NHTSA Complaint #11111250 — 2012 HONDA CR-V

VTC ACTUATOR: LOUD RATTLING NOISE UPON COLD START-UP STARTED AT APPROX 75K MILES. CAR IS STATIONARY. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND GIVEN A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH EACH TIME. IN FACT DEALER TOLD ME IT MAY HAVE BEEN MY IMAGINATION BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE SOUND IN SHOP. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRES 2 MONTHS AGO. BECAUSE THE SOUND PERSISTED AND SEEMS LOUDER IN FACT, I LEFT MY CR-V AT DEALER'S OVERNIGHT, SOUND WAS HEARD AND DUPLICATED FIRST THING IN THE AM. THEN I GET A DIAGNOSIS OF THE VTC ACTUATOR FAILURE AT A REPLACEMENT COST OF $849. IN ADDITION, MY TIMING CHAIN COVER IS NOW MYSTERIOUSLY LEAKING OIL, COSTING $748 FOR REPAIR. I WONDER IF THE CONSTANT RATTLING OF THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING CONTROL ACTUATOR AIDED IN THIS ISSUE. ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED TSB AND ONLINE COMPLAINTS, HONDA HAS KNOWN OF VTC ACTUATOR PROBLEM/SAFETY ISSUE SINCE 2012 WHICH MEANS THE HONDA TECHNICIANS WERE AWARE PRIOR TO MY CONSTANT COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, MY WARRANTY EXPIRING, AND AN ENORMOUS COST FOR REPAIRS. ANYTHING LESS THAN AN OFFICIAL RECALL FORCING HONDA TO REPLACE PART FOR WORKING ONE AT NO COST TO VEHICLE OWNER IS A LACK OF INTEGRITY, DECEITFUL DEALINGS AND UNFAIR TO HONDA LOYAL CONSUMERS.*DT