NHTSA Complaint #10324414 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

MY HONDA CIVIC 2007 GOT OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 7 MINUTES FROM HOME ON MY WAY TO WORK EARLY MORNING. NEVER SEEN ANY VISIBLE LEAKS ON THE DRIVEWAY. THE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR IS ALWAYS UP TO DATE AND MOST OF THE TIME IS DONE BY THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM. AFTER I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAS POROUS LEAK ON THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSED BY A DEFECT WHEN THE CASTING OF THE ENGINE TOOK PLACE AT HONDA'S MANUFACTURING PLANT. THIS POROUS LEAK CAUSED THE ENGINE BLOCK TO CRACK AND LOSE COOLANT AND EVENTUALLY OVERHEAT THE CAR. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED ME TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE. THE DEALER EVEN FAXED ME THE SERVICE BULLETIN FROM HONDA REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 90,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE THE CAR HAS PASSED THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF 60,000 MILES OR 3 YEARS WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, THE DEALER WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR AND ADVISED ME TO CALL AMERICAN HONDA. AFTER CALLING AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND TELLING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM, THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND INSISTED THAT IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE ENGINE INSTEAD IT WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT FOR LETTING THE CAR OVERHEATED. I TRIED TO CALL HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THREE TIMES WITH NO RESULTS WHATSOEVER. THEY KEPT SAYING THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO DUE TO HIGH MILEAGE THAT THE CAR HAS. *TR