1997 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF SUBJECT VEHICLE. THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED WITHOUT WARNING THRICE ON MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD EX WAGON [XXX] WITH 31000 MILES; THE VEHICLE HAS NO BRAKE LIGHTS AFTER BRAKE SWITCH FAILS. PREVIOUS IDENTICAL FAILURES WERE AT 22000 MILES ON 06/18/2002 AND 164K MILES ON 09/29/2000. MY DEALER SAYS THAT SUCH A FAILURE IS TYPICAL AFTER EACH 100-150K MILES ON THESE VEHICLES. WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILS, THE OPERATOR MUST USE THE "SHIFT LOCK RELEASE" (SLR) TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR FROM THE PARK POSITION. PAGE 105 OF THE OWNS MANUAL MERELY STATES "IF YOU NEED TO USE THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE, IT COULD MEAN YOUR CAR IS DEVELOPING A PROBLEM. HAVE THE CAR CHECKED BY YOUR HONDA DEALER." THERE IS NO MENTION THAT THE CAR MAY NOT HAVE BRAKE LIGHTS. THERE NO DASH INDICATOR NOTIFYING THE DRIVER THAT THERE ARE NO BRAKE LIGHTS: THERE IS NO WARNING OF ANY SORT THAT ALL BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT. (THE "BRAKE LAMP" FAILURE DASH LAMP ONLY TELLS IF A BULB IS OUT IF THE BRAKE SWITCH IS WORKING.) THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENTS. IN THIS LASTEST BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE, I WAS 500 MILES FROM HOME AND OPERATED THE CAR FOR THE NEXT DAY UNAWARE OF THIS CONDITION UNTIL I RETURNED HOME AND WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED BY REPLACING THE BRAKE SWITCH AT A COST OF ABOUT $127. I HAVE MY SERVICE RECEIPTS FROM ALL THREE REPAIRS. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. A RECALL(98V231000) WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATIONNUMBER WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

I RECENTLY ABOUT 1 1/2 MONTHS AGO HAD MY BRAKE PADS REPLACED, 2 DAYS AGO THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF, I HAVE DONE ALL THE CHECKS AND EVERYTHING IS FINE...ESTIMATED REPAIR RUNS FROM $900-$1500..I HAVE ALSO NOTICED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER HONDA OWNERS FOR THE SAME THING I FEEL THAT HONDA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL AND GET THIS ISSUE CORRECTED..IT SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON THE CONSUMER HONDA NEEDS TO STAND UP AND TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE FACT THEY HAVE VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS. *JB

THE CONSUMER HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED ON A RECALL NUMBER 99I-0020000 ON JANUARY 20. THE SAME PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN IN JUNE. VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. THE CONSUMER WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE WRONG. *LA

THE AIR BAG MODULE FAILED CAUSING THE SENSOR LIGHT TO STAY ON. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *AK *SC THE VEHICLE HAD AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE DEALER REPLACED THE VALVE COVER GASKET. *JB

THE SRS LIGHT IN MY 1997 ACCORD WAGON IS ON FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST TIME HONDA SIMPLY TURNED IT OFF (AND CHARGED ME). NOW I WILL BE PAYING $1,000 TO HAVE THE SYSTEM REPLACED. THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON IN HONDAS AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE DEALER SHOULD PAY FOR OR HAVE HONDA RECALL. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SATISFIED WITH HONDA - THIS IS MY THIRD HONDA - AND IT WILL SURELY BE MY LAST.*AK

THE COMPLAINT IS REGARDING THE SRS MODULE. THE UNIT MALFUNCTIONED, GIVING A RED DASHBOARD ALARM LIGHT. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE TROUBLE LIGHT, BUT COULDN'T. THE DEALER INDICATED THE PART NUMBER ON MY SERVICE INVOICE AS HONDA PART # 06772-SV4-A71 FOR A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. I QUERIED SEVERAL SALVAGE YARDS FOR A USED PART AS THE OEM PART WAS IN EXCESS OF $500. I WAS SENT THE SRS MODULE FROM A SALVAGE YARD ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE SRS MODULE WAS INDEED FROM A 1997 HONDA, HOWEVER, MY SRS MODULE (THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE SRS MODULE) WAS FROM A 1996 HONDA.OBVIOUSLY, I PURCHASED A NEW 1997 HONDA WITH A 1996 ELECTRONIC PART. THIS PART WAS OR COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELF FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS BEFORE IT WAS INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. MY SRS PART NUMBER TAKEN FROM MY VEHICLE HAS PART # MODEL 77960-SV4-A93. WHAT IS A 1996 PART DOING IN MY "NEW" 1997 VEHICLE? MOREOVER, THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS A DIRECT REFLECTION ON LIFE OR DEATH..............NAMELY MINE AND MY FAMILY. ELECTRONIC PARTS ARE NOT LIKE ENGINE PARTS THAT HAVE INDEFINITE SHELF LIFE. A CRANK SHAFT CAN SIT ON A SHELF FOR 30 YEARS AND STILL WORK PROPERLY WHEN INSTALLED. TRY THE SAME THING WITH AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT. THANKS, STEVE CHLUDZINSKI. *AK

THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLAINT FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES USED ON A WIDE VARIETY OF HONDA VEHICLES OVER MULTIPLE PRODUCTION YEARS BEING ABLE TO UNLATCH DURING A COLLISION. TO KEEP THIS COMPLAINT FORM BRIEF, ONLY THE MAIN TOPICS WILL BE DISCUSSED. THE DEFECT CONSISTS OF THE SEATBELT FAILING TO FULLY LATCH IN PLACE IF A SMALL AMOUNT OF A BEVERAGE (USUALLY SODA POP) IS SPILLED INTO THE SEATBELT HOUSING. AFTER DRYING, THE BEVERAGE RESIDUE BECOMES STICKY AND THE DESIGN OF THE SEATBELT BUCKLE PREVENTS THE BUCKLE FROM LATCHING SECURELY. THE FAILURE MODE CAN BE EITHER THE SEATBELT NOT LATCHING AT ALL OR THE BUCKLE GIVING A 'FALSE LATCH' CONDITION MEANING THAT THE SEATBELT TONGUE CLICKS AND SEEMS TO HOLD IN PLACE NORMALLY TO THE OCCUPANT BUT IF PULLED FIRMLY IT WILL RELEASE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN TO OCCUPANTS. HONDA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND EVEN HAS RETURNED WARRANTY PARTS (ESTIMATE OVER 1000 FAILURES HAVE BEEN RETURNED BY CUSTOMERS) THAT IT HAS CATEGORIZED AS BSR (BROWN STICKY RESIDUE). THIS PROBLEM GOES BACK AT LEAST AS FAR AS 1994 (WITH THE 1994 STYLE DESIGN BEING ESPECIALLY PRONE TO THIS FAILURE). AS STATED, HONDA HAS RECEIVED MANY FAILURES OF THIS TYPE BACK BUT HAS TAKEN NO ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN WEARING THEIR SEAT BELT BUT WHEN IN A COLLISION IT UNLATCHED AND ALLOWED THEM TO BE INJURED. FURTHERMORE, WITH HONDA PLACING A CUPHOLDER JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE SEATBELT BUCKLE (AND WITH THE BUCKLE DESIGNED IN A FUNNEL SHAPE), IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HONDA KNEW BEVERAGES WOULD BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE BUCKLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED TO HELP SAVE LIVES. FORCING HONDA TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARRANTY CLAIMS IT HAS RECEIVED FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WOULD SHOW THAT HONDA HAS KNOWN OF THE DEFECT BUT HAS TAKEN NO STEPS TO CORRECT IT OR INFORM ITS CUSTOMERS OF THE DANGER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SRS LIGHT CAME ON TWICE, WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND, NEEDED TO BE RESET BY DEALER AT AT COST OF $60.00 EACH TIME. THIRD TIME LIGHT CAME ON, TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE IT RESET, TOLD THE CONTROL UNIT IS BAD REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT $800 +. TOLD THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT OR MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOUND DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.*AK