NHTSA Complaint #11299416 — 2007 HONDA CR-V

VEHICLE FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE REAR FRAME AND THE RISK OF THE REAR-TRAILING SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME AND LIKELIHOOD OF AN ENSUING ACCIDENT. THE INSPECTION STATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDED AGAINST REPAIR DUE TO THE STRESS POINT, AND INTEGRITY OF THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES. I OPENED CASE # 10157114 WITH AMERICAN HONDA, AND THEY HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE ISSUE ALONG WITH PICTURES TAKEN BY AN AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER. THIS SAME ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED IN 2019 BY TRANSPORT CANADA RECALL # 2019025. HONDA CANADA'S STATEMENT REGARDING THE RECALL: "EXCESSIVE CORROSION TO THE REAR FRAME MAY RESULT IN FRAME STIFFENER PERFORATION AND, IN EXTREME CASES, CAUSE THE REAR-TRAILING ARM TO SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE'S FRAME STRUCTURE. A SEPARATED REAR-TRAILING ARM MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." AMERICAN HONDA (USA) REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE, AND INSISTS THIS IS ONLY A HONDA CANADA ISSUE. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT STANCE IS THAT CANADIAN PRODUCTION OF THE CR-V MODEL DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL THE 2012 MODEL YEAR. CR-VS FOR BOTH THE CANADIAN AND US MARKETS FOR THE 2007-2011 MODEL YEARS WERE PRIMARILY PRODUCED IN EAST LIBERTY, OH, USA AND SAYAMA, SAITAMA, JAPAN. THUS THE MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE FRAMES OF THE VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THE CANADIAN RECALL WILL EXACTLY MATCH THOSE SOLD IN THE USA AS THEY CAME OFF THE SAME PRODUCTION LINES. THE VEHICLE SUBJECT OF THIS COMPLAINT WAS ASSEMBLED AT THE JAPAN FACILITY.