NHTSA Complaint #10953886 — 2012 HONDA FIT

BECAUSE HONDA CHOSE TO USE SOY-BASED WIRES FOR THE WIRES LEADING TO THE TRANSMISSION, THEY ARE VERY, VERY TEMPTING TO RODENTS. IN FACT, IN 2015, A RODENT OF SOME SORT CRAWLED INTO MY ENGINE AND CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRING THAT CONTROLS MY TRANSMISSION. PART OF THE REPAIR WAS THAT THEY WRAPPED THE REPLACEMENT WIRES IN "SPECIAL TAPE" HONDA MAKES TO DETER RODENTS (IT'S SPICY). (IN OTHER WORDS, THEY KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE AND REFUSE TO FIX IT.) DESPITE A) PARKING IN A GARAGE B) HAVING THE REPELLENT TAPE ON THERE C) HAVING PEST CONTROL AND NO RODENT ISSUE WHERE I PARK, I STARTED MY CAR YESTERDAY TO FIND THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS 2015. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT LIT UP AND THE D (DRIVE ICON) WAS FLASHING. WHEN I SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE, THE CAR SHOOK REALLY HARD. EVERY TIME THE TRANSMISSION TRIED TO AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP DOWN THE STREET, THE CAR WOULD CLUNK AND SHAKE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT A RODENT HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRES THAT HELP CONTROL THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN AND THAT IT WAS A "COMMON PROBLEM." COMMON ENOUGH IN FACT THAT THE DEALER TOLD ME ABOUT A GUY WHO HAD IT FIXED, THEN A WEEK LATER, HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED AGAIN DUE TO MORE RODENTS. THEY SAID IT WAS JUST A FACT OF OWNING A VEHICLE. THEY SUGGESTED I "OPT FOR THE SPICY TAPE," WHICH THEY CHARGE MORE FOR. I EXPLAINED THAT IF THEY'D LOOKED AT MY ENGINE, THEY'D KNOW I ALREADY HAD THAT TAPE ON THERE! THE SERVICEMAN THEN SHRUGGED AND SAID HE COULDN'T HELP ME. THAT IT COULD HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THERE WAS "NOTHING" I COULD DO. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL ISSUE TO ME AND A MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY.