NHTSA Complaint #10892315 — 2013 HONDA ACCORD

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2013 HONDA ACCORD, EX-L,. MY HONDA HAS 42K MILES. AT ABOUT 25K MILES MY ACCORD STARTED TO MAKE A VERY OBVIOUS AND DISTURBING DRONING/HUMMING NOISE AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH. THE NOISE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER AS TIME WENT BY. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER 2 TIMES AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL. AFTER HAVING NEW TIRES INSTALLED AT 42K MILES, AND THE DRONING NOISE WAS STILL OCCURRING, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER A THIRD TIME AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE NOISE PROBLEM AS COMING FROM A DEFECTIVE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING AND A DEFECTIVE REAR LEFT WHEEL BEARING. BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED ON JULY 27, 2016 AND THE DRONING NOISE ABOVE 40 MPH IS GONE. REPLACING THE WHEEL BEARINGS FIXED THE PROBLEM! THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED, AND HE STATED THAT THE TECHNICIANS AT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT KNOW WHY/HOW THE BEARINGS FAILED EITHER. I CONTACTED HONDA AMERICA HQ ON AUGUST 1, 800-999-1009, AND WAS TOLD THAT HONDA AMERICA WOULD NOT DISCLOSE THE DETAILS OF THE BEARING FAILURES. THEY ALSO DECLINED MY REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE REMAINING 2 WHEEL BEARINGS. HONDA AMERICA ESTABLISHED A CASE NUMBER FOR MY ISSUE, CASE # 04884545. DUE TO THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY FROM HONDA AMERICA AS TO THE CAUSE/RESOLUTION OF THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE UNDERLYING BEARING OR WHEEL STRUCTURE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED, AND THAT MY 2013 HONDA ACCORD WILL BE SUBJECTED TO FUTURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES.