HOLY s**t!!!!!!!! I got it! The f**kin' rep did it! That's it, my car is getting fixed and I am not going to pay a penny. I am very happy right now. I know that without the support of that guy I wouldn't be here. He deserves a big gift.
In retrospect, here is what I would recommend if you have an 06, 07, and perhaps even 08 civic:
1. Take your car to the dealer for service. Buy your own oil using coupons, get your own filter, and take it to Honda to change it for you. Their price is not much higher than on the street - $18. This is very important because you get to know your dealer and build a service history. When trouble comes, go to the dealerships that have serviced you and ask for all the receipts. They will give this to you. It will be good evidence that you did "take care" of your car.
2. It is likely that your engine is going to crack; be prepared. So, what can you do? I would first write a letter to Honda telling them how you are worried that your engine might crack. When your engine does crack, you will have paper evidence of preemptive action. Second, if you have below 60K miles on your car (aka warranty), complain to the dealer that you have smelled some antifreeze. Whether you have it or not, when the time comes and your engine cracks after your warranty expires, you will have a paper trail showing that you did mention it in the past.
3. This might suck, but consider getting rid of your car. Either trade it in and get an Si or go with a different brand altogether. You have nothing to lose if you get the money for what the car is worth and can potentially avoid a $4-6K bill
4. Contact your attorney general and BBB NOW and tell them about your concern. When your engine DOES crack after warranty, this paper trail will be very powerful in court.
5. Jjust stay away from civics. I heard that a whole batch of 08 models was recalled initially. Is the 09 totally fixed? There is no guarantee. It did take over two years for the cracking problem to become very apparent in 06 and 07 models. To know for sure whether the problem is fixed you have to wait until 2011.
6. Try to remain calm. The dealer is not your enemy. I know, it can be very, very angering to find out that you have a cracked engine, but keep it cool. I am irascible myself, but what I do is I try to avoid human contact when I am in the destruction mode. I might go to the gym, do some bag punching, and shoot things, and only after thinking about a strategy attack an issue methodically. Remember, when you walk down to the dealership, you are looking for a FRIEND. That's your first line of defense. If you just attack and don't get support from the dealer, then your issue won't even go to the second level. Got it? And yes, dealers are just people. If you see that someone doesn't like you or is a jerk, go to another guy. If the same happens, leave the dealership and try another dealership in another city. I have a feeling that if the dealership sticks out for you, Honda WILL cover. I mean who else are they going to cover if not the customers supported by the dealer?
Finally, I would appreciate if Tom and others who work at the Honda dealer do a little consumer advocacy. You guys know very well what is going on. If you don't want to do it officially, at least you could give some very valuable tips right here online. If you want to do it anonymously, do it under a different user name or PM the affected individuals. It is not right what Honda is doing.
Although I am happy about my outcome, I am still very wary. I really want to hear from Tom and others from here about what happens AFTER the engine block is replaced. Do you guys have any mechanical problems? Am I now going to face a lifetime of little fixes here and there?
As a warning, read this thread in its entirety. Out of all the people here who were out of warranty, only ONE person was given a free pass. Everyone else paid on average $1000. A few were not covered at all and one guy had a lot of problems with his engine after the fix because the mechanic was incompetent. I am the second person here who had his engine completely covered out of warranty, but this is not a precedent for anyone. We WON'T get a precedent until a recall is initiated. I was just able to connect with the dealer and I am also usually good at negotiations. Who knows, if a different rep picked up my case I might not have won this. This guy was really on my side. The weirdest part of the whole story is that he was perhaps a Red Wings fan and told me I look like Zetterberg. I have no idea if that played a role in this too, but if it did, then this is pretty crazy.
