NHTSA Complaint #10515500 — 2009 HONDA ACCORD

MY 2009 HONDA ACCORD HAS A GRINDING NOISE THAT OCCURS WHEN THE IGNITION IS ACTIVATED FROM A COLD START. THE NOISE LASTS FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO SECONDS AND SOUNDS LIKE THE TIMING BELT SYSTEM IS RATCHETING INTO PLACE. THIS ONLY OCCURS ON A COLD START, MEANING THE ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN RUNNING FOR 4 OR MORE HOURS. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR. AN INTERNET SEARCH LOCATED HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 09-010 DATED 08/17/10 AND THEN UPDATED ON 10/21/11. THE SAFETY BULLETIN DESCRIBES THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATOR AS BEING, "DEFECTIVE". ADDITIONAL INTERNET SEARCH IDENTIFIED THAT THE GRINDING NOISE WAS COMMON WITH THE 2009 ACCORD. I SPOKE WITH MY DEALER, HUGE WHITE HONDA, COLUMBUS, OHIO. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED WITH MY DIAGNOSIS AND NOTED THAT HONDA WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THE VTC ACTUATOR. FURTHER, THE DEALER NOTED THAT HONDA ISSUED A 2011 SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE 2009 ACCORD TO ADDRESS COMPLAINTS OF EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. A SEPTEMBER 2011 NOTICE FROM HONDA IS TITLED "PRODUCT UPDATE: SOFTWARE UPDATE TO IMPROVE FUEL-INJECTOR AND VTC TIMING" THE NOTICE STATES THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR TIMING AND VTC TIMING AT COLD START MAY CREATE DEPOSITS ON THE OIL CONTROL RINGS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED OIL CONSUMPTION." THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT MY CAR HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE DEALER ARGUES THAT THE UPDATE IS SEPARATE FROM THE CURRENT GRINDING NOISE AND THAT THE VTC ACTUATOR HAS FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY MY GRINDING NOISE APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED AFTER THE 2011 SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS COMPLETED. BASED ON THE FOREGOING, I AM FORWARDING THIS COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THE VTC ACTUATOR IS DEFECTIVE AS BEING NOT SUITED FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. *TR