. *TR