NHTSA Complaint #11228380 — 2016 HONDA CIVIC

MAY 2016, I PURCHASED THE RE-DESIGNED 2016 HONDA CIVIC COUPE LX. ON JULY 13, 2018, MY AC WAS NO LONGER BLOWING COLD AIR. IT WAS LUKE WARM IF THAT. THE DEALER PUT DYE IN MY AC TO DETERMINE ANY LEAKS. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS BUT RATHER - MY 2 YEAR OLD CIVIC - HAD A LOW CHARGE IN THE SYSTEM AND I WAS CHARGED $312 FOR THEM TO RECHARGE MY AC. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I PAID THE $312. THEY CHECKED MY CAR AGAIN ON JULY 27, 2018 AND ASSURED ME THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS IN MY AC. WELL, 1 YEAR LATER MY CAR IS BACK AT THE DEALER FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE - AC IS NOT BLOWING COLD. I TOOK MY CAR IN ON JUNE 14, 2019. ON JUNE 18 2019 I RECEIVED A CALL SAYING THAT MY AC WAS LEAKING IN 2 PARTS - THE EVAPORATOR (WHICH THEY TOLD ME WAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND WOULD BE REPLACED UNDER MY WARRANTY) AND THE CONDENSER HAD A HOLE IN IN. THE CONDENSER IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY BECAUSE OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. SO NOW A $700 BILL I MUST PAY. AS I HAVE COME TO FIND ONLINE - THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF 2016 CIVIC OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR AC. THE LOCATION OF THE CONDENSER APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND I NOW THE RUN THE RISK OF ENCOUNTERING THIS PROBLEM EVERY YEAR BECAUSE SOMETHING CAN HIT THE CONDENSER AS I DRIVE. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF SOMETHING WILL KICK UP AND HIT THE CONDENSER. ON JUNE 26, 2019 AS THEY WERE PERFORMING THE REPAIR, I WAS TOLD MY ENTIRE AC UNIT IS CONTAMINATED??? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE WITH A CLOSED SYSTEM THAT I HAVE NOT TOUCHED. LAST YEAR THERE WERE NO ISSUES/NO LEAKS - PER THE DEALER. AND, NOW, I NEED A WHOLE NEW AC AND MY CONDENSER AND EVAPORATOR ARE LEAKING!! OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS AN ISSUE HERE. I'M CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE DEALER TO MAKE SURE THIS NEW UNIT IS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALL OF THIS ON A 3 YEAR OLD NEW CAR!