NHTSA Complaint #10981345 — 2009 HONDA CIVIC

OUR 2009 HONDA CIVIC SI I PURCHASED WITH MY SON BEGAN OVERHEATING ON THE HIGHWAY ON HIS WAY TO WORK. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC & THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A WATER PUMP ISSUE, BUT UPON FURTHER INSPECTION DISCOVERED THE ENGINE BLOCK WAS CRACKED & LEAKING COOLANT. HE ALSO FOUND FOR US, AN AMERICAN HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN THAT SAYS HONDA CIVICS, YEARS 2006-2009, ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A NEW INSTALLED ENGINE BLOCK AT HONDA'S EXPENSE, IF YOUR VIN SHOWS AS ELIGIBLE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO BROOKDALE HONDA, OUR REGULAR DEALER & REPAIR SHOP WHERE WE HAVE PURCHASED 5 VEHICLES. THEY TOO, THOUGHT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP SO WE HAD THAT REPAIRED AT A COST OF $730. WE PICKED IT UP ON SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2017, ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE THAT NIGHT AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK. TEMPERATURE WAS GETTING EXTREMELY HOT, LEAKING COOLANT, & THE ENGINE WAS SMELLING. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON MONDAY APRIL 24TH, & IT WAS NOT INSPECTED UNTIL TUESDAY APRIL 25. MY SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED & ASKED ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS...I TOLD HIM THE SAME THING AS BEFORE, TEMPERATURE GAUGE GETTING VERY HOT/LEAKING COOLANT/ENGINE SMELLING. I MENTIONED THAT OUR MECHANIC SAID TO LOOK FOR AN ENGINE BLOCK LEAK IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THE CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK SHOWS IN THE 10-048 HONDA EXTENDED WARRANTY S.B. CAMPAIGN PICTURE SHOWS. SURE ENOUGH, HE LOOKS THERE AND CALLS ME TO SAY WHAT I ALREADY KNEW. HOWEVER THE VIN NUMBER DOES NOT MATCH THE RECALL WARRANTY SO THEY SAID THEY CAN'T HELP ME WITH THIS $5500 REPAIR. WE STILL OWE $10,500 ON THE VEHICLE & ITS NOW WORTHLESS OR WE DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE ANYWAY & GET STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR CATCHES ON FIRE FROM OVERHEATING. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN OVERHEATING/LEAKING COOLANT OCCURRED. HOW CAN OUR VEHICLE BE EXCLUDED WHEN THIS IS DANGEROUS & STILL HAPPENING TO HONDA CIVIC OWNERS ALL OVER WITH 10 YR WARRANTY & THEY SAID NO.