NHTSA Complaint #11193084 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

ON 3/6/19 I WAS DRIVING HOME ON I-95 NORTH WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, MY CIVIC REDLINED AND OVERHEATED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ROCKINGHAM HONDA IN ROCKINGHAM, NH AND THE MECHANIC, DAN, DIAGNOSED MY CAR WITH A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT '06-'09 HONDAS HAD FAULTY ENGINES KNOWINGLY INSTALLED WHICH RESULTED IN HONDA OF AMERICA ISSUING A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 10 YEARS FOR THIS CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK ERROR. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON 8/14/15 COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE FAULTY ENGINE, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, OR THE COST IT WOULD BE TO ME. I CONTACTED HONDA OF AMERICA ON 3/7/19 TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE WARRANTY AND THE COMPLIMENTARY REPLACEMENT/REPAIRS FOR THEIR POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DOES NOT APPLY TO ME SINCE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR. TURNS OUT HONDA ONLY SENT OUT ONE NOTICE OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION AND IT WENT TO THE FIRST OWNERS OF THE HONDAS WHO PURCHASED THE CARS OFF A DEALERSHIP LOT. SECONDHAND OWNERS, LIKE ME, HAD NO CHANCE OF EVEN KNOWING THERE WAS A RECALL OR OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS "TIME BOMB" OF A REPAIR FIXED UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. AFTER A MONTH OF HAVING NO CAR AND COMMUNICATING WITH HONDA OF AMERICA AND THE MECHANIC, ROCKINGHAM HONDA QUOTED THE REPAIR TO COST $5,600 (WHICH IS TWICE THE AMOUNT OF WHAT KELLEY BLUE BOOK VALUES THE CAR TO BE WORTH). HONDA OF AMERICA SAID THAT SINCE I HAVE NO RECORD OF GETTING THE CAR SERVICED AT ANY OF THEIR LOCATIONS THAT IT'S "NOT THEY'RE PROBLEM" THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE OFFER. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT '06-'09 USED HONDAS, ARE DRIVING A WITH A FAULTY ENGINE, COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE DANGER AND DAMAGES THEY ARE ABOUT TO INCUR DUE TO HONDA'S INABILITY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEIR PRODUCT.