Hey guys, I'm having a bit of a problem here...

I just bought my 2008 Honda Fit Base model with the auto and only 69,000 miles last month. I have been very happy with it, except for acceleration isn't the best. I'm a young guy and although I do not beat my cars, I do want them to be able to move when traffic is thick and I need to merge or get out of the way. It seems to lack the zazz, but I'm getting 33mpg so I'm really not complaining about the power aspect.

My issue is that after a week of driving it, I heard a tapping from the engine. A week later it was louder and I showed some experience friends. A week later I showed my dad. No one seemed concerned except me. Last week as I'm driving home it starts knocking like a flipping diesel, louder than ever before. I had been looking into it and was convinced it was a valve adjustment or dirty injectors, but this got significantly louder and metallic, and from the lower block, not where my lifters and valves and injectors are....

Called the dealer. Brought it right over to them. Waited and hour, they said they drove it and couldn't find a problem or noise. I brought Five mechanics out with me and started it up, hearing the knocking immediately. I explained the knock is intermittent, mostly absent when the engine is cold or revving, but very prominent on a warm and idling engine. All five mechanics including the head of service denied hearing any noise or any issue, claiming that if there was a problem the computer would have thrown a code.

I left and brought it directly to the Honda dealer, (where I bought it used is just a Chevy dealer). A very helpful service specialist came out and listened to the engine, and immediately told me (without my saying anything, only asked him to listen to the engine), that I had a knocking in the engine, possibly valve adjustment or injectors. I then told him what was going on and that the dealer i bought it from said there was no problem or noise and I was going crazy and there were no codes etc. The service specialist said clearly that they do not always throw codes, especially on the VTEC where a slight valve clearance adjustment or injectors doesn't get caught by the computer but the driver should hear it and realize service is needed. He asked me to bring it in the next day for a full diagnosis, which I did. They found that cylinder 2 or 3 has a serious knock, in the lower block. They could not determine the exact problem until it increases in severity, but their guess is a bad main bearing or piston related issue. I asked what the repair cost would be approximately if I just waited until it got worse, and they told me that on these engines they usually replace the whole block instead of trying to swap out all the lower block components to find the problem. For cost effective purposes they said a full engine replacement would run me about $2,500 and is the most likely repair they would do.

I brought this report back to where I bought the car and they very rudely and reluctantly submitted to repairing it on their dime, because I thankful have a week left on the 60 day warranty.

They say they will "fix" it. They told me they will find a used engine to put in it for me, but I do not want some random undocumented engine with 100k miles from a totaled car out into my 69,000 mile car. I didn't pay $8,000 for a car that needs an engine in the first place, let alone one with a mosh mashed engine that's older or younger than the body - which will make the title inaccurate and harder to sell it down the road.

What I'm looking for is some comfort or tips on how to handle this situation... Here in upper New York State (yes I live five miles from the Prison where the huge escape on the news is from, my dad works there...) the lemon law applies only if they haven't been able to fix it after three attempts or fifteen days of having it in the garage... So I can't just demand a refund or a different used car. It looks like I'm going to have to keep the car and whatever they do to repair it.

Does anyone have any thoughts to add to the Honda specialist's diagnosis of the engine problem? Any thoughts on if a refurb engine is a possibility or if I should be worried about a used engine going in it?

I've seen some ugly engine replacement jobs, and this dealer sucks, plus I don't trust their work when five mechanics denied hearing the clear knock (loud enough that I recorded it clearly with my iPhone sitting in the drivers seat with all windows up and air on... This is a loud knock).

Any help appreciated! I'm sorry for being long winded, just like to be thorough. Thanks

-Christian

 

Tell them you will accept an used engine, but with no more than 68,000 verifiable miles on it. Plus they give you a full year warranty on the drive train after the fix.
If they do not go for that, get a lawyer.
Gregg