2006 Honda Civic

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER IS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TREATMENT I RECEIVED FROM HONDA OF AMERICA. I WAS IN A MINOR ACCIDENT ON JUNE 11 2008. THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE TIE ROD BREAKING ON MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC AS I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. THE MECHANICAL FAILURE CAUSED MY CAR TO VEER INTO 2 PARKED CARS CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO EACH. THE ATTENDING OFFICER STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS OBVIOUSLY THE RESULT OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND DID NOT ISSUE ANY TICKETS. THE BODY SHOP OWNER ALSO AGREED THAT A MECHANICAL FAILURE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THIS PROMPTED ME TO INFORM HONDA OF AMERICA OF THE ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THE BROKEN TIE ROD. HONDA'S RESPONSE WAS YOU WILL BE CONTACTED IN 2 TO 3 WEEKS. IN THE MEAN TIME THE CAR WAS NOT FIXED AS EVERYTHING WAS ON HOLD WAITING FOR HONDA'S RESPONSE. IN FACT THE CAR WAS NOT FIXED UNTIL 7/24/08, 43 DAYS LATER. CONTACT WAS MADE BY CHRISTIAN K. SKJERVOLD OF M.A. JORDAN CO. INC. LOCATED IN MINNEAPOLIS MN. MR. SKJERVOLD VISIT WAS VERY UNPLEASANT. HIS ONLY OBJECTIVE WAS TO BADGER ME INTO ADMITTING THAT I HAD SOMEHOW BROKEN THE TIE ROD MYSELF. I AM 81 YEARS OLD AND DRIVE QUITE CONSERVATIVELY. HE SUGGESTED REPEATEDLY THAT PERHAPS I HAD BEEN DRIVING RECKLESSLY AND DAMAGED THE CAR BEFORE HAND. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD BE IN CONTACT IN 2 WEEKS. I HEARD NOTHING UNTIL I CONTACTED HIM IN LATE SEPTEMBER. A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HONDA STATING THAT BASED ON THEIR INVESTIGATION THE TIE ROD HAD BROKEN AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT CONTRADICTING ALL OF THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION. THE LETTER GOES ON TO STATE THAT TIE ROD WAS NOT BROKEN BUT WAS BENT IN THE MIDDLE. THIS IS PURE FABRICATION AND I HAVE ALL OF THE BROKEN PARTS IN MY GARAGE TO PROVE IT. IF THIS IS THE WAY HONDA HANDLES THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM I WILL ASSUME YOU HAVE A FILE ON THEM ALREADY. PLEASE ADD THIS TO YOUR DATA BASE. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO FOLLOW UP WITH HONDA WOULD ALSO BE APPRECIATED. *TR

ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008, I BEGAN MY DRIVE TO WORK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON ME (NO MOVEMENT WHATSOEVER) WHILE I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH! LUCKILY, I WAS ON A SIDE STREET AND ABLE TO STOP THE CAR EVEN THOUGH I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN ONTO A HIGHWAY! MY CAR IS A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PART. WHAT SCARES ME IS THE THOUGHT OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED. TO ME, THIS SITUATION HAS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING ON PAR WITH THE DANGER AND FATALITIES INCURRED BY OWNERS OF FORD EXPLORERS SOME YEARS AGO (E.G., TIRES). I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO SEE IF OTHER OWNERS OF 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR STEERING WHEELS LOCKING UP WHILE DRIVING AND WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR FATALITIES/ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEM HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A MAJOR RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

ON SEPT 7, 2007. I COMPLAIN TO HONDA DEALERSHIP IN CARSON, ABOUT A ROARING SOUND ON MY REAL WHEELS. ASIDE FROM THAT THERE WAS UNEVEN WEAR ON BOTH INNER SIDE OF THE TIRES. THE SOUND WAS LIKE A BEARING FAILURE. THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED AN ALIGNMENT. SO I PAID FOR IT. PLUS I HAVE TO BUY NEW TIRES. THEN TODAY 9-2-08. IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH THE SAME ISSUES. I WAS TOLD THEY WOUND NOT COVER SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. MY CAR 55,000 HOWEVER ON FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR 2008. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS ON 2006 AND 07 HONDA CIVIC LX AND EX NOT SI. SO TRIED TO ARGUE ABOUT THE SERVICE BULLETIN BOTH HONDA DEALERSHIP AND HONDA MOTORS NORTH AMERICA. THEY ARE GIVING ME A RUN AROUND AND WONT PAY ME FOR MY TIRES AND ALIGNMENT COST. BUT THEY WILL FIX THE PROBLEM WHICH IS REPLACING FLANGE AND UPPER CONTROL ARM AS STATED IN SERVICE BULLETIN. I REQUEST YOUR KIND OFFICE AND RECOMMEND A RECALL ON THIS ISSUES OF ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THEY SAID ITS JUST A SERVICE BULLETIN AND NOT A RECALL. SO ITS NOT MANDATORY. SO THEY WONT PAY FOR MY THIRD TIRE AND ALIGNMENT . AND THE CAN GET OFF THE HOOK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE NOT ALL PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THIS AND STILL DRIVE THEIR CARS UNIT THE TREAD COMES OUT AND THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES WHEN THEY ARE BAD AND WOBBLE THE FRONT STEERING .I'M A MECHANIC FOR (YRS NEVER HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING ISSUES STRAIGHTEN OUT. *TR

STEERING LOCKS UP FROM TIME TO TIME. IT HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES. APPROX. 12 MONTHS AGO & THEN AGAIN 4-27-2008. COMES AND GOES. CONCERNED IT WILL CAUSE A CRASH. I CHECK ON HONDA WEBSIGHT AND NO RECALLS. *TR PHONE INTERVIEW UPDATE (SEPT. 8, 2008): MR. BITKER SAID THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL PRIOR TO THE STEERING LOCKING UP. THE STEERING LOCKUP LASTED ABOUT 2 TO 3 SECONDS EACH TIME DURING WHICH HE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. ONCE IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN THE STEERING LOCKUP HAD OCCURRED. THE DEALER DID NOT FIND ANY FAULT CODE STORED IN THE VEHICLE COMPUTER AND COULD NOT TELL MR. BITKER WHAT WAS WRONG.

ON MY WAY TO WORK, AFTER NORMAL DRIVING FOR 2 MILES, THE VEHICLE LOST IT'S POWER STEERING. I WAS JUST ENTERING THE FREEWAY, SO I GOT OFF ON THE NEXT EXIT AND TOOK IT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP. ONE OF THE IDIOT LIGHTS ON THE PANEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FLASH FOR A SPLIT SECOND BUT WOULD NOT REMAIN ON. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ONLY A MILE AWAY. I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WAITED FOR MY TURN. I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON TO MOVE IT FORWARD AND VOILA, THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS GONE. I EXPLAINED TO THE TECH ALL THAT HAD TRANSPIRED. HE TURNED THE IGNITION AND POINTED TO AN IDIOT LIGHT AND ASKED ME IF THAT WAS THE ONE I HAD SEEN. I SAID YES BECAUSE IT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE IT. I LEFT THE CAR THERE FOR THEIR TESTING. THEY CALLED ME LATER THAT AFTERNOON AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND ALSO THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES THAT REGISTERED. THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR

NOTICED A WHINING TYPE SOUND ON MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN WITH 8275 MILES. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW BY 4.6 OUNCES, WELL BELOW THE INTAKE HOSE FOR THE SYSTEM. DEALER INFORMS ME REPLACEMENT OF RACK AND PINION IS NECESSARY DUE TO LEAK, FLUID SHOOTS OUT WHEN PUMP IS RUNNING. WARRANTY, NO OUT OF POCKET COST. LOSS OF USE WHILE AWAITING PARTS ORDER, 4 DAYS TOTAL LOSS. *JB

WITHIN THE LAST YEAR I HAVE NOTICED A LEAK ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE ENGINE WHILE CHANGING OIL IN MY WIFE'S 2006 CIVIC. FIRST TIME, THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A LEAKY OIL PAN GASKET BOLT WHICH THEY TIGHTENED. THIS TIME I AM TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS LEAKING AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS 18 MONTHS OLD WITH 51,000 MILES ON IT. THE HONDA DEALER IS CURRENTLY REPAIRING THE CAR FOR $470 BY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON A YEAR THIS OLD! *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 HONDA CIVIC LX IN THE US AND BROUGHT IT TO KOREA WITH ME A FEW MONTHS AGO. I, HOWEVER, JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID HAS BEEN LEAKING AND WAS TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON CAUSE IT MIGHT LEADS TO AN ACCIDENT IF IT'S NOT FIXED. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THIS PART MUST BE DEFECTED IN THE BEGINNING BUT THE PROBLEM FOR ME IS THAT THE HONDA WOULD NOT FIX IT WITH FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE I PURCHASED IT IN THE US AND IT'S IN KOREA NOW. I DON'T THINK IT'S FARE FOR CONSUMERS (CAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STILL UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY). IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET IT FIXED WITH FREE OF CHARGE?? *AK

I PURCHASED A 2006 CIVIC EX IN DECEMBER OF 2005. WITHIN 3 MONTHS, THE RIGHT DRIVER SIDE A/C VENT STARTED TO RATTLE AS WELL AS AROUND BOTH DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE VENT BUT COULD NOT LOCATED THE NOISE BY THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS. AT THIS TIME, THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID HAD BEEN LEAKING AND REPAIRED THIS WAS WELL. AT MY NEXT SCHEDULE OIL CHANGE, I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE A/C VENT RATTLING MORE THAN BEFORE THE AND THE RATTLING AROUND THE SEAT BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTERS HAD INCREASED. THEY INSTALLED A NEW A/C VENT FOR THE SECOND TIME. THEY ALSO WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE AFTER TAKING OFF THE PANEL WHERE THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTERS ARE LOCATED, THAT IT WAS POORLY INSULATED AND ADDED FELT TAPE. THE NEW A/C VENT IS MORE STURDY THAN THE ORIGINAL AND FIRST REPLACEMENT SO IT NO LONGER RATTLES. THE FELT TAPE INSULATION HAS ALSO STOPPED THE SEAT BELT ADJUSTER FROM RATTLING. HOWEVER IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS I HAVE ADDITIONAL RATTLING WHICH I HAVE LOCATED TO INSIDE OF CEILING DIRECTLY BEHIND THE MOON ROOF. *JB