NHTSA Complaint #10434360 — 2004 HONDA CIVIC

FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS, CAR WOULDN'T START WHEN TURNING KEY. LIGHTS ON PANEL LIGHT UP BUT NO SOUND AND DOESN'T TURN. AFTER TRYING UP TO 10 TIMES OR AS FEW AS 3 TIMES, THE CAR WOULD START AND DRIVE NORMALLY. THEN AT OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD START WITH NO PROBLEM. TOOK INTO HONDA DEALER ON NOVEMBER 3, 2011. CAR STARTED WITH NO PROBLEMS SO COULD NOT DETECT ACTUAL PROBLEM. DROVE CAR HOME AND DROVE FINE. LAST NIGHT MY DAUGHTER DROVE THE CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AT NIGHT, SO WASN'T GOING TOO FAST THEN DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNTIL SHE STARTED BRAKING. THEN REALIZED THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK AND THE STEERING FROZE, THE CAR JUST STALLED. THEY PANICKED AND DROVE UPHILL AND LET IT ROLL BACK SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO STOP IT THEN CAME TO A STOP AND PARKED IT. SOMEONE CAME TO ASSIST, JIGGLED THE WHEEL AND IT WAS FINE AND THE CAR RESTARTED WITH NO PROBLEMS AFTER. DROVE THE CAR HOME. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AGAIN IN CASE IT LOCKS UP AGAIN ESPECIALLY AT A HIGHER SPEED AND WITH NO BRAKES OR STEERING CONTROL. RESEARCHED IT ON INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS SOME RECALLS ON IGNITION SWITCH WHERE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS WITHIN THE IGNITION SWITCH GETS WORN PREMATURELY CAUSING THE SWITCH TO MALFUNCTION. THIS COULD BE VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS AND THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY PROVIDE US AND RECOMMENDATIONS. I CHECKED MY VIN AND THERE WAS NO RECALLS BUT IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER RECALLS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. *TR