NHTSA Complaint #10479452 — 2006 HONDA ACCORD

MY FIANCEE, HER BROTHER, OUR 22-MONTH OLD SON , AND MYSELF WERE ON THE HIGHWAY (270S) TO REAGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 6:30 PM WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND STARTED SHAKING. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING ON I PULLED OVER, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. I WALKED AROUND THE CAR AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, STARTED THE ENGINE AND STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL WITHOUT MUCH OF AN ACCELERATION. WE CALLED A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A SPARK PLUG ISSUE. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR THE NEXT DAY TO HIS SHOP AND THE DIAGNOSTICS WAS CYLINDER MISFIRING. IT TURNED OUT THAT A SPARK PLUG BECAME LOOSE,MELTED, AND DESTROYED THE CYLINDER. HE FIXED THE TREADS WHERE THE SPARK PLUG SCREWS INTO THE ENGINE BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT PRESSURIZE. HE WENT INSIDE THE ENGINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE LOT OF LOOSE DEBRIS IN THE ENGINE AND THE SMOOTH SURFACE AGAINST WHICH THE CYLINDER GLIDES IN THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND WAS VERY ROUGH. HIS RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, WHICH HE IS CURRENTLY DOING FOR A MINIMUM OF $2500 OUT OF POCKET SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HOPE THIS SOLVES THE PROBLEM. OUR CAR IS WELL-MAINTAINED AND ALL THE FACTORY-RECOMMENDED SERVICES HAVE BEEN DONE. WE WERE NEVER TOLD BY THE DEALERS THAT THE SPARK PLUGS CAN BECOME LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE CHECKED. I DID AN ONLINE SEARCH AND IT TURNED OUT THAT MANY HONDA OWNERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE 6-CYLINDER VEHICLES (ACCORDS/ODYSSEY) HAVE THE LOOSE SPARK PLUG PROBLEM AND ALMOST ALWAYS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. *TR