NHTSA Complaint #10608782 — 2000 HONDA ACCORD

I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MECHANIC FOR TWO ISSUES: A POSSIBLE BRAKE FLUID LEAK, AND A WEAK TO ALMOST NONFUNCTIONAL A/C IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. HE TOLD ME THAT MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SUBFRAME WAS COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT DUE TO RUST (THE RUST WAS NOT MENTIONED WHATSOEVER DURING THE CAR'S INSPECTION ONLY 6 MONTHS PRIOR) AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CHECKED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A WIDELY PREVALENT ISSUE WITH GEN 6 ACCORDS (98 - 02). I'VE LIVED IN A SNOWY CITY FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR, BUT THERE IS NO APPRECIABLE RUST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE CAR. ONLY IN THIS ONE SPOT, WHICH IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE A/C DRAIN. HONDA CHANGED THE LOCATION OF THE A/C DRAIN IN 2003 (WITH THEIR 7TH GEN ACCORDS), AND THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISSUE ON THOSE CARS. HONDA HAS SAID THAT IT IS JUST A COINCIDENCE, BUT THEY ARE BETTER OFF PUTTING OUT A RECALL AND COVERING THE COST OF REPLACING THESE FRONT PASSENGER SUBFRAMES THAN HAVING TO PAY FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ONCE SOMEBODY IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF A ROTTING SUBFRAME. WHILE I THINK THAT MY WEAK A/C MAY BE WHAT CAUSED THE ACCELERATION OF THIS SUBFRAME ROT, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH THE SUBFRAME AND HONDA HAS MADE NO ATTEMPTS TO RECONCILE THE ISSUE. FORD DID A RECALL ON A 12 YEAR OLD CAR WHEN THEY DISCOVERED A DESIGN FLAW. I AM CONSULTING LAWYERS AT THIS TIME TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEFORE THERE IS A REPORT OF SOMEBODY DYING DUE TO THIS. *JS