1991 Honda Accord

DRIVERS DOOR FAILED TO OPEN FROM OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. HAD TO CLIMB OVER STICK SHIFT TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. WHEN CHECKING WITH LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY FIX AN AVERAGE OF TWO A WEEK. WHILE I WAS ABLE TO CLIMB OUT, ELDERLY OR WEIGHT CHALLENGED WOULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME. HONDA HAS NOT CONSIDERED THIS A RECALL SITUATION. *AK

DRIVER'S-SIDE DOOR LATCH JUST FAILED AND THE DOOR WAS JAMMED SHUT. THIS IS THE ONLY CASE OF A DOOR LATCH JUST FAILING IN ANY VEHICLE THAT I OR ANY OF MY FAMILY/FRIENDS HAVE EVER OWNED. THIS COST OVER $700 TO REPAIR (SINCE THE DOOR WAS JAMMED SHUT)AND ALTHOUGH HONDA HAS UNOFFICIAL DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE DRILLING (FROM THE INSIDE) PROCEDURE TO RELEASE THE JAMMED LATCH, THEY HAVE NO OFFICIAL DOCUMENT RELATING TO THIS. WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER, I WAS BASICALLY TOLD "SORRY, YOUR CAR IS PAST THE WARRANTY" - END OF STORY. FROM THE REPORTS I HAVE SEEN ON THIS WEB SITE AND IN TALKING WITH A LOCAL HONDA MECHANIC, IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THIS TYPE. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL DOOR LATCH DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE, SINCE I HAVE NEVER OWNED ANY CAR (OF ANY AGE) OR EVEN HEARD OF A CAR (BESIDES THE ACCORD REPORTS I GOT FROM THIS WEB SITE AND THE LOCAL HONDA MECHANIC) WHERE THE DOOR LATCH JUST FAILED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS REPRESENTS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, SINCE IF THE LATCH MECHANISM IS PRONE TO FAILURE WITHOUT ANY OUTSIDE INFLUENCE, THEN THAT MECHANISM WILL BE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO FAIL IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, JAMMING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR SHUT AND PREVENTING EASY EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE HONDA CORPORATION SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO CORRECT THIS DEFICIENCY BY REPLACING THE FAULTY DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS, OR AT LEAST OFFERING TO COMPENSATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD TO SPEND WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE AN INORDINATE SUM OF MONEY TO REPAIR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IT HAS TAKEN ME NEARLY A YEAR TO GET AROUND TO WRITING THIS, AND I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET THAT FOR EACH PERSON WHO FILES A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR AGENCY OR DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FILE A REPORT. THANK YOU.*AK

WHY HAS NORTH AMERICAN HONDA NOT ISSUED A RECALL OF ALL HONDA DOOR FAILURES ? ACCORDING TO OUR MECHANIC, THERE HAS BEEN THOUSANDS OF THE VERY SAME DOOR LOCK FAILURES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. WE SPENT OVER $600.00 DOLLARS TO GET OUR DOOR CUT OFF, SO THA IT COULD HAVE THE INTERNAL PARTS REPLACED, SO THAT WE COULD OPEN THE DOOR NORMALLY. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPEND IF IT OCCURED DURING AN ACCIDENT, AND THEN WE COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, WHAT IF BECAUSE OF THE FAILING WE HAD DIED ? WHAT THEN, WOULD NORTH AMERICAN HONDA ISSUE A RECALL THEN ? IS THAT THE PRICE IT TAKES TO GET SOMEBODY TO NOTICE THE OBVIOUS AND BLATANT DISREGARD THAT HONDA HAS FOR IT'S CUSTOMERS AND THE SAFETY OF ALL AMERICANS WHO DRIVE THESE DEATH TRAPS JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN? I DEMAND A RECALL!, BEFORE SOMEONE DIES, ALL BECAUSE A GREEDY CORPORATION WAS UNWILLING TO RECTIFY A FAULT CLEARLY OF THEIR OWN MAKING, AND TOO CALLOUS TO CARE ABOUT THE LIVES AND SAFTY OF AMERICAN DRIVERS.