NHTSA Complaint #11099113 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

ON JANUARY 2ND, 2018 , WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET TO A LOCAL AAA APPROVED AUTO REPAIR CARE CENTER WHEN THE ENGINE OF MY HONDA CIVIC BECAME OVERHEATED CAUSING FUMES/SMOKE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE AND WOULD THUS BE A SAFETY HAZARD. THE PURPOSE OF TAKING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP WAS INITIALLY JUST TO GET A VEHICLE INSPECTION TEST/REPORT DONE FOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION. DUE TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING, FURTHER TESTS WERE DONE, AND REPLACING THE WATER PUMP AND PERFORMING VPS COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSH WAS RECOMMENDED. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED IT THOROUGHLY AND DISCOVERED A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. ONLINE I STUMBLED ACROSS SEVERAL WEB SITES INDICATING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ENGINE BLOCKS WITH SOME HONDA CIVICS. I CALLED AMERICA HONDA WHO SAID I NEEDED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO A HONDA GARAGE TO CONFIRM THE CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THIS I DID AND IT WAS REINSPECTED AND CONFIRMED BY THE HONDA MECHANICS THAT THERE WAS INDEED A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE HONDA GARAGE FOR OVER THREE MONTHS NOW WHILE AMERICA HONDA DECIDED HOW MUCH THEY CAN HELP WITH REPLACING THE ENGINE. THEY WILL REPLACE MY ENGINE AFTER MY DEDUCTIBLE OF $2500. I HAVE RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THIS AS IT'S BEEN A LONG WAIT AND I NEED MY CAR BACK ON THE ROAD. I UNDERSTAND FROM AMERICAN HONDA THAT THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK WAS 10 YEARS FROM FIRST PURCHASE AND ONLY THE FIRST OWNER WOULD HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION ON THIS WARRANTY. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT A CRACK IN THE ENGINE BLOCK THAT LEADS TO AN OVERHEATED ENGINE POTENTIALLY CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL. AMERICAN HONDA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE. THEY GAVE ME A FAULTY ENGINE THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE DUE TO OVERHEATING AND SHOULD REPLACE IT ENTIRELY AT THEIR COST. I AM THUS MAKING A COMPLAINT AGAINST AMERICAN HONDA.