Honda Accords Found with Sub-Frames Rusted Out
Rust is causing a potentially dangerous problem in some Honda Accords, according to a 2012 article by Ron Regan in Cleveland,
Tom Hites is a Cleveland area resident who first became aware of a rust issue last August. “I heard a big clunk from the front end,” said Hites. He immediately headed to a local garage near his home where he was advised his sub-frame was rotted through and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. That came as a surprise to Hites who has years of Honda service records that failed to indicate his sub-frame was rusted through. “Nobody says anything,” said Hites. “All of a sudden, from the last oil change to this one, all of a sudden the sub-frame is rusted out.”
The Honda Accord is a very popular car model, largely because it has proven itself to be reliable and long-lasting. But if the sub-frame (one of the most important parts of the vehicle’s skeleton, which supports major components and holds the whole thing together) is really failing because of a design error, it’s not hard to imagine why the Center for Auto safety issued its request. If you drive a Honda Accord in one of the affected model years, you should probably get the sub-frame checked, just to be on the safe side. And if you haven’t brought your vehicle in for its annual rustproofing yet, maybe this scary story about one of the most reliable cars on the road will be a good reminder to do so. A proven rust-prevention method like the Canadian Army uses for its vehicles, the RS3000 treatment from The Rust Stop Pro costs a fraction of the price of most rust-out repairs. And preventing structural rust damage is much less dangerous than hoping to catch it after it happens, but before your trusty Honda collapses on the highway.