NHTSA Complaint #10970163 — 2009 HONDA ACCORD

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 55 MPH ON ROUTE I-287 IN MORRISTOWN, NJ, THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE BADLY AND THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE. I GOT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL SERVICE STATION IN MORRISTOWN, WHERE MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ONE OF MY SPARK PLUGS HAD FAILED TO FUNCTION, HAVING BEEN BADLY OIL FOULED. HE REPLACED THE SPARK PLUG AND SAID THE COMPUTER SCANNER SHOWED CODE P0303 MISFIRE CYLINDER #3. HE ALSO NOTED THAT HONDA HAS A SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR PISTON RING REPLACEMENT INITIATED IN 2013 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO HONDA ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13. THEY REPLACED 3 OF THE 4 SPARK PLUGS IN QUESTION (1 HAVING ALREADY BEEN REPLACED) AND UPDATED THE CAR'S COMPUTER PROGRAM, CALLING THAT STEP ONE IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE HONDA SERVICE MANAGER EXPLAINED THAT HONDA'S PROTOCOL FOR THIS IS TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE AND REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AND THEN WAIT TO SEE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. (I LATER CONFIRMED THIS PROTOCOL BY PHONE WITH HONDA AMERICA.) LACKING THAT, HONDA WILL NOT REIMBURSE THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY DO THE REPAIR, BUT THIS FIX SEEMS TO WORK ABOUT HALF THE TIME. WHEN THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN WAS INITIATED IN 2013, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED. CLEARLY, HONDA RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM OF OIL LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDERS BUT DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL, AS I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD HAVE. IN MY CASE, MY ENGINE FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT MY LOCAL MECHANIC SAYS IT DEFINITELY WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, BECAUSE HONDA DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. REPLACING SPARK PLUGS IS NO MORE THAN A BAND AID. I'M LEFT WITH A SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEM, AND HONDA'S INTENTION IS TO SKIRT THE REAL ISSUE BY RISKING MY SAFETY IN ORDER TO AVOID ACCOUNTABILITY.