NHTSA Complaint #10514290 — 2004 HONDA CR-V

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY IN THE SUMMER WHEN I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL OF SMOKE IN MY VEHICLE. WITHIN 5 MINUTES MY AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN TO BLOW HOT AIR. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THEY SHOWED ME WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE AIR THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE CONDENSING UNIT OF MY VEHICLE. WHEN I ASKED WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT,THEY STATED THAT THE HOLE WAS BLOWN IN THE UNIT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AFTER THAT. THE MECHANICS THERE SAID THAT I MUST HAVE RUN INTO A PIECE OF METAL. THEN, OFF THE RECORD, THEY STATED THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAD THEIR AC'S GO OUT IN THE SAME WAY AND THAT HONDA WOULD PROBABLY BE RECALLING THEM. I RESEARCHED IT A LITTLE AT THE TIME AND GOT NO-WHERE WITH HONDA. HONDA STATED SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WOULD DO NOTHING. AT THE TIME I GAVE UP...HOWEVER, WITH ADDITIONAL REPLACEMENTS THAT I HAVE HAD TO MAKE THAT ARE UN-CHARACTERISTIC AND UNTIMELY FOR A HONDA, AND WITH ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS BY BOTH HONDA AND NON-MECHANICS...I WAS TOLD THAT MY ENTIRE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS PUT IN SIDEWAYS BY DESIGN AND THAT DESIGN CAUSES MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH MULTIPLE COMPONENTS. I ACTUALLY HAD ONE REPUTABLE GARAGE REFUSE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS SO POORLY DESIGNED AND DIFFICULT TO WORK ON. SADLY, I WILL NEVER BUY A HONDA AGAIN. AND I HAVE HAD 5 HONDA'S PRIOR TO THIS ONE, BOUGHT THIS ONE NEW, AND WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY ENOUGH HAD HONDA OWNED UP TO THE PROBLEMS. *TR