NHTSA Complaint #737491 — 1993 HONDA ACCORD

I LEFT MY HOME AND DROVE PAST ABOUT 8 OTHE HOUSES WHEN MY OIL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME AND PARKED IN THE GARAGE. A TRAIL OF OIL WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND A PUDDLE OF OIL FORMED IN THE GARAGE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO BAIERL HONDA WHO TOLD ME I NEEDED NEW ENGINE SEALS. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT HONDA HAS A "PRODUCT CAMPAIGN" TELLING SOME OWNERS OF HONDA ACCORDS ABOUT THIS VERY PROBLEM (BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL) AND TELLING THEM TO GET IT REPAIRED AT A DEALER OR IF THEY ALREADY HAD THE PROBLEM, TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FROM HONDA. MY FRIEND GOT THIS LETTER. HIS IS A 94 HONDA, MINE A 93. BAIERL TELLS ME MY YEAR IS NOT COVERED, HOWEVER, I NOTICED IN YOUR TECHNICAL BULLETIN DATA BASE THAT NHTSA ITEM NUMBER SBO49981 WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM FOR BOTH 1993 AND 1994 HONDAS. I ALSO NOTICED IN YOUR COMPLAINT DATA BASE ON 1993 HONDAS, THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT I GOT HOME BEFORE THE OIL COMPLETELY RAN OUT. OTHERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS WITH YOU WERE NOT SO FORTUNATE, INCURRING SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A LONG KNOWN PROBLEM WIT HONDAS AND I FEEL HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME JUST AS THEY ARE THOSE WITH 94S AND HIGHER. I HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A SERIOUS ENGINEERING DEFECT THAT CLEARLY STARTED BEFORE 1994. IT COST ME $521.68 TO REPAIR THIS. NOW I HAVE A QUARTER SIZE LEAK OF OIL EVERY MORNING THAT NEVER EXISITED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND THE DEALER CLAIMS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THE DEALER ALSO SAYS THAT 1993 HONDAS DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT SINCE THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN, HE IS CLEARLY IN THE DARK IF NOT LYING. I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT HONDA AMERICA BUT EACH TIME I DO, I AM TOLD THE CALL VOLUME IS HIGH AND TO CALL BACK LATER AND THEN I AM CUT OFF. I ASKED BAIERL HONDA TO CONTACT HONDA ON MY BEHALF AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ASSIST ME IN RECOVERING MY MONEY FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS CLEARLY KNOWN BY HONDA.