NHTSA Complaint #11079995 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

MY CAR IS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC LX MODEL. ON MARCH, 15 2018 WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE HOOD SUDDENLY. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD TILL THE LAST MOMENT. 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 MY MECHANIC 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 AND MADE IT TO MALFUNCTION. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WHOLE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED (USED ONE) AND FEW OTHER PARTS AS WELL (LIKE SPARK PLUG ETC.) TO MAKE THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN WHICH WOULD COST ME AROUND $2500. IT WAS DEVASTATING TO HEAR THIS. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT MOST OF THE 2006 TO 2009 CIVICS HAD THIS ENGINE CRACK ISSUE AND HONDA IS ALSO AWARE OF THIS. DESPITE THIS HONDA HAS NOT CALLED FOR THE RECALL OF SUCH THOSE ENGINES AND JUST DID A WARRANTY EXTENSION. TSB 10-048 WAS ISSUED FOR THIS. BUT STILL A LOT OF 2006-2009 HONDA CIVICS ARE FACING THIS ISSUE EVEN AT VERY LOW MILES LIKE MINE. MINE HAS 166,000 MILES. I CHECKED WITH THE SERVICE CONSULTANT IF THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. SHE DID A VIN INQUIRY AND SAID THAT MAY CAR IS STILL IN WARRANTY (THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE OF THE CAR WAS 20-APRIL- 2008 AND THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ME ON -15 MARCH-2018). THIS IS A BIG BLOW TO ME. I RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH HONDA CORPORATE AND THEY FILED A CASE.WITH NUMBER 07506763 WITH COUPLE OF DAYS LATER (ON 09/07/2017) THE CASE MANAGER PROBABLY WILL CALL ME ON MONDAY MARCH 18, 2018.