NHTSA Complaint #11255112 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC ON 8/17/19 WHEN I NOTICED MY VEHICLE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASING AT A FAST RATE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND FOUND OUT THAT MY CAR DIDN'T HAVE ANY COOLANT. THINKING THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM, COOLANT WAS FILLED IN THE RADIATOR AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME. HOWEVER, LESS THAN A WEEK LATER, THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT ONCE AGAIN. AFTER INSPECTION, MY CAR WAS OUT OF COOLANT AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO ED NAPLETON HONDA IN OAK LAWN ON 8/26/19 AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE CYLINDER BLOCK WAS CRACKED AND WAS CAUSING A LEAK OF THE COOLANT WHICH CAUSES OVERHEATING IN VEHICLES. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT IN HONDA CIVIC MODELS 2006-2009, I WAS TOLD THAT HONDA ISSUED TWO WARRANTY EXTENSIONS FOR UP TO 10 YEARS AND THAT MY CAR WAS TWO YEARS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. BECAUSE I'M THE ORIGINAL AND SOLE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WITH GREAT MAINTENANCE HISTORY, THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE MANAGER SUBMITTED A GOODWILL REQUEST TO HONDA CORPORATE ASKING FOR THE COST OF REPAIR TO BE COVERED. HOWEVER, THE REQUEST WAS DENIED BY THE REGIONAL HONDA DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER. I ESCALATED THE SITUATION TO HONDA CORPORATE AND FOUND OUT FROM A CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST THAT HONDA DID NOT SEND THE LETTER INFORMING ME OF THE DEFECT AND WARRANTY EXTENSION TO MY CORRECT ADDRESS. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS NOT AN ADDRESS THAT I HAD EVER PROVIDED TO HONDA. AFTER ESCALATING MY ISSUE TO THE REGIONAL CASE MANAGER, I WAS STILL REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. THERE ARE OVER 300 COMPLAINTS ABOUT CRACKED ENGINE BLOCKS IN 06-09 HONDA CIVICS ON THE CAR COMPLAINTS WEBSITE ALONE. MANY OWNERS STATE THAT THEIR VEHICLES BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. THIS QUESTIONS HONDA'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE LONGEVITY OF THE ENGINE BLOCK AND ALL PARTS INVOLVED. I APPEAL TO NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ONGOING MATTER AND HOLD HONDA ACCOUNTABLE BY ENFORCING A RECALL.