NHTSA Complaint #10724127 — 2011 HONDA FIT

TODAY 06/08/2015 I GOT MY CAR BACK FROM MY LOCAL MECHANIC AFTER MAJOR SERVICE @93000 MILES. HE TOLD ME 3 OUT OF 4 SPARK PLUGS IN THE ENGINE WERE LOOSE(THEY WERE ONLY HAND-TIGHT): ONE WAS SECURED, ONE WAS ALMOST OUT OF THE ENGINE AND BLACKED OUT, AND TWO OF THEM WERE HALF WAY IN. THAT CORRELATED AN INCIDENCE AUGUST 2014 WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. MY HONDA FIT SUDDENLY LOST POWER TO NO MORE THAN 20MPH. I GOT IT TOWED TO DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME ONE OF THE SPARK PLUG WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE, ALONG WITH THE IGNITION COIL. THE MILEAGE BACK THEN WAS ABOUT 80,000 AND I NEVER HAD ANY MAJOR SERVICE NOR EVEN OPENING UP THE ENGINE BLOCK BY ANYONE. SPARK PLUG SERVICE IS 100,000 MILE INTERVAL AND I DID ONLY OIL CHANGE IN LAST 3 YEARS BEFORE THE INCIDENCE. DEALER (DIAMOND HONDA, CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA) HAD THE ENGINE HEAD RE-THREADED AND AGREED TO PAY 70% OF THE TOTAL COST. HOWEVER I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT APPARENTLY ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE LOOSE EVEN WHEN THE CAR LEFT THE FACTORY! THE DEALER DID NOT TAKE A CLOSE LOOK WHEN THEY SERVICED IT LAST YEAR. THAT IS WHY ONE PLUG IS STILL INTACTED AND SECURED IN THE HEAD WHILE OTHER 3 WERE ONLY HAND-TIGHTEN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE OR INFORM OTHER FIT OWNER THAT THIS YEAR OR PROBABLY OTHER YEAR FITS HAVE HAND-TIGHTEN SPARK PLUGS THAT CAN LEAD TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. MY INCIDENCE LAST YEAR ALMOST GOT ME INTO SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHILE I WAS ON CALIFORNIA CRAZY HIGHWAY.