NHTSA Complaint #10473906 — 2000 HONDA ACCORD

RECENTLY I HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE SUB FRAME ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HAD RUSTED/ROTTED OUT AND THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE SUB FRAME. HE SAID THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED SUNNYSIDE HONDA AND SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER REGARDING THE PROBLEM. I SAID THAT I HAD LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND THIS WAS A HONDA DESIGN DEFECT AND THAT NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS HAD REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. I ASKED IF HONDA WAS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT WAS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THAT I HAD BEEN A LOYAL HONDA CUSTOMER FOR YEARS. THE SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED HONDAS DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER WHO REPLIED THAT HONDA WAS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY OF THE $2,000.00 COST OF REPLACING THE SUB FRAME. I THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.'S MAIN CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN CALIFORNIA. I SPOKE WITH [XXX] AND SHE PUT ME ON HOLD FOR A LONG TIME. WHEN SHE RETURNED SHE SAID THAT THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER HAD SAID HONDA WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP SO THE MAIN CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP. A SHORT TIME AGO MY GRANDSON, A STUDENT AT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, PURCHASED A 1998 HONDA ACCORD FOR $4000.00. UPON RECENT INSPECTION OF THAT CAR THE SUB FRAME HAS RUSTED/ROTTED OUT THE SAME AS MY CAR AND MANY OTHER HONDA ACCORDS. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RECALLING AND REPAIRING THESE UNSAFE AUTOMOBILES BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THEIR DESIGN DEFECT AND THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNWILLING TO DO SO AS LONG AS INDIVIDUALS HAVE NO POWER TO MAKE THEM TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. I AM ASKING THAT YOU MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO INVESTIGATE AND ISSUE A RECALL OF ALL THESE AUTOMOBILES WITH HONDA'S DESIGN DEFECT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR