NHTSA Complaint #761663 — 1998 HONDA ACCORD

IN JULY 1998, I PURCHASED A 1998 HONDA ACCORD V6 EX. IN FEBRUARY 2000 THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CHECK AND EGR DEFECT OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND REPOSITIONING OF THE PCV VALVE AND HOSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONDA RECALL INSTRUCTIONS AND RESETTING THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT INDICATOR AT NO COST TO ME. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER. IN APRIL 2000, THE SECOND PROBLEM WITH THE EGR VALVE AS MANIFESTED BY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED BY REPLACEMENT OF THE PCV HOSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONDA RECALL INSTRUCTIONS AND RESETTING THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT INDICATOR AT NO COST TO ME. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER. IN OCTOBER 2000, THE THIRD OCCURRENCE OF THE EGR VALVE FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED BY CLEANING THE EGR PORT AND VALVE. THIS WAS PERFORMED AT A COST OF $66 PLUS TAX. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER. IN JANUARY 2001, A RELATED OCCURRENCE OF THE EGR PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH AN IDLE AIR CONTROLLER (IAC) MOTOR FAILING. THE EGR PORT AND VALVE WERE NOT CHECKED, HOWEVER THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WERE RESOLVED BY REPLACEMENT OF THE IAC MOTOR AND CLEARING OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR. THIS RESULTED IN A COST TO ME OF $226.69. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER. IN NOVEMBER 2001, I WAS SENT A NOTICE BY AMERICAN HONDA CONCERNING THE EGR FAILURES AND EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO 80,000 MILES. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER. IN MAY 2002, THE FOURTH EGR PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATING A PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE THE EGR VALVE FAILURE AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. THIS REPAIR HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE $800.00. HONDA?S DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER HAS DENIED THE CLAIM, SINCE THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 81,000 MILES, IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TO BE OUT-OF-WARRANTY BY HONDA AND THEREFORE REPAIRS WOULD BE AT MY COST. SERVICE OCCURRED AT DEALER IN TUCSON, AZ. AS A FURTHER POINT, HONDA HAS DENIED ALL CLAIMS FOR WORK DONE UNDER WARRANTY. *AK