NHTSA Complaint #10136907 — 2000 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 16, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 PM EST IN MY 2000 HONDA CIVIC LX 4DR SEDAN. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP STREET, AND WAS ABOUT TO ACCELERATE AND MAKE A RIGHT TURN. I STARTED MOVING AND THEN MY CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD AND STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT IT IN PARK, AND THEN RESTART IT. HOWEVER, FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, I FOUND AS I WOULD BE COMING TO A STOP AND IDLING, THAT THE CAR WOULD WANT TO GO COMPLETELY DEAD AND STALL ON ME. I TOOK MY CAR TO OUR DEALERSHIP, AUTOSPORT HONDA, IN BRIDGEWATER, NJ, AND HAD THEM TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS IN NEED OF A TUNE UP, AND THAT THE WIRES LEADING FROM THE IGNITION TO THE ENGINE WERE DETERIORATING. I DECIDED TO LOOK MY VIN NUMBER UP TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS. I FOUND, BASED ON THE HONDA CIVIC LX 4DR SEDANS, THAT THERE WAS A RECALL MAY 16, 2002 (CAMPAIGN NUMBER 02V120000) FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPONENT, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE RECALL STATES "ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED." THE RECALL FURTHER STATES THAT "WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." I BROUGHT THIS TO MY DEALERSHIPS ATTENTION, AND HE TOLD ME HE ALREADY RAN MY VIN NUMBER [XXX], AND THAT IT WAS NOT REGISTERED UNDER THE RECALL. I ASKED HIM IF THIS WAS THE SAME TYPE OF COMPONENT PROBLEM AS IN THE RECALL AND HE SAID YES. HE SAID IT IS MORE COMMON IN STICK-SHIFT HONDAS THEN AUTOMATICS. I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT WAS RECALLED IN MAY 2002, EXCEPT UNDER DIFFERENT VIN NUMBERS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, AND ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO IT. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)