NHTSA Complaint #10681770 — 2014 HONDA CR-V

I LIVE IN MINNESOTA WHERE THE TEMPERATURE GETS EXTREMELY COLD. I NOTICED MY ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD AUDIBLE GRINDING NOISE FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS DURING COLD WEATHER START UPS. I SEE MORE THAN ONE WRITE UP ON THIS CONCERNING THIS EXACT NOISE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A HONDA DEALER WHO TOLD ME THE NOISE IS: "NORMAL BUT NOT NORMAL". HE SAID HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VTC ACTUATOR WHEN IT GETS COLD. HE SHOWED ME AN EMAIL FROM HONDA THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS TO QUIT REPLACING VTC ACTUATORS BECAUSE IT IS NOT HELPING FIX THE PROBLEM. IT'S AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM WITH THE VTC ACTUATOR SO REPLACING IT WITH AN IDENTICAL UNIT WILL NOT HELP.. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT IT IS NOT HURTING MY CAR IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. AFTER SEVERAL MORE DAYS OF LOUD GRINDING NOISES EACH MORNING; I SPOKE WITH HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE OVER TWITTER. HONDA REPEATED WHAT THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE VTC ACTUATOR BUT ARE CURRENTLY DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. THEY SAID, "WE ARE AWARE OF THE CONCERN AND ARE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO REDUCE IT". I THEN ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY IN THE VTC ACTUATOR IS MAKING THE NOISE. I WAS TOLD, "I APOLOGIZE BUT INFORMATION ON WHAT IS MAKING THE NOISE IS NOT AVAILABLE"... NOT KIDDING. THEY ALSO SAID, "THE NOISE DOESN'T AFFECT THE DRIVEABILITY OR RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. WE APOLOGIZE BUT CURRENTLY THERE ARE NO REPAIRS FOR THIS." I AM SUPPOSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT HURTING MY VEHICLE, BUT THEY REFUSE TO TELL ME WHAT IS CAUSING THE NOISE IN THE VTC ACTUATOR? IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS TO SEE IF A RECALL WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE THEN REPAIRING THE CARS OF US COLD WEATHER DRIVERS WHEN THE TIME COMES AND OUR ENGINES FAIL. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT METAL SHAVINGS GETTING INTO THE OIL/ENGINE CAUSING FAILURE. *JS