1998 Honda Civic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CHARGE HIM TO REMOVE AND RE-INSTALL HIS AFTERMARKET ALARM SYSTEM, IN ORDER TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RE-INSTALLATION. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 144,872.

ON FEB. 10, 2008, I WAS DRIVING MY HONDA CIVIC LX ON HIGHWAY 400, JUNCTION 89, MY CAR LOST CONTROL, AND BECAUSE THERE WERE SNOW ON THE GROUND, I CANNOT STOP THE CAR, I KEEP ON PUMPING THE BRAKE, AS IF I USED THE ABS, I WOULD HAVE SLIDE DOWN TO THE VALLEY. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE CAR AT ALL AND IT HIT HEAD ON THE GUARD RAIL, THE WHOLE FRONT AND ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY CRUSHED. WITH SUCH KIND OF IMPACT, THE AIR BAG SHOULD DEPLOY, BUT IT DID NOT DEPLOY, THE CAR WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND IS A TOTAL WRITE OFF. THE POLICE AND THE AMBULANCE TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, AS ONE TIME A WOMAN CAME OUT FROM A PLAZA WITHOUT LOOKING THAT IT IS ALL CLEAR, HER TRUCK HIT THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE RIGHT FRONT OF MY CAR, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. *TR

THE CAR STALLED ON THE FREEWAY, RESTARTED THE CAR AND PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. PROBLEM THEN CONTINUED AFTER GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY. IT WOULD RESTART EACH TIME. WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR FACILTY.FOLSOM CAR CARE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH AND ADVISED ME OF A HONDA RECALL CAMPAIGN. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER (MEL RAPTON HONDA, SACRAMENTO, CA. THEY ADVISED ME THIS VEHICLE BY VIN WAS NOTE INCLUDED. I CALL FOLSOM CARE BACK AND THEY SAID THEY NEVER HAD HONDA DENY A CAMPAIGN SO HE CALL SHINGLE SPRINGS HONDA AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE. I THEN AUTHORIZED FOLSOM CARE CARE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THEY REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH P/N 35130-S04-305 (SAME ONE AS IN THE RECALL)AND THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED. THIS IS A 1998 CIVIC THAT BY MODEL AND YEAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BUT HONDA HAS DENIED MY CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT SYMPTOMS, FAILURE MODE, AND REPAIRS ARE IDENTICAL TO THE VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE FAILURE (STALLING ON THE FREEWAY). *TR

ON OCTOBER 30, 2004, I HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED ON MY 1998 HONDA CIVIC PER THE RECALL. IN LATE DECEMBER OF 2007, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE STARTING MY CAR. ON SIX OCCASIONS, MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING -- ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE (UNDER CONSTRUCTION -- WITH NO SHOULDER). THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH, BUT SAID THAT SINCE IT WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN CARE OF PER THE RECALL, I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE 3 YEAR OLD REPLACEMENT ($364.). I SAVED THE IGNITION THAT THEY REPLACED THIS TIME -- THEY DID NOT ALLOW ME TO SAVE THE IGNITION THE FIRST TIME (2004) (THEY SAID, BECAUSE IT WAS A RECALLED PART). NOTE: THIS IS A HONDA CIVIC (THIS SITE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT MODEL FROM THE PULL-DOWN MENU). *CN

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAVE A BIG CRACK CAUSING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EXHAUST FUMES TO MIGRATE TO THE CABIN SINCE IT IS IN FRONT OF THE CAR. HONDA HAVE AN EXISTING SERVICE BULLETIN 98-081 THAT ONLY COVERS 96-97 CIVICS AND NOT 1998 MODELS BUT THEY DID NOT DO THE RE-DESIGN UNTIL 99. IT IS A WELL KNOWN FLAW BUT HONDA DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FOR IT. *TR