NHTSA Complaint #10837677 — 2008 HONDA ACCORD

THE ENGINE RATTLES AT COLD START-UP. SINCE APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER 1, 2015, THE ENGINE ON MY 2008 HONDA ACCORD EX-L (4 CYLINDER) HAS CREATED A LOUD RATTLE EVERY TIME UNDER COLD START-UP CONDITIONS. THE NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHS OUT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A HONDA DEALER FOR ANOTHER ISSUE IN JANUARY 2016 AND ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE THE COLD START-UP NOISE, BUT THEY CLAIMED THAT THE NOISE DID NOT OCCUR WHEN THEY STARTED THE VEHICLE. I QUESTIONED WHETHER THEY TRIED TO START IT UNDER COLD ENGINE CONDITIONS AND THEY SAID THEY HAD. I RECENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HEAR THE RATTLE AT COLD START-UP AND SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL (VTC) ACTUATOR. HONDA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (09-010) BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A HONDA DEALER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.