1999 Honda Civic

MY CAR HAS BEEN STALLING AND LOSING POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING, MOST OFTEN ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IT STARTS BACK UP. THIS CREATES A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION. SOMEHOW, AS WITH MANY OTHER DRIVERS I HAVE RESEARCHED AND READ ABOUT, MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2002 RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH (FAULTY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT) INCLUDING HONDA CIVICS FROM 1999. NO OTHER REPAIRS SO FAR HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. IF THIS IS INDEED THE PROBLEM, (THE IGNITION SWITCH) WE VERY STRONGLY FEEL (LIKE MANY OTHERS) THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HONDA TO TAKE CARE OF THE REPLACEMENT.

MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE CAR SHUT OFF ALL OF THE SUDDEN? HE NOTICED THE RPM GAUGE JUST DROPPING AND HE GAVE IT SOME GAS BE RPM'S CONTINUED DOWN, HE PULLED INTO A BUSINESS, STOPPED AND OPENED HOOD TO SEE OR SMELL FOR ANY RUBBER, BURNT , POSSIBLY IF THE TIMING BELT WAS BUSTED. HE CALLED ME AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, SO AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES HE TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. A FEW TIMES I STARTED THE CAR AND AS I DROVE CAR JUST DIED. AT TIMES YOU TRY TO START THE CAR AND IT MAY TAKE A FEW TIMES ,IT WOULD WANT TO START UP THEN TURN OFF, AND JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I STARTED THE CAR , WAITED A FEW MINUTES REVERSED IT AND CAR DIED THAN WHEN I WAS STARTING TO LEAVE THEN CAR WOULD TURN OFF.

BEGINNING IN APRIL 2016 AND CONTINUING TO TODAY, MY CAR WILL SUDDENLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE JUST STOPS, AND THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES ARE NONFUNCTIONAL. THIS HAS OCCURRED UNDER VARIED CONDITIONS: HIGH SPEEDS, LOW SPEEDS, HIGHWAYS, CITY STREETS, PARKING LOTS, HOT DAYS, COOL DAYS, WITH THE AC ON, WITH THE AC OFF, WITH A FULL TANK, A HALF FULL TANK, A QUARTER FULL TANK OF GAS. AFTER THE STALL, THE CAR DOES NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY. I'VE COUNTED, AND IT TAKES BETWEEN 6 AND 20 TRIES TO RESTART THE ENGINE. TWICE THE CAR WOULD NOT START IMMEDIATELY WHEN I WAS LEAVING WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY. AGAIN, IT TOOK MULTIPLE TRIES BEFORE THE CAR STARTED. THE ENGINE TURNS OVER FINE, SEEMS TO BE WEAKLY STARTING, BUT JUST STOPS. THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM; THERE ARE NO CODES THAT HE CAN READ. 129,000 MILES ON THE CAR; I HAVE HAD FULL AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE; AND I DID HAVE THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL MANY YEARS AGO.

AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR AN EXTENDED TIME (GREATER THAN 30 MINUTES) IN HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES (100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR GREATER) THE VEHICLE EMITS A STRONG AND STRANGE SMELL, WHICH APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE SMELL GENERALLY DOES NOT PENETRATE INTO THE VEHICLE'S INTERIOR, BUT IT IS STRONG ENOUGH THAT THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE PARKED IN A COVERED GARAGE BECAUSE THE SMELL WILL OVERWHELM THE ENCLOSED GARAGE WHEN THE GARAGE DOOR IS DOWN. OCCASIONALLY THE SMELL CAN PENETRATE BOTH THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND THE HOUSE. THE SMELL CAN BE INTENSE ENOUGH TO CAUSE HEADACHES, AND IT IS A POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARD. THE SMELL DOES NOT AFFECT THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE. THIS SMELL IS NOT A ROTTEN SULPHUR SMELL FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, NOR THE SWEET ODOR OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL FROM THE COOLANT. IT ALSO IS NOT THAT OF BURNING OIL OR OVERHEATED BRAKES. NO VISIBLE EMISSIONS ARE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. PERHAPS THE SMELL IS EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE'S EMISSION CONTROLS (GASOLINE VAPOR RECOVERY SYSTEM?). THE SMELL IS STRONG AND SHARP WITH A "CHEMICAL" ODOR (PERHAPS BENZENE?). *TR

TAG # [XXX] , A GREEN HONDA CIVIC WITH A MALE DRIVER WAS DRIVING DOWN NORTH LAKE DRIVE IN LEXINGTON, SC TODAY AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM. I WAS BEHIND THAT CAR WHILE HE STAYED IN THE LEFT LANE PROCEEDING SLOWLY. I REMAINED AT ABOUT THREE CAR-LENGTHS BEHIND THIS PERSON WHILE HE BEGAN SLAMMING ON HIS BRAKES. THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF HIM. I TAPPED THE HORN AS HE LOST SOME CONTROL OVER THE WHEEL DUE TO HIS ABRUPT STOP AND ATTEMPTING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. HE PROCEEDING TO "FLIP THE BIRD OUT HIS WINDOW TOWARDS ME." HE CONTINUED THIS BEHAVIOR FOR AT LEAST TWO OR MORE MILES CONTINUALLY STOPPING EVERY FEW MOMENTS. HE WOULD NEARLY COME TO A COMPLETE STOP EACH TIME, THEN PICK BACK UP PACE AFTER REGAINING CONTROL. I FINALLY PASSED HIM AND ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW TO LET HIM KNOW I WAS REPORTING HIS TAG NUMBER. THE PERSON DIRECTLY BEHIND ME WAS NOW BEHIND THIS CIVIC DEALING WITH THAT SAME BEHAVIOR AS IT APPEARED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. THIS OBSCENE BEHAVIOR NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AND NOT TOLERATED ON OUR ROADS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR