NHTSA Complaint #740192 — 2000 HONDA CIVIC

THE VEHICLES MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A PROBLEM AFTER RUNNING 2,255 MILES WITHIN SEVEN MONTHS. THE ENGINE RAN VERY ROUGHLY AND HESITATED ON ACCELERATION, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE SERVICE DEPATMENT STATED THEY TRIED TO DIAGNOSIS AND FIX THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. LATER THEY SAID THE VALVES WERE TO TIGHT AND CONSEQUENTLY ADJUST THEM. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED, THE NEXT DAY IT WOULD NOT START. EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE STARTED VERY ROUGHLY AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY; THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP CAME BACK ON. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE FUEL INJECTORS LEAKING AND REPLACED ALL FOUR-FUEL INJECTORS. AFTER THESE MALFUNCTIONS AND REPAIRS, I NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLES ACCELERATION POWER, AND THE IDLING WAS NOISIER. THE GAS MILEAGE SEEMED LESS AND THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA CONCERNS A DEFECTIVE AND NONCONFORMING VEHICLE THAT WAS LIKELY TO CAUSED SEVERE BODILY INJURY OR DEATH IF DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD WITH DEFECTS THAT NOT ONLY JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER BUT THE PUBLIC WAS ALSO AT RISK.. THAT RISK OF FUEL LEAKING FROM INJECTORS AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION (VALVES) COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE, POLLUTION, AND COLLISION HAZARD. SUCH DEFECTS AND NONCONFORMITIES BREACH THE IMPLIED AND EXPRESSED WARRANTEES AND VIOLATE VARIOUS FEDERAL LAWS INTENDED TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER AND THE PUBLIC. THE EXPECTATION OF A NEW VEHICLE TO PERFORM IN A SAFE AND RELIABLE MANNER SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED BY DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING, AND INADEQUATE SERVICE. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM. IT WOULD BE A LIFE SAVING SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC WHO IS UNSUSPECTING THAT A NEW, WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE WOULD RUN FOR LESS THAN 2,300 MILES AND HAVE DANGEROUS DEFECTS APPEAR. THE PATTERN OF NEGLECT THAT BEGUN WITH THE MANUFACTURE, PERSISTED WITH THE SALE AND THE SERVICE OF THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALER. THIS LACK OF DUE CARE COULD GET SOMEBODY KILLED. *AK