NHTSA Complaint #10632653 — 2012 HONDA ACCORD

THERE SEEMS TO BE A FLAW IN THE 2012 HONDA ACCORD FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS THAT MAKES THEM SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT IT IS ACTUALLY PAINFUL. WHILE THIS MAY SEEM TO JUST BE A SUPERFICIAL MATTER, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS SERIOUS BECAUSE THE DISCOMFORT IS SO BAD THAT, WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER HAS TO SHIFT IN THE SEAT FREQUENTLY TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE THE DISCOMFORT. THIS CREATES A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. MOREOVER, AFTER DRIVING, THE PAIN IN MY RIGHT LEG AND BOTTOM IS SO BAD THAT IT CAN LAST FOR HOURS, IF NOT DAYS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SEATS ARE CAUSING PERMANENT NERVE OR MUSCLE DAMAGE. THE INJURY MAY NOT BE VISIBLE, BUT SOMETHING BAD IS HAPPENING. THE PAIN SEEMS TO BE CUMULATIVE BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE THE LONGER THAT I DRIVE THIS CAR. I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I WENT ON-LINE AND DISCOVERED HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS POSTED ON SEVERAL WEBSITES. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2013 I BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO MY HONDA DEALER WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE. THEY SAID THAT NO SEAT DEFECTS WERE FOUND WHEN COMPARED TO THE SEATS IN ANOTHER VEHICLE OF THE SAME MODEL. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, IN JUNE 2014, I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA HEADQUARTERS WHO ARRANGED TO HAVE THE CAR SEATS EXAMINED. ONCE AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THEREFORE, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. I DON'T SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT; I AM STATING THAT THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SEATS. WITH THE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS POSTED ON-LINE, IT IS HARD FOR ME TO IMAGINE THAT HONDA IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. BECAUSE HONDA DOESN'T SEEM INCLINED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA GET INVOLVED AND HAVE HONDA CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR