NHTSA Complaint #10256415 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

THIRD GEAR ON MY '07 HONDA CIVIC SI COUPE IS BOTH FREQUENTLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE (EVERY THIRD OR FOURTH SHIFT CHANGE) AND POPS OUT OF GEAR DURING DRIVING (TYPICALLY 2-3 TIMES AN HOUR DURING CONTINUOUS DRIVING). THIS POSES POTENTIAL DANGERS WHILE DRIVING AS THERE IS FAILURE IN THE APPLICATION OF POWER TO THE DRIVEN WHEELS, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE IS KNOWN TO BE COMMON IN THE 6 SPEED SI TRANSMISSION. HONDA DENIES THE ISSUE, STATING THAT THE ENGAGEMENT PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY NOT FULLY DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH. I ALWAYS FULLY DEPRESS THE CLUTCH WHEN SHIFTING, HAVE DRIVEN MANUALLY TRANSMISSION VEHICLES FOR 41 YEARS, AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY VEHICLE, LET ALONE A GEARSHIFT WHICH POPS OUT OF GEAR DURING NORMAL DRIVING). THE FAILURE TO ENGAGE IS PROBABLY MORE AN ANNOYANCE THAN AN ISSUE, HOWEVER THE POPPING OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING IS A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD AND RISK; FOR EXAMPLE, IF ONE IS CORNERING ON SNOW COVERED OR WET PAVEMENT, THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER TO THE DRIVEN WHEELS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO VEER OFF COURSE AND RESULT IN A CRASH. THE UNFORTUNATE DRIVER WHO DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE THE LOSS OF POWER TRANSMISSION, OR WHAT TO DO TO RECOVER, IS CERTAINLY PLACED IN A HIGHLY COMPROMISED POSITION, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND AT WORST MAY FIND HIM OR HERSELF IN A VEHICLE WHICH IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY HONDA TO EITHER ACKNOWLEDGE OR CORRECT THE ISSUE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE ISSUE HAS EXISTED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW, AN HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE WITH TIME. *TR