1999 Honda Odyssey

THE AFFINITY FIRESTONE TIRES RIPPED ALL AWAY AROUND THE TREAD OF THE TIRE NEAR THE OUTSIDE WALL ON THE FRONT TIRES. THESE HARE 80,000 MILE TREAD WARRANTY AND THESE TIRES WERE COMMING APART AT 35,000 MILES. THE TIRES WERE PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND WERE ROTATED ON SCHEDULE. THESE TIRES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL SIMILAR TO THE OTHER CURRENTLY FIRESTONES TIRES. THIS ISSUE SHOULD NOT GO UNNOTICED BY THE NHTSA. WE ARE VERY LUCKLY THAT WE CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE A FAILURE OCCURED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN TIRES COME APART LIKE THIS. PLEASE TAKE ACTION QUICKLY. THE 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY IS THE FIRST YEAR OF ITS NEW HEAVIER/BIGGER DESIGN. WHETHER THIS A TIRE ISSUE OR A CAR ISSUE A SAFETRY CONCERN EXIST.*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/65R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P215/65R16 )

THIS VEHICLE HAS A RECALL ON IT, BUT SINCE I PURCHASED IT LEGALLY IN CANADA HONDA DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANY REPAIRS ON IT, FORCING ME TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A FEW DEALERS ABOUT THIS & THEY TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE MANY CUSTOMERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. HONDA WANTS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM BUYING ITS' CARS IN CANADA SO THEY ARE NOT HONORING THE WARRANTIES AND RECALLS IN THE U.S. FORCING MANY PEOPLE TO DRIVE WITH UNSAFE VEHICLES. I ALSO HAVE A MALFUNCTIONING AUTOMATIC SIDE DOOR WHICH COULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING WITH CHILDREN INSIDE. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION FOR ALL THE ABOVE. PLEASE HELP ME. IN THE LIGHT OF THE FORD EXPLORER ISUUE THIS IS JUST UNBELIVEABLE. *AK

I BOUGHT A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY IN APRIL, 1999. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 13,000 MILES. ON 11/13/2000, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN SHE STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE. WITHIN A MILE, ALL ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHE GOT OUT OF THE VAN; WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE; THEY SAY THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND THAT THERE IS $18,000 IN DAMAGE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS INVESTIGATED; THEY SAY THERE IS $19,000 IN DAMAGE -- A TOTAL LOSS. MY QUESTIONS: 1. WHAT'S THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE -- A HONDA DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT, OR A DEALER INSTALLATION ERROR? (I HAD THE LOCAL DEALER INSTALL A HONDA CASSETTE DECK IN NOVEMBER, 1999; I HAD TO TAKE THE VAN BACK FOR REPAIRS A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN I NOTICED THAT CERTAIN ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES NO LONGER WORKED CORRECTLY AND MY BATTERY WENT DEAD.) 2. WHAT LEVERAGE DO I HAVE TO GET SPECIAL TREATMENT (E.G., A GOOD DEAL ON A NEW VAN, TEMPORARY TRANSPORTATION) FROM HONDA AND THE DEALER? (MY WIFE IS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT, SHE HAD OUR 20-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VAN WITH HER; THEY ARE FINE, BUT A BYSTANDER HAD TO HELP THEM GET OUT OF THE VAN -- THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT.) I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO HAS CONTACTED HONDA. NEITHER WANTS TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY TRANSPORTATION (MY INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER IT); THE BEST THEY'VE OFFERED IS TO EXPEDITE DELIVERY OF A REPLACEMENT (AT LEAST 2-3 MORE WEEKS). AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL CHARGE ME MSRP OR GIVE ME A DISCOUNT. *AK

I BOUGHT A 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY IN APRIL, 1999. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 13,000 MILES. ON 11/13/2000, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN SHE STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE. WITHIN A MILE, ALL ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHE GOT OUT OF THE VAN; WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE; THEY SAY THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND THAT THERE IS $18,000 IN DAMAGE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS INVESTIGATED; THEY SAY THERE IS $19,000 IN DAMAGE -- A TOTAL LOSS. MY QUESTIONS: 1. WHAT'S THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE -- A HONDA DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT, OR A DEALER INSTALLATION ERROR? (I HAD THE LOCAL DEALER INSTALL A HONDA CASSETTE DECK IN NOVEMBER, 1999; I HAD TO TAKE THE VAN BACK FOR REPAIRS A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN I NOTICED THAT CERTAIN ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES NO LONGER WORKED CORRECTLY AND MY BATTERY WENT DEAD.) 2. WHAT LEVERAGE DO I HAVE TO GET SPECIAL TREATMENT (E.G., A GOOD DEAL ON A NEW VAN, TEMPORARY TRANSPORTATION) FROM HONDA AND THE DEALER? (MY WIFE IS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT, SHE HAD OUR 20-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE VAN WITH HER; THEY ARE FINE, BUT A BYSTANDER HAD TO HELP THEM GET OUT OF THE VAN -- THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT.) I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO HAS CONTACTED HONDA. NEITHER WANTS TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY TRANSPORTATION (MY INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER IT); THE BEST THEY'VE OFFERED IS TO EXPEDITE DELIVERY OF A REPLACEMENT (AT LEAST 2-3 MORE WEEKS). AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL CHARGE ME MSRP OR GIVE ME A DISCOUNT. *AK