NHTSA Complaint #731633 — 1996 HONDA ACCORD

WHILE DRIVING, OIL LIGHT INDICATOR SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND PROCEEDED TO NEAREST GAS STATION. I TOLD THE GAS STATION MECHANIC THAT MY OIL LIGHT INDICATOR HAD SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING. GAS STATION MECHANIC OPENED UP THE HOOD AND CHECKED THE OIL. DIPSTICK CAME UP DRY. ALL OIL HAD BEEN LOST. GAS STATION MECHANIC PROCEEDED TO PUT TWO QUARTS OF OIL IN VEHICLE. WHILE DOING THIS GAS STATION MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR OIL LEAK. HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS OF A DEFECTIVE OIL SEAL IN 1996 HONDA ACCORDS AND HE ADVISED ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALERSHIP. AT THAT TIME, I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY WHO PROVIDED TOWING SERVICES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ED MORSE HONDA ON US1 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. I ADVISED MARK GREENE, SERVICE ATTENDANT AT ED MORSE, OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE GAS STATION MECHANIC HAD MENTIONED A DEFECTIVE OIL SEAL. I LEFT VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP AND THEY PROMISED TO CALL WITH AN ESTIMATE. WHEN MR. GREEN CALLED BACK WITH THE ESTIMATE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE OIL SEAL WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY HONDA. THE COST TO FIX THE OIL SEAL WAS $510. MR. GREENE ALSO RECOMMENDED REPLACING TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP FOR AN ADDITIONAL $170.