NHTSA Complaint #10305876 — 2009 HONDA CIVIC

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 27 DEC 09. ON HER WAY SHE BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE IN VEHICLE, BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE OUTSIDE AIR. UPON ARRIVING AT WORK, SHE WENT INTO THE BUILDING PUT HER PERSONNEL ITEMS AWAY AND WENT OUTSIDE. A FEW OF HER CO-WORKERS TOLD HER THAT HER CAR ALARM WAS GOING OFF. SHE WENT BACK INTO THE BUILDING TO RETRIEVE HER KEYS, WENT TO HER CAR AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ALARM HAD STOPPED, BUT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CAR. AT THAT TIME SHE OPEN HER TRUNK AND FOUND AN OPEN FLAME FIRE IN THE VICINITY OF THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SPEAKER. AT WHICH TIME SHE CALLED GEICO (EMPLOYER) SECURITY, CALLED 911 AND SECURITY PUT OUT THE FLAME WITH A HAND HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HUGHES HONDA, WARNER ROBINS, GA ON 28 DEC 09 FOR DISPOSITION. LATER THAT DAY I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING AND I NEEDED TO CONTACT AMERICAN HONDA. AMERICAN HONDA THAN INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME AND/OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPORT THE CLAIM TO STATE FARM INSURANCE. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BY MYSELF AND STATE FARM LED TO HONDA NOT RESPONDING TO ANY REQUEST AND A DECISION WAS MADE ON 21 JAN 10 THAT STATE FARM WAS GOING TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT CENTRAL GEORGIA COLLISION, BUT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO TELL HUGHES HONDA TO RELEASE THE CAR TO THEM. I WENT BY HUGHES HONDA AT 1115 HOURS 21 JAN 10 TO INFORM THEM OF SUCH AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER (BY CELL PHONE) THAT HONDA HAD REMOVED MY CAR AND WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. TALKED TO GENERAL MANAGER AND OWNER OF HUGHES HONDA ON 29 JAN 10 AND TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THAT NO ONE HAD INVESTIGATED AND INFORMED ME OF WHERE THE FIRE STARTED, WHAT THE IGNITION SOURCE WAS, HOW THIS IMPACTS DIMINSHED VALUE AND WAS THE CAR SAFE. PICKED UP CAR ON 4 FEB 10, WITH HONDA INFORMING ME THAT THIS WAS ALL THEY WERE WILLING TO DO AND THE ONLY REASON THE CAR WAS REPAIRED BY THEM WAS TO GET PARTS. *TR