NHTSA Complaint #10378867 — 2001 HONDA CIVIC

WE PURCHASED THIS 2001 HONDA CIVIC EX BECAUSE OF THE HONDA BRAND SUPPOSEDLY BEING SO SYNONYMOUS WITH QUALITY AND LONGEVITY. IF I WOULD HAVE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET FOR PREVALENT PROBLEMS WITH THE 2001 HONDA CIVIC, I WOULD HAVE COME ACROSS THE "TRANSMISSION FAILURE" ISSUE AND NEVER WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. AND I WOULD ADVISE ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING A 2001 - 2005 HONDA CIVIC, BEWARE, THE TRANSMISSION WILL PREMATURELY FAIL. SO, ON WITH THE STORY. WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF THIS CAR AND IT HAD 37,000 MILES ON IT WHEN WE PURCHASED IT FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. AT AROUND 80,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING GOING INTO 2ND GEAR. WE TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY WHO SERVICED (CHANGED FLUID) AND TESTED IT TELLING US THAT THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO "SLIP." SO NOW, MY LOVELY BRIDE TELLS ME YESTERDAY THAT IT WAS GETTING REALLY BAD AND SHE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING BACK FROM WORK. I DROVE IT TO WORK MYSELF AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT OUR LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE SO NOT INTERESTED IN OUR DILEMMA BUT SAID THAT WE COULD BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT. NOT GETTING THE WARM FUZZIES FROM THEM, WE MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH OUR LOCAL XXXXX SERVICE CENTER. EVERYONE AT XXXXX WAS POLITE, UNDERSTANDING AND AWARE OF THE "INFAMOUS CRAPPY HONDA TRANSMISSION" ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY, ON THE DRIVE THERE, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE FREEWAY AND WE MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED AAMCO. THEY IMMEDIATELY CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND IT IS NOW AT XXXXX. APPROXIMATE REBUILT COST IS $3,100.00. THIS IS PRICEY, BUT IT INCLUDES A NATIONWIDE 3 YEAR/100,000 MILE WARRANTY. WE ALSO CALLED THE NORTH AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND SPOKE TO XXXXX. SHE IS LOCATED AT AN OFFICE IN TORRANCE, CA. XXXXX WAS SO DISINTERESTED IN OUR PROBLEM AND EXPLAINED THAT WE COULD TAKE IT INTO OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND IT WOULD BE AT THEIR DISCRETION TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE HONDA FIELD REP. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION NEEDING A RECALL. *TR