NHTSA Complaint #11289119 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

THE VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK DUE TO A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. THIS VEHICLE CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN AND WHILE IT IS IN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION, REPAIRS ARE ECONOMICALLY UNFEASIBLE. THIS IS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC EX WITH THE R18 ENGINE. IT HAS A CLEAN TITLE AND I AM THE FIRST AND ONLY OWNER. THERE HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SIMILAR FAILURES IN THE 2007, 2008 AND 2009 MODEL YEAR HONDA CIVICS WITH THIS ENGINE DUE TO BAD METALLURGY AND WEAK CASTING DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. HONDA KNOWS THAT THESE ARE DEFECTIVE ENGINES AS THEY CREATED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 10-048 IN RESPONSE TO THESE FAILURES. THEY DID NOT HOWEVER ISSUE A RECALL. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THIS FAILURE COULD OCCUR IN HIGHWAY DRIVING CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND SEIZE AND THE DRIVER COULD THEREFORE POTENTIALLY BE UNABLE TO LEAVE THE ACTIVE TRAFFIC LANES. REGARDLESS, EVEN IF THE DRIVER COULD MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER, THAT IS NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION JUST AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR FAILURES ON VARIOUS OWNER GROUP WEBSITES.