Originally Posted by Ownerlink

June 1999

Important Safety Recall Notice

Dear Civic Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
What is the reason for this notice?

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has determined that a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists with the Genuine Honda Accessory driver-side floor mat for certain 1996-1998 Civics automobiles. Due to the floor design in these vehicles, a mispositioned floor mat could prevent the accelerator pedal's return to the idle position. In this case, the vehicle may continue accelerating even though the driver may no longer be pressing on the pedal. Continued acceleration, when the driver is expecting the vehicle to slow, could result in an accident.



What should you do?

As soon as possible, you should determine if your car is equipped with a Genuine Honda Accessory floor mat in the driver's position. Honda floor mats are shaped like the illustration below. If yours looks like the illustration, you probably have an affected mat.

Call any authorized Honda automobile dealer and make an appointment to have your vehicle repaired. They will install a positive floor mat retention system that will help keep the mat in the correct position. This repair will be done free of charge. Parts are now available. Although this repair takes less than an hour, please plan to leave your car for half a day to allow the dealer flexibility in scheduling.

In the meantime, make sure your mat is positioned properly. If the floor mat moves easily, and you're concerned about it interfering with the accelartor pedal, remove the mat and store it in the trunk until your repair appointment with the dealer.
If You Have a Honda Floor Mat

If your driver's side floor mat does not look like ht illustration, it is not a Genuine Honda Accessory mat. Honda has not evaluated aftermarket floor mats, and we do not konw if aftermarket mats will interfere with the accelerator pedal.

We recommend that you check your mat to be sure it does not interfere with the accelerator pedal. If you are concerned, we recommend that you remove the floor mat. If you have more than one floor mat on the driver's side floor, we suggest that you remove any additional mats until only one mat remains.

Please let us know that your car is not affected by completing the appropriate section of the enclosed postage-paid Information Change Card and returning it to Honda.
Who to contact if you experience problems.

If you are not satisfied with the service you receive from your Honda dealer, you may write to:

American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Honda Automobile Customer Service
Mail Stop 500-2N-7A
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90501-2746

If you believe that American Honda or the dealer has failed or is unable to remedy the defect in your car, without charge, within a reasonable period of time (60 days from the date you first contacted the dealer for a repair appointment), you may submit a complaint to:

Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590

Or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236. Residents of Washington D.C. should call (202) 366-0123.

If you have questions.

If you have questions about this notice, or need assistance with contacting a Honda dealer, please call Honda Automobile Customer Service at (800) 999-1009.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sincerely,

AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.
Honda Automobile Division