NHTSA Complaint #11296977 — 2010 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE CAR IS CURRENTLY REGISTERING INDIVIDUAL CYLINDER AND MULTIPLE RANDOM CYLINDER MISFIRES. WHEN STARTING- THE ENGINE WILL VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEN WILL EVEN OUT AND RUN NORMALLY. AT IDLE, THE ENGINE WILL EXPERIENCE MILDLY EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS AND HAVE REPLACED COILS AND SPARK PLUGS. ONE REPAIR SHOP MENTIONED A VALVE TIMING CONTROL CODE ON THEIR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN OFFICIAL DEALER FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY THIS CODE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT A VALVE ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED. I THEN RETRIEVED THE CAR AND HAD AN ALTERNATE DEALER FOR THE MANUFACTURER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THIS SECOND DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALSO INDICATED THAT A VALVE ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED. THE VALVE ADJUSTMENT REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY FOR A FEW DAYS THEN BEGAN REAND AN GULAR MODERATE TO HEAVY VIBRATION, THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF THEN EVENTUALLY STAYED ON CONTINUOUSLY. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO HAD DONE THE VALVE ADJUSTMENT AND THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CAR ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR THAT BOTH HEAD GASKETS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THIS MANUFACTURER RELATED TO VALVE TIMING CONTROL PROBLEMS LEADING TO CYLINDER MISFIRES AND ENGINE FAILURE WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OFFERED AS A RESULT. I CALLED THE NATIONAL CORPORATE OFFICES AND INQUIRED IF THIS WARRANTY APPLIED TO MY VEHICLE. THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY RELATED TO THE ISSUES I HAD DESCRIBED BUT THAT THE VIN FOR MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED AMONG THE WARRANTED VEHICLES. I WAS TOLD MY ONLY OPTION WOULD BE TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF THE NHSTA COULD REQUIRE THE MANUFACTURER TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY FOR REPAIR AS THE WARRANTY RESULTED FROM A LAWSUIT RELATED TO A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE CAR.