1994 Honda Accord

A SEAL ON A SHAFT NEAR THE TIMING BELT CAME OFF CREATING A MASSIVE OIL LEAK. ALL BELTS AND PARTS WERE SOAKED WITH OIL. I HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TIMIMG BELT REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. I HAD JUST HAD THIS PROCEDURE AT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROBLEM MAY NOW BE RECOGNIZED BY HONDA AS THEY HAVE ISSUED A SEAL RETAINER TO HOLD THE SEAL IN PLACE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE BALANCER SHAFT SEAL BROKE AND ALL THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE. THIS CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO CRACK, RESULTING IN MY HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. HONDA AGREED TO SPLIT THE COST OF THE ENGINE 50/50, BUT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID THE TOTAL BILL, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE SINCE UPDATED THE SEAL, AND ARE NOW PUTTING A GUARD/PLATE ON THE SEAL TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. PLEASE INFORM AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER AS I WAS ON INTERSTATE 95 IN NEW JERSEY, AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE CAM BROKE. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE, AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *AK

MY VEHICLE HAD THE OIL PUMP SEAL "FALL OUT," CAUSING A LARGE VOLUME OF OIL TO BE PUMPED OUT OF THE ENGINE. FORTUNATELY THE ENGINE WAS NOT DAMAGED AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING USED FOR A TRIP OF ABOUT THREE MILES, AND WAS TURNED OFF BEFORE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED. MY AUTO TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THIS SEAL WAS LAYING INSIDE THE TIMING BELT COVER. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REPAIRED A NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. HE ALSO TOLD ME HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAS DESIGNED A RETAINER TO INSTALL TO KEEP THE SEAL FROM FALLING OUT. THIS RETAINER WAS INSTALLED BY HIM, PLUS A BUNCH OF OTHER BELTS THAT HAD BEEN SOAKED BY OIL AND RENDERED UNUSABLE. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER, BUT MY TECHNICIAN HAS TOLD ME THAT HONDA IS NOT OFFERING ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN COVERING THIS REPAIR, WHICH JUST COST ME $390.00. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL (IT LOST THREE QUARTS OF OIL OVER A DISTANCE OF A MILE OR LESS; IT ONLY HOLDS FOUR QUARTS!), POTENTIALLY CAUSING ENGINE LOCKUP AND THE REPLACEMENT OF AN ENGINE, PLUS OUR INCONVENIENCE. THIS IS APPARENTLY A DESIGN FLAW, AS HONDA HAS IMPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING THIS RETAINER FOR THE OIL PUMP SEAL. I THINK HONDA OWES ME SOME MONEY, AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL FROM HONDA TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THAT IS MY OPINION. I KNOW THE VEHICLE HAS 90000 MILES, BUT THIS WASN'T A PART THAT WORE OUT - IT FELL OUT! THAT IS PRIMARILY WHAT MY OPINION IS BASED ON. INCIDENTALLY, THIS VEHICLE HAS RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTENANCE FROM ME AND MY TECHNICIAN. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS AS WELL. THANK YOU. *AK

THE FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL BLEW OUT, CAUSING RAPID OIL LOSS, AND THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON. WE WERE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, 20 MILES FROM HOME. THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED. THE DEALER KNEW OF THIS SEAL PROBLEM AND SOLD ME A RETAINER (NOT MADE BY HONDA) THE TIMING BELT AND BALANCER BELT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO OIL DAMAGE, ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP, WHICH A DEALER WOULD REPLACE AT TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT. PARTS ALONE WERE $123.00. IF I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY HONDA THAT THIS SEAL MAY BLOW OUT, I WOULD HAVE INSTALLED THE RETAINER WHEN THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED AT 90,000 MILES. THE OIL COATED MUCH OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, AND POSED A FIRE AND POLLUTION HAZARD. I BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD BE MORE FORTHCOMING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.

TIMING BELT HAD BEEN REPLACED AT NORMAL 90,000 MILE CHECKUP. THE BALANCE SHAFT SEAL BROKE WHILE CAR IN DRIVEWAY, ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL WAS DISCHARGED. CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHERE THE SEAL AND ALL TIMING BELTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DENIED THAT THE "BLOWING" OF COUNTER SHAFT SEALS IS A PROBLEM WITH ACCORDS. ACCORDING TO COMPLAINTS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, IT APPEARS THAT ESPECIALLY IN 1999 THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (POSSIBLY A CONNECTION WITH THE CHANGING OF TIMING BELTS?). THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THERE IS EVEN A "FIX" USED BY SOME (BUT NOT ALL) HONDA DEALERS [SURE SEAL COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SEAL SHIELD]. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE LOCAL DEALER TO FULLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE FULL COST OF THIS REPAIR, AND I AM SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE. GIVEN YOUR RESEARCH, HOW EXTENSIVE IS THIS PROBLEM? I AM 20 YEAR HONDA OWNER, AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST HONDA IF I AM UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS REIMBURSEMENT ISSUE. I DON'T EXPECT HONDA'S TO BE PERFECT, BUT I DO EXPECT THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TO BE HONEST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE--I HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A "DRIVING VACATION" WITH MY SIXTEEN YEAR OLD SON. HAD EITHER OF US BEEN DRIVING WHEN THE SEAL BROKE, ENGINE LOCKED UP, ETC., THE INJURY AND/OR FATALITY SECTION OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN ANSWERED VERY DIFFERENTLY.