NHTSA Complaint #10359198 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS DRIVING IN 5/8/2009 ON INTERSTATE 205 IN CALIFORNIA. MY ENGINE BEGAN MAKING LOUD METALLIC CLANKING SOUNDS AND THEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE LIQUID FLOWING UNDER THE CAR. MY CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE QUICKLY AND I FORCED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE I WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE THE METALLIC SOUND GOT LOUDER AND THE SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOD. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD LEAKED COOLANT AND HAD CAUSED THE BLOCK TO CRACK. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE I FOUND OUT ABOUT TSB 08-044 A PROBLEM WHICH THE ENGINE BLOCK CRACKS AND COOLANT LEAKS FROM IT CAUSING OVERHEATING, AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE ABOUT IT. HE WAS ORIGINALLY WANTING TO REPAIR IT FOR ME BUT WAS OVERULLED BY HIS REGIONAL MANAGER WHO SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WENT ON TO SEND COMPLAINTS HIGHER UP THE CHAIN AT HONDA BUT CONTINUED TO BE TOLD I WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME AND THAT IT WOULD END UP COSTING ME OVER $5000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I THEN ENDED UP HAVING TO GO TO A PRIVATE GARAGE AND ENDED UP SPENDING $2,878.53 IN 7/2009 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, PLUS $432.96 FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR ME TO DRIVE. I HAD RECENTLY CHECKED BACK TO SEE IF THEY HAD UPDATED THE TSB TO A RECALL BUT MORE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, SO I WANTED TO ISSUE THIS TO SEE IF CAN BE INVESTIGATED. *TR