NHTSA Complaint #11349887 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

GOOD AFTERNOON, MY 2008 CIVIC (137,500 MILES) OVERHEATED WHILE ON HIGHWAY & AFTER PULLING OVER & CHECKING COOLANT SPILL TANK SAW IT WAS EMPTY. NEXT DAY REFILLED RADIATOR WITH COOLANT & AFTER STARTING CAR NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING ON GROUND AT FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. I COULD NOT LOCATE LEAK. DROVE TO NEAREST HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT & AT SERVICE (VIA PRESSURE TEST OF ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM) A CRACK IN ENGINE BLOCK BETWEEN CYL. 1 & 2 WAS LOCATED. I WAS TOLD BY SERVICE TECH THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF ENGINE BLOCK CRACK/ DEFECT & INSTEAD OF ISSUING A SERVICE RECALL WHAT THEY DID WAS A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 10 YEARS. HOWEVER, THAT WARRANTY EXPIRED 2 YEARS AGO. SERVICE MANAGER CALLED AMERICAN HONDA CORP. FOR GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO TRY & HELP WITH REPAIRS BUT AMERICAN HONDA REJECTED/ DECLINED THE REQUEST & HAS LEFT ME WITHOUT A VEHICLE. I AM NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE NO CAR FOR WORK, FOR MY MOM/ DAD DOCTOR VISITS/ FOR SUPERMARKET/ FOR LIFE. COSTS OF REPAIR ARE ARE ABOVE $5,000. I WAS THE 2ND OWNER OF MY 2008 CIVIC & WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY HONDA OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION OR OF A POSSIBLE RECALL NOTIFICATION OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. I RECEIVED RECALL FOR THE AIR BAG (TEKATA), BUT DID NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING FOR A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. WHY IS THAT? HOW IS AMERICAN HONDA CORP. ALLOWED TO DO A "WARRANTY EXTENSION" TO RESOLVE A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE CRACKS & ONLY WHEN YOU NOTICE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING, THESE VEHICLES CAN HAVE AN ENGINE FAILURE/ STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, INCREASING THE RISK OF CRASH. AS A LIFELONG HONDA OWNER (20 YEARS '97 ACCORD AND '08 CIVIC) I AM BEYOND DISAPPOINTED. DISAPPOINTED NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT HONDA LEGAL DEPARTMENT DID VIA "LEGAL LOOP HOLES," NO. I'M DISAPPOINTED I WILL NEVER OWN OR DRIVE A HONDA AGAIN. GOOD DAY.