The exterior body of the car (which is probably fiberglass) looked fine. So I was really surprised (as well as unnerved), when the drivers' side rear quarterpanel suddenly detached from the body of the car. Underneath was nothing but rust and metal flaking away. The only thing holding it in place was that the rear quaterpanels and back bumper are all one piece. My brother duct taped it to the rest of the car. Later, a mechanic drilled a hole & bolted it to a piece of metal not too terribly far gone. A couple years later, the passenger side rear quarterpanel detached the same way. If the car survives its current transmission problem, I'll spray paint underneath with a rust inhibitor and have that panel also bolted on. I have the original owners' manual. It does mention rust. It says water will collect in body panels and door wells if drainage holes become clogged. It's easy to tell if the doors become waterlogged. All you have to do is open the door and watch the water drip out. How are you supposed to tell when the quarterpanels are holding water? There is no way of telling whether the water is what normally drips off a car after rain or nasty weather. I guess Honda thinks the quaterpanels falling off the rusted skeleton of your car is the indicator that the drainage holes are clogged. The manual doesn't tell you where the drainage holes are. Not even a clue, let alone an illustration. What's a person supposed to do? Ignore the herniated spinal disks, lie on the ground with a flashlight and scrunch around looking for the drainage holes which you've never seen before because there is no illustration in the manual, so you may not know it when you see it? Drive to a mechanic and wait (or enlist someone to drive you back home, then drive you to pick up your car), so you can hang by the phone all day, until you pick up yopur car and pay more money? I don't think Honda takes into consideration the fact that, for financial or d.i.y. mindset reasons, many owners take care of some car maintenance themselves. The information Honda chooses to share with owners is geared to the person who goes to the doctor to get a bandage for a cut. They tell you nothing, and expect you to go to the mechanic for everything, or buy many supplimental manuals. I love my car. Honda? I'm not too thrilled
The exterior body of the car (which is probably fiberglass) looked fine. So I was really surprised (as well as unnerved), when the drivers' side rear quarterpanel suddenly detached from the body of the car. Underneath was nothing but rust and metal flaking away. The only thing holding it in place was that the rear quaterpanels and back bumper are all one piece. My brother duct taped it to the rest of the car. Later, a mechanic drilled a hole & bolted it to a piece of metal not too terribly far gone. A couple years later, the passenger side rear quarterpanel detached the same way. If the car survives its current transmission problem, I'll spray paint underneath with a rust inhibitor and have that panel also bolted on. I have the original owners' manual. It does mention rust. It says water will collect in body panels and door wells if drainage holes become clogged. It's easy to tell if the doors become waterlogged. All you have to do is open the door and watch the water drip out. How are you supposed to tell when the quarterpanels are holding water? There is no way of telling whether the water is what normally drips off a car after rain or nasty weather. I guess Honda thinks the quaterpanels falling off the rusted skeleton of your car is the indicator that the drainage holes are clogged. The manual doesn't tell you where the drainage holes are. Not even a clue, let alone an illustration. What's a person supposed to do? Ignore the herniated spinal disks, lie on the ground with a flashlight and scrunch around looking for the drainage holes which you've never seen before because there is no illustration in the manual, so you may not know it when you see it? Drive to a mechanic and wait (or enlist someone to drive you back home, then drive you to pick up your car), so you can hang by the phone all day, until you pick up yopur car and pay more money? I don't think Honda takes into consideration the fact that, for financial or d.i.y. mindset reasons, many owners take care of some car maintenance themselves. The information Honda chooses to share with owners is geared to the person who goes to the doctor to get a bandage for a cut. They tell you nothing, and expect you to go to the mechanic for everything, or buy many supplimental manuals. I love my car. Honda? I'm not too thrilled
- sam8988378, Staten Island, NY, US