1998 Honda Civic

IN A SEVERE HEAD-ON CRASH THAT TOTALED MY 1998 HONDA CIVIC EX BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, BODY SHOP AND OTHER WITNESSES ALONG WITH THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT GUIDE PROVIDED WITH THE VEHICLE, THE CRASH FIT THE EXACT DESCRIPTION AND CRITERIA OF ONE WHERE THE AIRBAGS SHOULD DEPLOY. IN INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, I CAME ACROSS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM (DATED OCTOBER 97 - 3 MONTHS BEFORE I LEASED THE CAR) I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION FOR THE VEHICLE AND CAN FIND NO REFERENCE TO EITHER THIS RECALL BEING PERFORMED NOR RECEIVING NOTICE OF SAID RECALL. *JB

WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES OF HAVING NEW REAR TIRES PUT ON MY CAR, I EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE WHILE GOING AROUND A LEFT HAND TURN AT ABOUT 40 MPH. THIS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND SLAM HEAD FIRST INTO A CONCRETE PILLAR AT THE BASE OF A LIGHT POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND I SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. HAD I NOT BEEN WEARING A SEAT BELT I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. IF I HAD ANYONE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THEY WOULD HAVE PROBABLY LOST THEIR LEGS AS THE FLOOR WAS PUSHED UP TO THE SAME LEVEL AS THE SEAT. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 HONDO CIVIC WITH 50, 000 MILES. IT HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED A JERK WHEN SHIFTING FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND ALSO WHEN DOWN SHIFTING. I HAVE CONDUCTED ALL MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE TRANSMISSION FLUSHES. HOWEVER, EVEN MY PREVENTIVELY MEASURES COULD NOT SAVE THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH ANY ABUSE. THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE INVOLVING THE SAME VEHICLE THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET. PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL FOR THIS IS AN EXPANSIVE DEFECT THAT HAS COASTED THIS CONSUMER OVER $1000 TO FIX.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE LIKE THE MUFFLER HAD GONE BAD. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LARGE CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON EARLIER MODEL YEARS, AND THE MANUFACTURER EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE MANIFOLD WITH A REINFORCED PART. *JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT DOES NOT ALWAYS SECURELY "LATCH" INTO THE BUCKLE. WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE SEATBELT HAS "UNLATCHED" WITHOUT WARNING ON THE PERSON SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I'VE FIGURED OUT THAT AFTER INSERTING THE SAFETY BELT INTO THE BUCKLE, IT'LL "STAY SECURE" IF I PUSH DOWN ON IT ONE MORE TIME UNTIL I HEAR A SOLID CLICK. I HAVE NOT HAD TO DO THIS IN THE PAST, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR ANY PASSENGERS THAT MAY BE SEATED IN MY CAR WHILE IN MOTION. THOSE UNAWARE OF THE "DOUBLE CLICK" TRICK (TO GET IT "SAFELY SECURED") ARE DEFINITELY AT THE HIGHEST RISK OF INJURY...THEY ASSUME THAT WHEN THEY INSERT THE SAFETY BELT INTO THE BUCKLE (AND HEAR THE INITIAL CLICK) THEY ARE APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED BY THE SEAT BELT. HOWEVER, SEVERAL PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN ALARMINGLY SURPRISED TO HAVE THEIR SEATBELT "AUTOMATICALLY" UNLATCH ITSELF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION! ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME THE BELT IS INSERTED INTO THE BUCKLE, IT STILL CAUSES ME GREAT CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE SITTING IN THAT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT!*AK

1998 HONDA CIVIC EX W/ 55,000 MILES. VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING HARSHLY @ 53K. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP, REPORTED DTC P0730. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR OVER $4000. FOUND TSB 00-012 WHICH RECOMMENDED FLUSHING TRANSMISSION & REPLACING LINEAR SOLENOID. FOLLOWED TSB RECOMMENDATION. HELPED FOR 2 DAYS BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. TSB 00-012 SUGGESTED HONDA MIGHT OFFER GOODWILL CONSIDERATION FOR CARS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED DEALER TO SPLIT THE COST WITH ME WHICH I HAVE HEARD HAS WORKED FOR SOME OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO CENTRALIZED HONDA CUST SRV WHICH DENIED MY REQUEST. MEANWHILE I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON SEVERAL TRANSMISSION REBUILDER SITES REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION MODEL (B4RA): "COMMON COMPLAINTS IN THE A4RA, B4RA, AND M4RA TRANSMISSIONS ARE HARSH UPSHIFTS, DOWNSHIFTS AND FORWARD ENGAGEMENTS, WHILE REVERSE ENGAGEMENT IS FINE. THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE CAUSED BY A BROKEN CPC (CLUTCH PRESSURE CONTROL) VALVE SPRING. THE SPRING IS LOCATED IN THE SECONDARY VALVE BODY, AND NOT AVAILABLE FROM HONDA. SONNAX HAS DEVELOPED A REPLACEMENT SPRING 88894 THAT HAS A WIRE DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE OEM DESIGN. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE STRESS ON THE SPRING, PREVENTING FUTURE BREAKAGE." TO ME, THIS SUGGESTS THAT THIS MODEL OF HONDA TRANSMISSIONS CONTAINS A FAULTY PART, RESULTING IN MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS & EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM & NOT JUST PROVIDE RANDOM GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO A SELECT FEW WHO COMPLAIN THE LOUDEST. HONDA'S DENIAL THAT THIS IS EVEN A PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A TSB IDENTIFYING A HUGE GROUP OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED CARS & TRANSMISSION REBUILDERS HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM SO OFTEN THAT ANOTHER COMPANY HAS ACTUALLY SEEN FIT TO CREATE A BETTER REPLACEMENT PART) HAS TURNED ME FROM A VIRTUAL HONDA EVANGELIST TO A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER WHO WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA.*AK