NHTSA Complaint #10670395 — 2012 HONDA ACCORD

THE MECHANISM FOR RELEASING THE FUEL DOOR IS A LATCH/BUTTON LOCATED INSIDE THE VEHICLE NEAR THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR. DEPRESSING THE MECHANISM IS SUPPOSED TO RELEASE THE EXTERIOR FUEL DOOR SO THAT GASOLINE CAN BE FILLED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANISM DOES NOT WORK. UPON REPEATED PRESSING OF THE BUTTON, THE FUEL DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. EVENTUALLY, PRYING A FLAT OBJECT INTO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE FUEL DOOR AND THE BODY IS REQUIRED TO RELEASE THE FUEL DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AT MILE HIGH HONDA FOR THIS PROBLEM TWICE (THE LATEST SERVICE OCCURING ON JANUARY 2, 2015) AND IN BOTH INSTANCES THE TECHNICIANS, WHILE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER 2012 MODEL ACCORDS AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM OR FIX IT. FURTHER, THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THEY SPOKE WITH HONDA'S TECHNICAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM EXISTS FOR OTHER 2012 ACCORDS AND STATED THAT THEY HAVE NO RESOLUTION AT THE TIME. LASTLY, DESPITE WIDESPREAD OCCURENCE OF THIS PROBLEM, HONDA HAS YET TO RECALL THE VEHICLES TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER TWO YEARS, WHICH WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW, AND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECURRING EVERY SINGLE TIME I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE FUEL DOOR. THE PROBLEM IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT IT RESTRICTS ABILITY TO FUEL THE VEHICLE.