NHTSA Complaint #10020985 — 2000 HONDA CIVIC

WHILE DRIVING, CAR WILL JERK VIOLENTLY, FEELS LIKE SEVERAL CYLINDERS ARE NOT FIRING, THEN START BACK UP AGAIN. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF THIS KIND OF SPUTTERING, THE ENGINE WILL THROTTLE DOWN AND THEN DIE. WHILE IT IS HAVING THE PROBLEM THERE IS A DRASTIC LOSS OF ACCELERATION. IF THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED NOTHING HAPPENS AND IT BOGS DOWN MORE. AFTER THE CAR HAS DIED IT CANNOT BE RESTARTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 11 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT, OWNING IT A TOTAL OF 16 MONTHS. TWICE IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND ONCE THEY WERE ABLE TO START IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS DELIVERED. IT HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR A TOTAL OF 29 DAYS. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN, I HAD DRIVEN 4,000 MILES AND ONLY OWNED THE CAR LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. PROBLEM IS SPORADIC, MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SERVICE THEY HAVE NOT FOUND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, THEN IT WILL DIE ON ME ON THE WAY HOME. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, SPARK PLUGS TWICE, AND OXYGEN SENSOR ONCE, AND IT STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM I TOOK IT IN FOR THE FIRST TIME. *NLM