NHTSA Complaint #11021552 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

ON AUGUST 31, 2017 WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE HOOD SUDDENLY. FORTUNATELY I MANAGED TO PULL OVER THE CAR TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY BESIDE THE HIGHWAY OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A FATAL SITUATION. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEAN HONDA AT PITTSBURGH WHERE THEY PERFORMED THE DIAGNOSIS TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WAS CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK WHICH HAS CAUSED THE COOLANT TO LEAK FROM THE ENGINE AND HENCE OVERHEATING OF THE ENGINE HAS HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED AND FEW OTHER PARTS AS WELL (LIKE SPARK PLUG ETC.) TO MAKE THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN WHICH WOULD COST ME AROUND $4000. I DID SOME RESEARCH OVER THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT MOST OF THE 2006 TO 2009 CIVICS HAD THE ENGINE CRACK ISSUE AND TSB 10-048 WAS ISSUED AND THE WARRANTY OF SUCH ENGINES WERE EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS AND THAT WOULD COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE IF SUCH ISSUES ARE FOUND. I CHECKED WITH MY SERVICE CONSULTANT AT DEAN HONDA IF THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HE DID A VIN INQUIRY AND SAID THE WARRANT HAS EXPIRED 10 DAYS AGO AND THIS WON'T BE COVERED. (THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE OF THE CAR WAS 22-AUG-2007 AND THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ME ON 31-AUG-2017). THIS IS A BIG BLOW TO ME. THIS IS MY FIRST CAR IN THE US. I BOUGHT THIS CAR AS THE SECOND OWNER IN JULY 2015 WITH ONLY 36000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE HARDLY DRIVEN 15000 MILES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. THE PREVIOUS OWNER ALSO NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT AND THAT'S WHY I PURCHASED IT WITH CONFIDENCE. CONSIDERING CUSTOMER'S SAFETY, THESE ENGINES NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY HONDA AND REPLACED WITH NEW ONES OR AT LEAST THE WARRANTY OF THESE ENGINES NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED FURTHER (FOR AT LEAST FOR 5 MORE YEARS). I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE A FATAL ACCIDENT.