NHTSA Complaint #10296988 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC

BEGAN SMELLING ANTI-FREEZE ONE WEEK AGO, TOOK CR TO SHOP 3 DAYS LATER, TOLD THEIR IS A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. 2006 CIVIC, UNDER 4 YEARS OLD, BUT 68K MILES, SO DEALER SAYS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. AS THEY HAVE SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS, THEIR DISTRICT MANAGER APPROVED THEM COVERING 50 % OF THE ESTIMATED COST OF $3100 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE / BLOCK. WHILE I APPRECIATE THEIR GENEROSITY, I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO COVER IT 100 %, AS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE R18 ENGINE USED IN THE 2006 CIVIC. THAT I WAS UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE MADE IT PASSED 60K MILES BEFORE THE CRACK APPEARED SEEM IRONIC. I SUGGEST THAT HONDA MAKE GOOD ON A 90 / 10 REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, 90 % OF THE COST COVERED BY AMERICAN HONDA. IF THIS WAS SOME OTHER BRAND WITH A LESSER REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND RELIABILITY, I WOULD NOT BE SO SURPRISED, BUT THE HONDA NAME LEADS ME TO EXPECT BETTER. *TR