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Comments
bbrown
Like all of you my 2001 Honda Passport frame is completely rusted. My mechanic indicated that the trailing arm on the drivers side is weak right at the stress point. A pot hole or stopping too hard could cause it to break. (and I am hauling 3 children in this car!!!!)
I am thinking about contacting the media. I need to get the word out to more owners about the dangers of this car. Any lawyers out there with any advice?
Derek L. Rinehardt
Safety Defects Engineer / Federal Investigator
U.S Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Defects Investigation, Vehicle Controls Division
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
W48-219, NVS-213
Washington, DC 20590
Office: (202) 366-3642, (877) 536-8368 x63642
Fax: (202) 366-1767
Email-Derek.Rinehardt@dot.gov
I too am completely frustrated. If you would like to talk directly via email (or I'll give you my #) you can reach me at @ sterling6243@sbcglobal.net. That goes for anyone out there in the forum too. It would be nice to talk to someone directly who is going through this. I think my family, friends and neighbors are getting a little sick of hearing about it. Their attitude is well, "get a new car." They only feel the pain and injustice from afar. Anyway, if you need to talk just let me know. I know I need to.
If you start a list of affected vehicles, include the VIN in your data.
My sons Rodeo has over 100k miles and no sign of rust. There is something unique about some suspension parts that might be identified by construction sequence.
http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=11569196
Love this truck, every option with 160 K miles, just can't "Trust It" with the frame thing so we bought a "JEEP", Please forgive me.
AlanNH
part way down on the left hand side and go through the steps, Im "Puter Stupid" and it only took me about 20 minutes to complete. After you "submit" your complaint you'll recieve confirmation by e-mail with a confirmation number, a direct link to your complaint and phone numbers, probably with really bad music and a killer "Hold Button". What else to we have to do, we can't go anywhere with our Rodeo's and Passport's.
Merry Christmas Everyone
I"m new to this forum as many are and and I do not believe that we have to set up accounts at Facebook that none of us can find, call the media or Road & Track Magazine, why not try the "KISS SYSTEM", Keep It Simple Stupid.
www.nhtsa.dot.gov and have your VIN # ready wether you still have the vehicle or not and at Description tell them the "How's and Why Nots".
Suzanne10, stay in your vehicle at the "Stop Light" cause you might be run over by a frame rotted out of control Passport or Rodeo.
Keep it simple? How do we keep it simple when a recall may take up to five years, and these vehicles are sitting parked in our driveways. Nothing simple about the fact that Honda and Isuzu did a job on us.
Filing with nhtsa is not the end, so if that is your KISS system, better take the next step.
I think an automotive magazine would have a field day with this. Especially considering the fact that they are denying any safety issue, when it clearly is one. Earlier this year, Honda was running ads on TV about their vehicles being on the road for 20 years, then Passport owners started calling them, and the ad was pulled after being questioned about what vehicles were still out there. Interesting the power of the people. I was one of those people who asked Tony Lopez about the TV ads and false advertisement.
This forum is to talk about the issues and come up with suggestions, recommendations and helpful info for the other Passport and Rodeo owners. Not to make us feel like idiots. Thanks for your input.
Parting out the vehicle would be a way to recoup some of our lost money. I reiterate that point. No one in their right mind would take a sledge hammer to the grill. That is just silly. The engines are bolted in, not held on by something in the grill. And I believe that engines are lifted out through the hood, not through the fenders, at least not any vehicle I have ever seen an engine job done one. Sure you got a Passport?
Suzanne10, sorry about the Passport, but so glad you got a new and safe vehicle.
The day the add hit the newspaper that the vehicle was being "Parted Out" the phone began to ring at all hours asking if I had this and that and what the part numbers were, part numbers? Then they start showing up with a "Song & Dance" about how far they had come and it's not really what they need but will take it for half what I was asking and it goes on and on, as I said, we're not in the salvage business. marinaky you are correct again, the engine is unbolted from the frame and removed through the hood opening if and engine hoist is available and if one is not on site will have to be removed manually by jacking it up from the bottom and removing it by taking out the grill or removing a fender and fender well, the sledge hammer thing was a joke unless the seller is not there to witness the removal of the engine.
Way too much aggravation for what it was worth.
I believe that the bottom line is that all of us want one thing, to be successful in a recall on these vehicles. To be compensated for the loss of our vehicles. To protect other Passport and Rodeo drivers. To have Honda and Isuzu admit that they were wrong, that this is a safety issue, not just for the drivers and passengers but for others on the road who could be injured if one of these vehicles lost control and plowed into another car. The fact that each and every one of the Passports and Rodeos have the exact same piece that has rusted off, that all these vehicles have frames riddled with rust is unacceptable. That so many of us were driving the vehicles when this happened, but were luckily going at a low rate of speed when this occurred, thus no one was seriously injured. Yet. YET. Because there is someone out there driving a Passport or Rodeo, someone who has no reason to doubt their vehicle's safety or stability, someone who has no reason to look at Edmunds Forum for rust issues, and that unsuspecting driver is going to be involved in a big accident, possibly a fatality, and then, and only then, will the nhtsa, the BBB and the federal invesigator take this to the next level. That was Suzanne10's concern, that has been my concern all along, that is the concern of many of us partaking in this forum. Someone or someone's family will die, and then the word will get out. We are aware of the situation, we have the photos to prove the rust problem and we have experienced the moment our vehicles failed us. Meanwhile, we sit and wait.
If a news station trouble shooter would cover this, the information would reach so many more people. If an automobile magazine would do a story on this, many more people would be reached, either by reading it or by word of mouth.
When I first started looking into this after my Passport failed on me, I contacted Honda America in California. Tony Lopez from Honda America personally told me "yes, we know there is a problem, but when only thousands of vehicles are involved, and millions were made, we do not consider it to be an issue". This statement was made after denial after denial of any "known problem". He lead me to believe that I was the first to file a complaint with Honda about this issue. But in a later conversation, he stated the above statement. All my conversations with Tony Lopez were recorded by him, I made sure of that. Whether they get "lost" in the shuffle, I don't know. I messed up by not recording them myself. I took notes during our conversations, and there were several, but have no concrete proof other than my word.
Let's hope this comes to light before someone dies.
And if I have to part our my Passport to recoup some of my losses, so be it. Right now it is worthless sitting in my driveway taking up the space. The worse part is that we are the original owners of the Passport, any my husband has taken excellent care of all our vehicles throughout the years. Tony Lopez told me that if we took better care of our Passport and crawled underneath it every time we did the oil change, this would never have happened. Again, that is almost a direct quote from a member of Honda America. He also told that same thing to a number of other people who I have been in contact with who have Passports with frame rust issue.
It has been almost a year since my Passport let me down, 1/21/09 to be exact. And I am no closer now than I was then to a solution or a resolution.
Isuzu and Honda did us wrong, and they should be held responsible for this. Ford, Toyota, and many other auto makers made good on problems/recalls/safety issues, big and small for their vehicle owners. I am not sure why Honda and Isuzu don't follow suit and pony us to the fact that they have let so many consumers down.
Now I'm stuck with a car that is beyond repair and I can't afford to buy another one.
My son-in-law took lots of pictures of the bottom of my car, I was so shocked when I seen them I just started crying. Because knowing I had been driving my daughters and my grandbaby around in this death trap! We all need to do something BEFORE someone get's killed!
Since this just occurred, you will be upset, bitter, mad, grateful you were going slow, wondering what would have happened if???...so many emotions will just go through your head. I remember it like it was yesterday. I don't know why we are so emotionally attached to our vehicles, but we are. We are here for you. Let us know your progress and if you need help with anything in the contact process. Good luck. M
And what I think is really scary is that as I read this forum, most of these car were 2001, and the same bar broke on the same side and all our frames are rusted! This is no freak accident!
You seem to be sending concerned members of this Forum off in any number of different directions, there is power in numbers so, shoulden't we all be going to the same place instead of running around like "chickens with our heads cut off" ?
One thing about your previous note really surprises me. If you knew of the frame rust issue, why did you ever buy the vehicle? Obviously a few bucks here and there did not help as you turned around and bought a Jeep.
Alannh, I am not the enemy. Put your anger and energy into helping us. Call your local TV station. Do something.
Did you have any problems with trading in the Passport? We are going back and forth about getting rid of it, parting it out, what to do. Really need to do something, as it has been almost a year since my near accident.
Your idea about having a printed up message sitting in the car to put on the windshields of these vehicles you see was excellent. I am going to do the same. That is one way to get the word out, and it would be given directly to the owners.
Keep coming up with great ideas, I sure appreciate your posts. M
"Happy New Year marinaky"
Alan
Alan