1998 Honda Civic

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CAR WOULD CUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT CATCH RIGHT AWAY AND CARS RPM WAS DOWN TO THREE NOTCHES FROM ZERO WHEN IDLING. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC 3/22/04 AND THEN AGAIN 3/24/04 FOR CAR TO GO ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING SHOWED ELECTRICAL PROBLEM COMING FROM DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY. MECHANIC CONTACTED HONDA AND THIS WAS NOT A RECALL. I CONTACTED GEICO FOR CAR TO BE FIXED UNDER MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN THAT IS INCLUDED IN MY POLICY. GEICO CONTACTED MECHANIC CONCERNING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THEN AUTHORIZED FOR CAR TO BE FIXED WHICH TOOK FROM 3/25/04 - 4/1/04. *NM

CAR WAS IN PARK, HAND BRAKE WAS UP-LIMIT, AIR CONDITIONER AND ENGINE ON, IN A DRIVEWAY WITH AN INCLINE. I WAS UNLOADING THREE PET BIRDS FROM CAR IN OVER 90 DEGREE WEATHER, THEREFORE LEFT AIR CONDITIONER ON. WHEN I WAS DONE UNLOADING, I KNELT ON MY KNEES ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND REACHED OVER TO IGNITION, TURNED KEY AND REMOVED IT. CAR JUMPED GEARS TO NEUTRAL AND SLID BACK DOWN HILL, INTO STREET, CAUSING CLOSE TO $2,000 DAMAGE TO MY CAR AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO THE CAR I WAS PARKED NEXT TO IN DRIVEWAY. I COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN SEVERLY HURT OR KILLED HAD A CAR BEEN COMING UP OR DOWN THE STREET. I REPORTED PROBLEM TO AMERICAN HONDA. SENT NUMEROUS LETTERS. WAS INITIALLY JUST LAUGHED AT. EVENTUALLY THEY OPENED A CASE NUMBER BUT CONCLUDED IT WAS "DRIVER ERROR". IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT NEWS RELEASES ABOUT THE PREVELANCE OF THIS DEFECT ON HONDAS AND ACURAS, I AM FURIOUS.*AK

DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH UNDER RECALL. ALSO THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED . BUT THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM TO START THE VEHICLE CONTINUED. *AK THERE WAS INTERMITTENT GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. SINCE THE NOISE DIDN'T OCCUR WHEN THE CONSUMER BOUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *PH ALSO THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *JB

1998 HONDA CIVIC LX WIRING HARNESS RUN UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD SHORTING OUT DUE TO WIRING INSULATION BEING ABRADED BY THE INTAKE MAINIFOLD. ACCORDING TO HONDA SERVICE TECHNICIAN EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS ACCELERATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WOULD CONTACT THE WIRES. HE SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS ON OTHER CARS AS WELL. THIS CONDITION CAUSED THE CAR TO NOT SHIFT, SHIFT ERRATICALLY, OR NOT MOVE AT ALL, AND SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY EITHER.*AK

FAILURE OF IGNITION SWITCH AND COIL. *MR THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT SEVERAL 1997-2000 MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR FAULTY IGNITION COILS (RECALL NUMBER 02V-120000). THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE DID NOT FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL HOWEVER THE VEHICLES IGNITION SWITCH AND COIL FAILED WHICH IN TURN SHORTED OUT THE IGNITER. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP CRACKED AND THE ROTORS FAILED. *SCC *NLM

AS PART OF A SAFETY RECALL ON IGNITION SWITCHES AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS CO. IMPOSES A FLAT CHARGE OF $75 TO RECONNECT "AFTER MARKET", NON-HONDA, CAR ALARMS. THIS CHARGE IS INVALID BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS INCIDENTAL TO THE RECALL AND EXCESSIVE. BOTH THE SERVICE DEALER AND AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS HAVE REFUSED TO CHANGE THIS POLICY AFTER WE COMPLAINED TO THEM.*JB