NHTSA Complaint #10660203 — 2001 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS DRIVING ON A BITTER COLD DAY, AND SOON AFTER I LEFT IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE SHIFTING CORRECTLY AND THE RPMS WERE NOT RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY. HOWEVER, IT SOON "NORMALIZED", AND I FIGURED IT WAS DUE TO THE COLD, WHICH HAD HAPPENED BEFORE. NOT BUT A FEW MILES INTO MY DRIVE, WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL IN A SCHOOL ZONE, MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING/MOVING. THE ENGINE REVVED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL, AND I COULD NOT ENGAGE INTO ANY GEAR - NOT EVEN REVERSE - SO I WAS STUCK ON THE MIDDLE OF THIS HILL. I TURNED ON MY 4-WAY FLASHERS AND HAD TO COAST BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL, WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND MANEUVERED MY CAR INTO EXIT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHILE BUSES WERE TRYING TO LEAVE. THANK GOODNESS THERE WERE NO KIDS USING THE CROSSWALK. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO INDICATION LIGHTS, NO WAY TO PREPARE FOR THIS SCARY EVENT. ON THE COLDEST DAY EVER RECORDED IN HISTORY, I HAD TO WAIT OVER AN HOUR FOR IT TO BE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. HE SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED ON ME AND IN HIS OPINION, WAS NOT WORTH THE MONEY TO POUR INTO THIS PROBLEMATIC 2001 HONDA CIVIC, APPARENTLY THE MOST RECALLED CAR. I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS CAR, AND PURCHASED IT AFTER COLLEGE WITH THE HOPES OF HAVING THE RELIABLE HONDA STAY WITH ME FOR THE LONG HAUL. *TR