NHTSA Complaint #714054 — 1994 HONDA ACCORD

TIMING BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED AT NORMAL 90,000 MILE CHECKUP. THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BROKE WHILE CAR IN DRIVEWAY, ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL WAS DISCHARGED. CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHERE THE SEAL AND ALL TIMING BELTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DENIED THAT THE "BLOWING" OF COUNTER SHAFT SEALS IS A PROBLEM WITH ACCORDS. ACCORDING TO COMPLAINTS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, IT APPEARS THAT ESPECIALLY IN 1999 THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (POSSIBLY A CONNECTION WITH THE CHANGING OF TIMING BELTS?). THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THERE IS EVEN A "FIX" USED BY SOME (BUT NOT ALL) HONDA DEALERS [SURE SEAL COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL SHIELD]. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE LOCAL DEALER TO FULLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE FULL COST OF THIS REPAIR, AND I AM SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE. GIVEN YOUR RESEARCH, HOW EXTENSIVE IS THIS PROBLEM? I AM 20 YEAR HONDA OWNER, AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST HONDA IF I AM UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS REIMBURSEMENT ISSUE. I DON'T EXPECT HONDA'S TO BE PERFECT, BUT I DO EXPECT THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TO BE HONEST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE--I HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A "DRIVING VACATION" WITH MY SIXTEEN YEAR OLD SON. HAD EITHER OF US BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE SEAL BROKE, ENGINE LOCKED UP, ETC., THE INJURY AND/OR FATALITY SECTION OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN ANSWERED VERY DIFFERENTLY.