1996 Honda Passport Structure

FRAME ROTTING AWAY AND MAKING PASSPORT UNSAFE TO DRIVE RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1996 HONDA PASSPORT AND WAS TOLD "YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A HONDA"--DROVE GOOD, BODY GOOD, INTERIOR IMMACULATE, ETC. A MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT FOR RECENT REPAIRS NEEDED ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND I WAS SHOWN THE HORRIFIC RUSTED FRAME, HE ACTUALLY PUT HIS HAND THROUGH IT!!! AND NOT JUST IN ONE AREA, THE WHOLE FRAME!! UNBELIEVABLE! I AM A SERVICE TECH THAT DRIVES A VEHICLE, ON AVERAGE, 500 TO 700 MILES A WEEK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH WHEN THE FRAME COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE--OR ANYONE ELSE'S THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN MY PATH. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS SINCE RECEIVING THIS INFORMATION ABOUT MY PASSPORT, AND IT'S OBVIOUS HONDA IS AWARE OF THE FAULTY STEEL THAT WAS USED ON THESE FRAMES. THEY SHOULD COMPENSATE ANYONE STILL DRIVING ONE OF THESE MORBIDLY UNSAFE VEHICLES AND GET THEM OFF THE ROAD! THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. RECALLS WERE ISSUED ON MANY OTHER MODELS AND MAKES, HOWEVER THEY DID NOT INCLUDE THIS YEAR OR MAKE. UNBELIEVABLE!! A COMPANY THAT USES INFERIOR PRODUCT AND IS MADE AWARE OF IT, SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF IT. AS A BUSINESS OWNER MYSELF, I AM LIVID THAT HONDA DOES NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE AND WE--CAR OWNERS STUCK WITH THEIR JUNK--HAVE TO TAKE A HUGE LOSS FOR THEIR INCOMPETENTLY. SHAME ON HONDA!!! I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER ONE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA PASSPORT. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HAVING HIS VEHICLE SERVICED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY COVERED WITH RUST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 161,000.

AFTER EXPERIENCING A SLIGHT VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I REMOVED MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE TO INSPECT BRAKES, BEARINGS, ETC. I IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED A LARGE RUST HOLE IN MY FRAME RIGHT WHERE IT BENDS UP TO THE HEIGHT OF THE ENGINE MOUNT. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT HOLE, AS WELL AS, HOLES ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM IN THE SAME VICINITY. I REPLACED THE TIRE, REMOVED THE PASSPORT FROM SERVICE AND REPLACED IT WITH A RELIABLE VEHICLE. SINCE THEN I HAVE MONITORED THE WEB TO SEE IF ANY OTHERS HAD EXPERIENCED FRAME RUSTING ON HONDA PASSPORTS OR ISUZU RODEOS. THERE WERE MULTITUDES. TODAY I TOOK THE PASSPORT TO A BODY SHOP FOR A PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION OF THE FRAME. THE RESULTS WERE THAT THE TOTAL RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME WAS FULL OF RUST HOLES AND THE LEFT SIDE TO A LESSER EXTENT. I AM TRULY FORTUNATE THAT I NOTICED THE PROBLEM BEFORE SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF AND FAMILY OR OTHERS OCCURRED. I HAVE ALSO RECENTLY NOTICED THAT HONDA AND ISUZU HAVE ISSUED RECALLS FOR 1998-2002 DUE TO FRAME RUST ISSUES. THE RUST IS NOT LIMITED TO THOSE YEARS AS IS EVIDENT WITH MY VEHICLE. I DO LIVE IN A STATE THAT USES SALT PRODUCTS TO CONTROL WINTER ICE WHICH CERTAINLY ACCELERATED THE RUST CONDITION. MANUFACTURERS HAVE TREATED THEIR FRAMES TO PROTECT FOR MANY DECADES AND BECAUSE OF THAT RECORD, I BLINDLY BELIEVED I RECEIVED THE SAME FROM HONDA; OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE RUST UNDERCOATING OFFERED AT PURCHASE. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 HONDA PASSPORT. THE CONTACT STATED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY COVERED WITH RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE FAILURE BECAUSE A LATER YEAR OF THE SAME MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR A SIMILAR FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

FRAME RUST AND ROT AT REAR OF VEHICLE. *TR

SEVERE FRAME RUST NEAR THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AREAS OF THE BOX FRAME AROUND THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT ARE COMPLETELY MISSING AND FALLING OFF DUE TO RUST. *TR

BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR DOORS BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK