1990 Honda Accord

I WAS PARKING CAR, BRAKING AS I ENTERED SPOT WHEN CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD, JUMPING A CONCRETE PARKING CURB AND SLAMMING INTO A CONCRETE BLOCK WALL. BRAKING DID NOT SLOW CAR. CAR WAS STOPPED BY STEEL THREADS IN WALL, ALTHOUGH WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN UNTIL IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. ALL ELECTRICAL (SEAT BELT, LIGHTS,ETC.) WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL AFTER IGNITION TURNED OFF. *AK

OUR MECHANIC SAID OURS WAS THE SECOND CAR HE HAD SEEN THIS WEEK, WHERE A GASKET ABOVE THE TIMING BELT FELL OUT, DRAINING THE ENGINE OF OIL AND SATURATING THE TIMING BELT WITH OIL, REQUIRING IT TO BE REPLACED SO IT DOESN'T BREAK AND DAMAGE THE ENGINE. OUR HONDA ACCORD IS A 1990. THE OTHER HONDA OUR MECHANIC HAD REPAIRED WITH THIS PROBLEM WAS A 1994. THERE IS A BRACKET THAT CAN BE OBTAINED TO KEEP THE GASKET FROM FALLING OUT, BUT HONDA HAS NOT OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS. *AK

DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH FAILURE. CAN'T OPEN DOOR FROM INSIDE OR OUT. DEALER SAYS OLD LATCH MUST BE DRILLED OUT. DEALER ALSO STATES THAT HONDA WILL NOT PICKUP THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT OR IF A CHILD SOMEHOW GOT INSIDE A PARKED CAR AND WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT.*AK

I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CAR SEAT WE HAD BEEN USING WITH MY DAUGHTER. IT WAS A COSCO CAR SEAT/HIGH BACK BOOSTER MODEL NUMBER 02-442-JUB. SHE IS WIGGLING THE "EASY TO USE" ONE PIECE HARNESS RETAINER UNTIL THE SEAT BELT IS FREED AND THEREFORE OFFERING HER NO PROTECTION. SHE HAD DONE THIS AT SEVEN MONTHS OF AGE. CHILDREN AT THIS AGE HAVE NO CONCEPT OF RIGHT AND WRONG AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE TAUGHT TO "NOT" UNHOOK THE BELT. WE DID HOWEVER TRY TO DIVERT HER ATTENTION TO OTHER OBJECTS WHICH WORKED FOR A FEW MINUTES ONLY. I WROTE TO COSCO WANTING TO INFORM THEM OF THIS DANGER AND I WAS TOLD I SHOULD USE "POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT" TO KEEP MY CHILD FROM UNHOOKING HER BELT. ??? POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AT 7 MONTHS OLD? NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT IS AN IMPOSSIBLE "IDEAL". I FEEL THIS SEAT SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM FOR THE CHEST COMPONENT OF THE 5 POINT HARNESS. THAT ALONE WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO PROTECT "OUR" CHILDREN. *AK

POWER DOOR LATCH FAILS TO ALLOW DOOR TO OPEN AT TIMES,DOOR WOULD NOT ALLOW AN EXIT IN AN EMERGENCY, IF SOME HOW THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE YOU COULD NOT GET OUT WITHOUT CLIMBING OVER THE SEAT TO THE NEXT DOOR, THIS DOOR LATCH HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN JUST OVER 1 YEAR. HONDA KNOWS THAT THESE ARE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE DEALER PARTS COUNTERS STOCK THIS DOOR LATCH,HONDA ONLY WARRANTYS THESE LATCHES FOR 1 YEAR. *AK

NORMALLY WHEN YOU TRYING TO EXIT THE CAR DRIVER OPENS THE DOOR AND THE SHOULDER BELT MOVES FORWARD TO LET YOU EXIT. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM REPORTING IS THAT INSTEAD OF THE BELT MOVING FORWARD IT MOVES BACK TOWARD THE DRIVER' OR PASSANGER, SECURING THEM WITH EXTRA FORCE TO THE POINT YOU ARE UNABLE TO MOVE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ONLY 5 OR 6 TIMES A YEAR. WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE ONLY WAY I HAVE FOUND TO BYPASS IT IS TO RECLOSE THE DOOR AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND THEN REOPEN THE DOOR. I HAVE TRIED TO DISCONNECT THE BELT FROM THE UPPER CLIP TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON MY CHEST AND THEN GO THROUGH THE RESTARTING PROCESS. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM EARLY ON TO THE DEALER. BUT NATURALLY I COULD NOT DEMONSTRATE IT TO THEM, AND THEY COULD NOT MAKE IT HAPPENED. SO I HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE IT MAY BE HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE, AND IN MY OPINION IT COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. *AK