NHTSA Complaint #10538016 — 2003 HONDA CIVIC

I GOT A RECALL NOTICE (NOV. 2012) ABOUT 2003 HONDA CIVIC'S HEADLIGHTS FAILING. ABOUT A WEEK LATER IN THE EARLY MORNING AS I WAS GOING TO WORK, MY CAR HEADLIGHTS FAILED AS I LEFT MY DRIVEWAY. I LEFT THE CAR AT HOME AND TOOK ANOTHER. ON RETURN FROM WORK I FOUND BOTH HEADLIGHTS OUT, NO BLOWN FUSES, HEATER FAN NOT WORKING, BOTH ABS AND BRAKE PANEL LIGHTS ON. I SCHEDULED REPAIR AT O'HARE HONDA, DES PLAINES, IL. I ARRIVED AT THE SERVICE DEPT. WITH RECALL NOTICE AND ALSO TO HAVE ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES. I LEFT THE CAR FOR THEM TO WORK ON IT. REPAIR WORK DONE ON INVOICE #410741 DATED NOV.19, 2012. THE SERVICE WRITER CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THE BRAKE LIGHT REPAIR REQUIRED THE MASTER CYLINDER TO BE REPLACED. I OK'D MAJOR WORK. SERVICE WRITER CALLED BACK TO SAY THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TOO. I OK'D THAT REPAIR AT LARGE COST ALSO. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THEY "PUT IN A FREE ALTERNATOR AS THAT TOO WAS BAD". THE HEADLIGHT REPAIR COST $1,877.77 ($1,326.17 FOR PARTS + $551.60 LABOR). I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS REPAIR AND HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR ON THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND PUT A LARGE SURGE ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR. THIS SURGE "FRIED" THE ELECTRICS ON THE TWO BRAKE PARTS AND BURNED OUT THE HEADLIGHTS. THE "FREE" ALTERNATOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CLUE TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME DEVICE CAN NOT BE INSTALLED INTO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING SYSTEM OF THE CAR TO PREVENT THIS EXPENSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FAILURE. THE FINAL PROBLEM WITH THIS REPAIR WAS THAT I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSTALL NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS AS THEY MUST NOT HAVE CHECKED THEM AND THEY WERE STILL BURNED OUT. SO MUCH FOR QUALITY CONTROL. *TT