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Hello. I am in a tough spot. I had a cross country move to make from Milwaukee to the San Francisco Bay Area and my beloved Civic made it as far as Reno, NV before dying. The engine heat had been variable over the last few hours in the desert and the heat spiked, engine indicator light went on, and as I was pulling over white/black smoke came out of the back of the vehicle. It was towed to the nearest Honda dealership for repair due to it being contracted with our extended warranty coverage. The ultimate cause of the overheating was a fan switch fail but all the complications led to a blown head gasket and warped engine long block. The bad news is that the extended warranty company apparently doesn't cover overheating despite our platinum level of coverage. BTW we also got a "perfect" report during our oil change and inspection at midas just before I left for the trip.
Ultimately I need a new engine plus other components like a new radiator etc. The service department at the dealership offered the option of ordering a used engine through LKQ for around $1500 and estimated labor to be around $1600-1700.
My husband and I are weighing our options, and it is complicated since we are still paying off the loan (last year of it). We are deciding whether to spend $3-4000 for the repair or try to sell it to the dealership, and cut our losses (continue paying on the loan for the vehicle we don't have and look for a new used car? and try to get a refund for the warranty). We were just given the news this morning, so we are still needed to call the extended warranty company to try and negotiate and then notify the dealership of our plans. The exterior and interior of the car are in tip top shape its just the engine that is ugly. We worry about the complications that can come potentially with a used engine and how we could fit a repair like this in our budget - its possible but it would be a big hit to our finances.
I'm just trying to figure out what to do - does anyone have any advice? Thanks ....
First of all, I'm sorry to hear of this problem. Being out in the middle of nowhere, and broken down, sucks. Second, it sucks that you're at a Honda Dealership, because they're going to do everything in their power to skaroo you over. Over $3,000 for a USED engine - installed - is outrageous. Those are solid little engines, which means there are a lot of them in salvage yards. You can pick them up all over for $500 - $900. Also, $1700 for labor is outrageous.
Pardon the rant.
My advice is that, the Platinum Extended Warranty (aka, screwjob) is not going to pay for this engine, you get your car away from the dealership ASAP, and find a local shop to install a used engine. The total job should not cost more than $2,000.
How urgent is your trip? Rental maybe to get to where you have to be?
How much do you owe on the car?
You may be stepping into a decision forced to be made by how much you owe vs cost of repairs. What I am afraid of is that now that engine was overheated, you will have all kinds of issues popping here and there after repair.
You do not need new engine. You need head swap. Maybe radiator, not sure why and, of course, whatever caused overheating.
Engine heads are about 500-600 plus about 5 hr labor to swap them out on a four banger. I'd say, $1200, 1500 top total. Honda parts are abundant and local parts store or independant mech can get you one easy overnight or from local warehouse.
Personally, it all would have been based on how fast I need to get to my destination. If I had new job lined there... That's an awkward start, no matter what happened...
I've never heard of the engine block warping from overheating. Maybe the heads if they are aluminum, but never the block. There's just far more material to warp there.
The engine may be toast. If it warped the head and coolant got into the oil, the bearings are probably toast as well.
She also said the block was warped ... you can't get by a warped block.
I do NOT buy the story of failed switch, though. There was something else going on. Going down the highway there is going to be air moving over the radiator at a MUCH faster speed than the fan would be able to pull at.
There's something more going on that the Honda dealer does not want to tell you.
Thanks everyone. From what I understand, the heads were warped which further damaged the block. He said the failure of the fan switch caused the head gasket to blow, leaking coolant into the engine. Probably oversimplified explanation and potentially inaccurate recall on my part.
We still owe 5600 on the vehicle and can't pursue a total loss bc we did not have mechanical on our insurance coverage.
My husband was driving our second vehicle, a 2000 Subaru forester, so I was able to get to Reno where we were staying with extended family who are trying to find highly rated non-dealership mechanics in the Reno area - thanks for the advice about the expensive quote. We got the rest of the way to my new apt in the Bay Area but the civic is still in Reno.
What other problems do you think the mechanic may not want to disclose? Should I also be worried about the transmission?
My job doesn't start until August 26 so there is some time To work with. However my husband was planning to drive the Subaru back as he's working in Milwaukee for the next 9 mos. So we really both need a vehicle and are working out the logistics of how we will address this.
Hello. I am in a tough spot. I had a cross country move to make from Milwaukee to the San Francisco Bay Area and my beloved Civic made it as far as Reno, NV before dying. The engine heat had been variable over the last few hours in the desert and the heat spiked, engine indicator light went on, and as I was pulling over white/black smoke came out of the back of the vehicle. It was towed to the nearest Honda dealership for repair due to it being contracted with our extended warranty coverage. The ultimate cause of the overheating was a fan switch fail but all the complications led to a blown head gasket and warped engine long block. The bad news is that the extended warranty company apparently doesn't cover overheating despite our platinum level of coverage. BTW we also got a "perfect" report during our oil change and inspection at midas just before I left for the trip.
Ultimately I need a new engine plus other components like a new radiator etc. The service department at the dealership offered the option of ordering a used engine through LKQ for around $1500 and estimated labor to be around $1600-1700.
My husband and I are weighing our options, and it is complicated since we are still paying off the loan (last year of it). We are deciding whether to spend $3-4000 for the repair or try to sell it to the dealership, and cut our losses (continue paying on the loan for the vehicle we don't have and look for a new used car? and try to get a refund for the warranty). We were just given the news this morning, so we are still needed to call the extended warranty company to try and negotiate and then notify the dealership of our plans. The exterior and interior of the car are in tip top shape its just the engine that is ugly. We worry about the complications that can come potentially with a used engine and how we could fit a repair like this in our budget - its possible but it would be a big hit to our finances.
I'm just trying to figure out what to do - does anyone have any advice? Thanks ....
Please check to find out if this was a manufacturer's defect!!! The gasket on my Honda Civic 2007 went out when I was driving on a calm surface street last summer. A local serviceman told me to inquire about manufacturers' defects. When I looked online, I discovered that it was indeed a defective engine. The Local honda dealership provided a new engine block and repaired it within a week. I also called National Honda line to get reimbursed for car rental, which dealer refused to provide.
Head gasket issues and the resultant overheating are a known problem on the D17 Civic's. Chances are this wasn't some catastrophic failure, but an existing longterm problem that showed up when the vehicle was stressed. Unfortunately, it's not something most people would pick up on and I doubt the tech at Midas would have noticed the subtle signs of a small leak. Your warranty won't help with the overheating clause. Let this be a lesson that those 3rd party warranties are pretty much useless.
Your best choice right now is to get the car to a good independent shop and have them source and install a used/remanned engine. The quote from the Honda dealer is very high and total cost should be around $1,500-$2,000 and if the engine is sourced from a major supplier like Jasper it will carry a warranty (one that actually works, lol).
Here are the names of a couple of good shops in Reno you can call. I do not personally endorse any of them, I am just familiar with their work...
Greg's Garage: 775-324-0911; 410 East 6th Street
Christensen Automotive: 755-322-8100; 2175 Market Street
Give them a call and ask them for quotes on an engine replacement on your car. Tell the dealer not to touch anything. If you decide to have one of them do the work, they should be able to arrange to tow your car from the dealer to their shop. This may require you calling or faxing an authorization for release to the dealer. The dealer will most likely try to charge you for diag time, be prepared to pay around 3 hours of labor for the time the dealer put into it. I doubt they will allow you to appeal to their kinder side, though stranger things have happened.
First of all, I'm sorry to hear of this problem. Being out in the middle of nowhere, and broken down, sucks. Second, it sucks that you're at a Honda Dealership, because they're going to do everything in their power to skaroo you over. Over $3,000 for a USED engine - installed - is outrageous. Those are solid little engines, which means there are a lot of them in salvage yards. You can pick them up all over for $500 - $900. Also, $1700 for labor is outrageous.
Pardon the rant.
My advice is that, the Platinum Extended Warranty (aka, screwjob) is not going to pay for this engine, you get your car away from the dealership ASAP, and find a local shop to install a used engine. The total job should not cost more than $2,000.
Apparently, the OP didn't need this educational explanation, which BTW is inaccurate.
1) Yes, its expensive. All dealerships are like that. However, the quoted price for a used engine is in the normal range.
2) The customer has basically 2 choices (other then installing a brand new engine): a used engine that was refurbished and most internal parts replaced. These engines come with (limited) warranty (miles, time). The other option is yanking the engine from a totaled car. It can be a decent engine, but it comes with no warranty. What you see you get. Of course, there is a higher risk involved with this option, but the upfront cost is significantly lower then with the first option. Every decent shop (not dealerships only) will guarantee their labor (between 3 months- 1 year). Labor at dealerships in most cases is more expensive then at independent shops.
3) Back to OP: If you have an independent (and decent) shop you trust, I would tow the car there. Or bring it home. The question is how much you depend on this car. If you have an alternative, wait a few days until you make up your mind. Also, do you plan to change the car in the next year? I wouldn't trade it at a dealership, because they will offer you next to nothing. In any case I will try selling to a private customer, you may be offered more then at the dealership.
4) A practical option may be finding a used engine with low millage, take the risk and install it at lower price (you can negotiate labor costs). Immediately after the new engine is installed, sell the car (privately) and either buy or lease a new one.
5) Transmission is not necessarily part of the "package". If there is a problem, its just bad luck.
Apparently, the OP didn't need this educational explanation, which BTW is inaccurate.
What part of my experience-based explanation was inaccurate?
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