NHTSA Complaint #10680117 — 2008 HONDA ACCORD

DEPARTING A PARKING LOT AT LOW SPEED, I MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT AND HEARD A LOUD RATTLE FROM THE ENGINE. I STOPPED AT THE SERVICE STATION UP THE ROAD AND CHECKED FOR OBVIOUS LOOSE PARTS. CHECKED THE OIL AND FOUND THAT THE LEVEL BARELY REGISTERED ON THE DIPSTICK, INDICATING APPROX. 2 QUARTS LOW. I ADDED OIL AND VERIFIED THAT THE LEVEL WAS FULL. AT NO TIME DID THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATE. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD TO ADD ONE QUART OF OIL APPROXIMATELY EVERY 900 MILES. I NOTIFIED MY HONDA DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THEM PERFORM A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE UPDATE WAS ACCOMPLISHED BUT THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION HAS NOT CHANGED. HONDA DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THIS RATE OF CONSUMPTION IS CONSIDERED NORMAL. CONSIDERING THAT THIS ENGINE HOLDS 4 QUARTS AND THAT THE AVERAGE OIL CHANGE INTERVAL IS 4,000 MILES (ACCORDING TO THE HONDA MAINTENANCE MINDER SOFTWARE), THIS MEANS THAT I AM REPLACING THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE CRANKCASE BETWEEN EACH OIL CHANGE. I WAS THEN ADVISED THAT HONDA CAN PERFORM AN OIL CONSUMPTION CHECK THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO COME BACK TO THE DEALER EVERY 1,000 MILES (+/- 50) FOR APPROX. 1 YEAR. AFTER THAT TIME, HONDA WOULD DETERMINE, BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE TESTS AND THE AGE/MILEAGE OF MY VEHICLE, WHETHER THEY WOULD TAKE ANY ACTION. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE, AS I CHANGE MY OIL WHEN INDICATED BY THE MAINTENANCE MINDER AND CAN PRODUCE ALL THE RECORDS TO PROVE THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED PROPERLY. I SEEK THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTION OF THIS PROBLEM BY HONDA. *TR