NHTSA Complaint #10482534 — 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY

I NOTICED QUITE A BIT OF OIL LEAKING ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND THERE WERE 2 KNOWN ISSUES THAT MAY BE THE CAUSE: A HEAD BOLT ISSUE OR ENGINE PITTING. THEY WOULDN'T KNOW UNTIL THEY 'OPENED IT UP'. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE HEAD BOLT FOR CYLINDER #6, WHICH THEY SAID SEEMED TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND OTHER SITES THEY HAD ACCESS TO. HONDA IS EVEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AS THEY CREATED A REPAIR KIT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ISSUE. WHEN OUR CERTIFIED MECHANIC CALLED THE DEALER, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE, WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. THEY THEN RECOMMENDED THE TIME-SERT THREAD REPAIR KIT. ONCE THE MECHANIC GOT INTO THINGS THEY ALSO REALIZED THAT 2 OF THE BOLTS WERE STRIPPED, SO THEY REPAIRED BOTH. I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH HONDA AUTOMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS BASICALLY TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN (OR WILL) DO TO HELP OFFSET THE $2500 REPAIR COST FOR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. IT IS TERRIBLE THAT HONDA OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE DESPITE THIS CLEARLY BEING A DEFECT IN THE STRENGTH OF THE BOLT OR THE THREADING PROCESS. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND THE EXACT SAME CYLINDER NUMBER. AS AN OWNER OF THREE HONDA VEHICLES, NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LACK OF CARING AND WILLINGNESS TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND WILL ABSOLUTELY LOOK AT OTHER VEHICLES NOW. *TR