NHTSA Complaint #10386768 — 2001 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS DRIVING INTO WORK THIS MORNING WHEN IT FELT LIKE I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE SHIFTER ON MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX INTO NEUTRAL. I LOOKED DOWN TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND SAW THAT IT WAS IN DRIVE AND THAT WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL ONLY THE RPM'S INCREASED BUT MY SPEED STAYED THE SAME. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50MPH AND WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO CRUISE TO A LOWER SPEED I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT MY TORQUE CONVERTER WAS BROKEN AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE ESTIMATED WAS ANYWHERE FROM $2,600 TO $3,200 DEPENDING ON WHAT EXACTLY HAS TO BE REPLACED ONCE THEY START TO DISASSEMBLE IT. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL AND HAVE FOUND THE 2001 HONDA CIVIC TO BE NOTORIOUS FOR TRANSMISSION GOING OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THAT HONDA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS BECAUSE IT IS NOT WHAT THEY DEEM A "SAFETY HAZARD". HAD I GOTTEN REAR ENDED, SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO BEING, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT'S A PRETTY BIG SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. *TR