NHTSA Complaint #10482628 — 2002 HONDA CIVIC

MY 2002 HONDA CIVIC BECAME INOPERABLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING AS I ATTEMPTED TO MERGE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN WASHINGTON DC. I COULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR; FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SHOULDER ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND I WAS ADVISED THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED FOR $4700. THE COST FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS OUTRAGEOUS AND AFTER RESEARCHING POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE FAILURE, I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED FROM THE HONDA DEALERSHIP TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. MY VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE WHICH CAUSED METAL SHAVINGS TO DAMAGE CLUTCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION. DURING MY RESEARCH, I READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO OWN A 2001 TO 2003 HONDA CIVIC AND STATED THAT THEIR TRANSMISSION FAILED WHEN THEIR MILEAGE RANGED FROM 135K TO AS LOW AS 65K. ALTHOUGH HONDA ISSUED A 2004 RECALL ON TRANSMISSIONS, IT EXCLUDED THE HONDA CIVIC; I AM OUTRAGED THAT HONDA KNEW ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS FROM HONDA CIVIC OWNERS BUT DELIBERATELY DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM HONDA CIVIC OWNERS ABOUT THE LACK OF RELIABILITY OF THEIR CIVICS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS DEMONSTRATIVE OF A DEFECT. I HOPE THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION INVESTIGATES THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE COMPLAINTS AND FORCES HONDA TO RECALL AND REPAIR VEHICLES/COMPENSATE OWNERS FOR REPAIRS. *TR UPDATED 01/23/13 UPDATED 02/19/13 UPDATED 08/21/13