NHTSA Complaint #10498203 — 2005 HONDA CIVIC

VEHICLE BLEW A HEAD GASKET AND OVER HEATED. PROBLEM BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, AND I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY RICK MARICHETTI AUTO THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH THE HONDA CIVIC EX 1.7 LITER ENGINE, AND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IS A MULTILAYER HEAD GASKET THAT HONDA USES. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED, AND HONDA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INSTALL NEW HEAD GASKETS THAT ARE NOT MULTILAYER. IN MY CASE, THE HEAD GASKET CREATED A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PLACE TO PULL OVER. AND THE PROBLEM HAPPENED WITH LITTLE NOTICE AT APPROXIMATELY 4300 FEET, WITH SNOW AND FREEZING COLD WEATHER. I HAD TO PAY ALMOST $800 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED, WITH NO GUARANTY THE PROBLEM WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. HONDA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE HEAD GASKETS A LONG TIME AGO. *TR