NHTSA Complaint #10483149 — 2003 HONDA HONDA MOTORCYCLE

THERE ARE CRITICAL NUTS AND BOLTS THAT MUST BE TORQUED TO SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER'S ASSEMBLY SPECIFICATIONS BY ALL HONDA POWERSPORTS DEALERS THAT ARE COMPLETING THE FINAL ASSEMBLY PROCESS FOR AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY ON NEW HONDA MOTORCYCLES. IF THESE CRITICAL NUTS AND BOLTS ARE NOT TORQUED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFIC SPECIFICATIONS, THEN THEY CAN COME LOOSE IF UNDER TIGHTENED OR THEY CAN COME LOOSE IF OVERTIGHTENED AND THE TREADS STRIP. THIS CAN CAUSE A MALFUNCTION OF THE MOTORCYCLE THUS POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT THAT CAN RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. SOUTHERN HONDA POWERSPORTS IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE HAS NEVER USED ACTUAL TORQUE WRENCHES (THAT GAUGE THE POUNDS OF PRESSURE APPLIED WHEN TIGHTENING SPECIFIC NUTS AND BOLTS), AS REQUIRED IN THE FINAL ASSEMBLY PROCESS. THESE NUTS AND BOLTS IF NOT TORQUED CORRECTLY TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS (I.E. TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF POUNDS) CAN COME LOOSE THUS CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR TO LOOSE CONTROL. THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AT SOUTHERN HONDA POWERSPORTS HAS BEEN CALLED TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANYS ATTENTION ON MANY OCCASIONS DURING THE LAST 5 YEARS BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. EVEN SIGNED, NOTARIZED, SWORN AFFIDAVITS BY INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ASSEMBLED NEW HONDA MOTORCYCLES AT SOUTHERN HONDA POWERSPORTS, ATTESTING TO THE ABOVE, HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY. NHTSA HAS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED A PRECEDENT REQUIRING A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS IDENTICAL TYPE MOTORCYCLE ASSEMBLY SAFETY ISSUE, BY ISSUING A "SAFETY RECALL" ON VICTORY MOTORCYCLES, NHTSA ID # 12V457000. AS A RESULT OF THE CRITICAL SAFETY CONCERNS ABOVE, AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY MUST BE REQUIRED BY NHTSA TO RECALL EVERY IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED HONDA MOTORCYCLE SOLD BY SOUTHERN HONDA POWERSPORTS, CHATTANOOGA, TN FROM FEBRUARY 2004 THRU CURRENT DATE 2012. *TR . .