NHTSA Complaint #740250 — 1996 HONDA ACCORD

WHILE DRIVING, THE OIL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL AND FOUND THAT IT TOOK ALMOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL TO FILL IT BACK UP. I THEN STARTED THE CAR TO SEE WHY AND WHERE THE OIL WAS COMING FROM AND IT WAS GUSHING OUT OF THE TIMING BELT COVER. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A BLOWN BALANCER SHAFT SEAL. AFTER EVERYTHING WAS ADDED UP, IT COST $653.80 TO REPAIR. WE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT TO THE DEALER WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED, BUT WERE TOLD IT WAS A WEARABLE PART THAT WE WERE UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE GO. MY FATHER RECENTLY TOLD ME HE READ IN A LOCAL NEWSPAPER AUTOMOTIVE COLUMN THAT A WOMAN HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I LOOKED UP THE NHTSA WEBSITE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT, AND WAS VERY SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY 15 MONTH OLD SON, AND THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LOSS OF OIL, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN OF THIS PROBLEM HOPEFULLY HONDA WILL ISSUE A RECALL; HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL OUT $653.80.*AK