There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters.
We try to boil down it to the most important bits and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.
Honda blames the problem on insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out. Weld, that stinks.
The recalled vehicles include some 2015 Acura MDX, 2016 Acura MDX, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey and 2016 Honda Pilot. However, the issue only affects 39 vehicles.
The recall was expected to begin on July 8th, 2016.
keep reading article "Gas Tank Leak Recall"The HandsFreeLink lawsuit was filed against Honda, parent organization of Acura and one of the first companies to use Bluetooth hands-free technology, calling it HandsFreeLink.
The system allows a driver to "pair" a smartphone with the car, but according to the plaintiff, Honda should have warned consumers about the alleged defects that cause batteries to drain at alarming rates.
Chances are this isn't only happening to Acura owners.
keep reading article "Honda’s Parasitic Bluetooth Problem"NHTSA says based on new testing of Takata airbag inflators, 313,000 older vehicles have a 50 percent chance of experiencing ruptures of the inflators during the deployment of the airbags.
A FIFTY percent chance. That's about 49.999999% too high.…
The 2004-2007 Accord has been recalled because they were assembled with an incorrect front passenger airbag module that doesn't comply with what Honda says is the "advanced airbag requirements._" Or put another way, the fix ain't workin'.…
keep reading article "Here We Go Again with Takata"The theory has been a combination of an underpowered battery and a defective starter motor were to blame, but there might be more to it according to Service Bulletin #16-002 which Honda released earlier this month.
In the bulletin, the automaker says the clearance between the starter motor gear and the torque converter ring gear is not optimal
and that can cause issues with the starter system.
To fix it, technicians are advised to rotate the torque converter clockwise by one bolt in addition to replacing the starter motor. The fix is covered under warranty but that only covers vehicles up to 3 years and 36,000 miles.
keep reading article "Here's Why Some Accord and Crosstour Sedans Are Having Such a Hard Time Starting"You've probably heard about Takata by now. They're the ones responsible for airbag inflators that explode with too much force, sometimes sending metal shrapnel flying throughout the cabin. They're also the ones that have been linked to a number of deaths and injuries.
The good news here is that these particular inflators (PSDI-5) don't have the same history of rupturing. The bad news is replacement parts aren't expected to be available until later this year.
Needless to say, Takata isn't going to make anyone's holiday card list.
keep reading article "PSDI-5 Takata Inflators Recalled in 2.2 Million Honda Vehicles"
Honda says the 2008-2010 Honda Accords have airbags that can fail to deploy in a crash, something that has so far caused two injuries. Continental told Honda the problem is a defect in the electronic control unit of supplemental restraint system (SRS), all caused by moisture and corrosion.
Recently, Continental announced they needed to recall 5 million airbags that were succeptible to corrosion. The airbags in question might fail to deploy in a crash.
Honda doesn't expect parts to be ready until in the fall of 2016.…
keep reading article "Continental Airbags Are Injuring Accord Owners"Honda is telling its dealerships to stop selling the 2016 model year until their engines can be fixed. The Civics have problems with the piston pin snap rings, and in some situations the cars were manufactured with missing piston pin snap rings. Owners of 1.5-liter turbocharged cars are not affected and the recall of the 2-liter cars hasn't been officially announced.
Mechanics are being told to inspect the engine's 4 cylinders using a borescope. There's two issues, however. 1) There aren't enough borescopes to go around and 2) If any problems are found Honda doesn't have replacement parts ready. Other than that, this recall is going swimingly.
keep reading article "Piston Snap Rings Recalled in the 2016 Civic"Soy vey. When the lead plaintiff brought his 2014 Crosstour in for service, the mechanic found a rabbit living in the engine compartment and using the wires as a chew toy. To be fair, it is a warm place to hang out with lots of free soy-based snacks.
Of course, it wasn't really free. The damage cost the owner $765 dollars. That's a lot of carrots.
We've certainly heard about this before. Honda defends itself by saying it sells anti-critter tape that can be wrapped around the wires. The tape is laced with enough capsaicin (the stuff that makes peppers hot) to melt the whiskers off anything that comes sniffing around.
The lawsuit thinks owners shouldn't get stuck paying for repairs and the red-hot-chili-tape should be available for free. What do you think?
keep reading article "Rodents Just Love Honda's Soy Wiring"Why all the shaking? This was Honda's first attempt at combining their direct-injected "Earth Dreams" engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to shake out some extra MPGs.
It worked. Unfortunately, it shakes everything else as well.…
keep reading article "It's Been a Bumpy Ride for 2015 CR-V Owners"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.