NHTSA Complaint #10928924 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC

CAR OVERHEATED VERY QUICKLY WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH IN THE FAST LANE RESULTING IN A PLUME OF BLINDING WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY AND LIFE THREATENING EXPERIENCE AS I BARELY GOT THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER WITH OTHER CARS WIZING PAST ME AT SPEED. HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC FRIEND WHO TRACED THE LEAK TO A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. HE SAID THIS WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE BLOCK. THE CRACK IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE, BEHIND THE EXHAUST HEADER PIPE AND DIFFICULT TO SEE. IT IS HOWEVER IN THE SAME AREA AS ALL OF THE OTHER REPORTED COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CIVIC OWNERS ON THE WEB. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON AND WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE 2006-2009 CIVICS. I CONTACTED HONDA CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. FUNNY HOW I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICES WHATSOEVER AND DID NOT HAVE THE SLIGHTEST CLUE THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM ONE YEAR PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HONDA WILL COVER NOTHING AT ALL. CAR HAS 63,000 MILES AND IS OTHERWISE IN MINT CONDITION. ASKED HONDA TO PROVE THAT THEY SENT OUT THE NOTICE TO ME AND THEY HAVE YET TO RESPOND. HAD I RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF THIS ISSUE I WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY TRADED THE CAR. NOW I AM STUCK WITH AN INOPERABLE CAR AND AN $8,900.00 REPAIR (QUOTED BY HONDA DEALERSHIP). TOTALLY LEFT IN THE DARK, BUT HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE ALL OVER THE INTERNET JUST GOOGLE HONDA CIVIC CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK AND HUNDREDS MAYBE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS WILL POP UP. HOW THIS VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE IS NOT A RECALL IS BEYOND ME. I GUESS SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO DIE BEFORE IT IS. SAD. *TR