NHTSA Complaint #10836670 — 2008 HONDA FIT

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, TRANSMISSION "D" LIGHT ON, SHIFTING ROUGHLY. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. DIAGNOSTIC CODES RUN: P0756 AND P0847. DIAGNOSTICS RUN PER HONDA SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE "HARD OR DELAYED SHIFTING WITH A/T DTCS P0756 AND P0847" TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DRAINED. IT SHOWED THAT IT DID HAVE DEBRIS IN THE FLUID. THAT MEANS, ACCORDING TO HONDA, THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION AS THE TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, REPORTED BY HONDA, HONDA SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY PAST THE ORIGINAL 60,000 MILES TO COVER THIS. (MINE HAD 75,000 MILES AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED.) I CONTACTED THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO OFFER ANY KIND OF DISCOUNT ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. I CALLED HONDA'S CORPORATE OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RECALL OR EXTENSION OF WARRANTY, BUT SOME COST REDUCTION IS OFFERED IN CASES WHERE: 1. THE CUSTOMER IS A REPEAT CUSTOMER WHO HAS OWNED MULTIPLE HONDAS 2. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AT A DEALERSHIP 3. THE CUSTOMER HAS SPENT ENOUGH MONEY AT THE DEALERSHIP (FOR SERVICE ETC) TO CONSIDER THEM A GOOD HONDA CUSTOMER. I DID NOT FIT THIS CRITERIA. THE GUY AT THE CORPORATE OFFICE SAID THAT I COULD HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, HAVE THE DIAGNOSTICS RUN AGAIN, AT MY EXPENSE, AND ASK FOR A DISCOUNT, BUT BECAUSE I DO NOT MEET THE 3 CRITERIA ABOVE, I MIGHT NOT RECEIVE ENOUGH OF A DISCOUNT TO EVEN COVER THE EXTRA COST OF TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE DIAGNOSTICS RUN A SECOND TIME. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF HONDA WERE TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY OR DO A RECALL IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD APPLY RETROACTIVELY TO MY CAR, WHETHER I HAVE THE WORK DONE AT THE DEALER OR AT ANOTHER MECHANIC. (I'M HAVING THE WORK DONE AT ANOTHER MECHANIC.)