NHTSA Complaint #702442 — 1998 HONDA ACCORD

ABOUT 4 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR, THE CLUTCH STARTED MAKING SOME LOUD SQUEEKS WHILE PRESSING OR RELEASING THE CLUTCH. THE SQUEEK GOT LOUDER AS THE TRAFFIC GOT HEAVIER. WHILE THIS WAS OCCURING THE CLUTCH BECOMES HARD AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL (TOO MUCH RELEASE OR TOO LITTLE). I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP (HONDA WORLD, WESTMINSTER) AND TOLD THEM. THEY SAID IT WAS THE MASTER CYLINDER AND AT THIS MOMENT THERE WAS NO REPLACEMENT. I WAITED ABOUT 2 MONTHS THEN FINALLY IN AUGUST '98 IT WAS REPLACED. I LEFT FOR A TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO MY DESTINATION IT WAS ALREADY OCCURING AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY AND GOING UP STEEP HILLS IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE THE RELEASE IN THE CLUTCH BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SMOOTH- IT FELT LIKE IT WAS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING ELSE, I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AS SOON AS I CAME BACK. AT THIS MOMENT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECT AND THEY HAD NO SOLUTIONS AND THAT I COULD ONLY WAIT. AFTER WAITING FOR AWHILE I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA AND TOLD MY PROBLEM. THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARED BUT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THIS TIME. THEY PROMISED TO CALL ME TO KEEP ME INFORM OF THE SITUATION WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN. IN ONE OF THE PHONE CALLS I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD A PART BUT IT WAS ONLY TEMPORARY AND IT WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. AT THIS MOMENT OTHER THINGS HAVE COME OUT - THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK GIVES ME ELECTRICAL SHOCKS WHILE LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR AND THESE ARE NOT MINOR SHOCKS. ALSO SOMETIMES THE BRAKES SQUEAK WHILE PRESSING - IT HAPPENED A LITTLE BIT WHEN I GOT IT BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE BECAUSE IT WAS NEW. I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK WITH A CAR WITH THESE MANY PROBLEMS - IT WAS NEW AND I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL THE SCHEDULE MAINTANCE, ALL THE HELP GIVEN IT GREATLY APPRECIATED IT, THANK YOU...