NHTSA Complaint #10558351 — 2007 HONDA FIT

WAS IN THE LEFT TURN LANE TO ENTER FREEWAY ON-RAMP. ONCE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK HOME. TURNED OFF THE IGNITION PER CAR MANUAL, RESTART CAR AND TROUBLE CLEARED (NO MORE WARNING LITE, STEERING OK). DID SOME RESEARCH ON WEB, FOUND OUT THAT HONDA HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN 09-043 TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT (IE. REPLACE EPS CONTROL MODULE). WENT TO INDEPENDENT HONDA REPAIR SHOP, NO TROUBLE CODES FOUND ON THEIR SCOPE (CLEARS OUT AFTER RESTART). CALLED HONDA CUST SERVICE (800-999-1009), BUT WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT'S OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD, AND NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I JUST TOOK MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALER TO HAVE THE EPS MODULE REPLACED ($700 + LABOR), SINCE I DO NOT WANT TO RISK DRIVING KNOWING THAT THE STEERING CAN GO OUT AT ANY MOMENT. I'M HOPING THAT NHTSA CAN PUT PRESSURE ON HONDA TO ISSUE A RECALL AS THIS PROBLEM CAN BE LIFE THREATENING, ESPECIALLY IF THE EPS WENT OUT ON A CURVE OR MOUNTAIN ROAD. ONCE AGAIN, WHEN THE EPS UNIT GOES OUT, IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER!!! *TR