NHTSA Complaint #10817754 — 2004 HONDA ACCORD

I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR PURCHASED AT BEGINNING OF 2004. 12 YEARS LATER WE ARE HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 90,000 MILES. I CALLED HONDA BECAUSE THEIR WEBSITE LISTED THE RECALL FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL BUT WHEN I SEARCHED IT BY VIN NO RECALL APPLIES. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO MY VIN. I ASKED THEM HOW THEY DETERMINE THAT. IS THERE A SERIAL NUMBER CUT OFF AFTER WHICH HONDA MADE CHANGES AND THEY CAN PROVE MY CAR IS NOT EFFECTED? THE ANSWER WAS "ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS YOUR VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL". WELL, I DID SOME RESEARCH AS MY VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 04V-176 HAS RELATED DOCUMENTS ON FILE AND ONE OF THEM BEING A LETTER DATED JUNE 28 2004 FROM AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. INC. SIGNED BY A WILLIAM R. WILLEN. THIS LETTER CLEARLY IDENTIFIES MY CAR AS BEING INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY RELATED RECALL AND I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE OF RECALL IN LATE 2004. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE. SOME HOW MY CAR EXPERIENCED NO ISSUES UNTIL 2015, BUT THE ISSUES DID EVENTUALLY SHOW UP. NOW TODAY MY CAR WAS FAILING TO ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALSO TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT TO LOW GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THEN SUDDENLY FAILED TO DRIVE AT ALL. WE HAD SOME INDICATIONS IN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION DRAINED AND FILLED 4 TIMES TO TRY TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. I TALKED WITH TWO CERTIFIED HONDA MECHANICS WHO BOTH TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO FAIL AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE. WELL, THEY WERE RIGHT, BUT HERE I AM IN THIS SITUATION NOW BECAUSE HONDA FAILED TO RECALL MY CAR IN 2004 AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. FOR YEARS NOW WE HAVE UNKNOWINGLY BEEN DRIVING A CAR THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH. HONDA DID NOT FULFILL THEIR DUTIES IN THIS RECALL. I SUSPECT THERE ARE MANY MORE LIKE MINE STILL ON THE ROAD. HONDA SHOULD FIX ALL THE CARS EFFECTED RETROACTIVE.