2007 Honda Civic

FACSIMILE FROM CONGRESSMAN JACK KINGSTON ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, WHO IS SEEKING ASSISTANCE REGARDING PROBLEMS HE IS EXPERIENCING WITH THE REAR SWING ARMS OF HIS 2007 HONDA CIVIC. *NJ THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD TIRE NOISE AND NOTICED THE REAR TIRES WERE TILTED INWARD, INDICATING THE ALIGNMENT WAS INCORRECT. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS THE SWING ARMS THAT WERE DESIGNED IMPROPERLY THAT CAUSED THE TIRES TO WEAR EXCESSIVELY. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. I FOLLOW REGULAR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AS RECOMMENDED BY MY DEALER. AS OF 8-18-2008, MY VEHICLE HAD OVER 12000 MILES ON IT. THE DAY PRIOR TO A REGULARLY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE, TIRE ROTATION AND MISC. INSPECTION, I ENCOUNTERED A FLAT TIRE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FLAT TIRE AND OTHER REAR TIRE, IT WAS NOTED THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE COMPLETELY BALD. BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED THAT SAME DAY. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, I TOOK MY CAR TO MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT AT THE HONDA DEALER. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN THAT I FELT THERE WAS A PROBLEM THAT LED TO PREMATURE WEAR ON THE REAR TIRES AND THAT I ALSO WANTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF THE NEW TIRES. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY SUSPECTED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A "CONTROL ARM" ISSUE AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES BEGINNING WITH THE 2006 MODEL. ULTIMATELY, THEY REPLACED/ REPAIRED THE CONTROL ARM AT NO CHARGE, PHOTOGRAPHED THE TIRES, RETAINED THE DAMAGED TIRES AND OFFERED TO ATTEMPT TO SECURE A REFUND TO COVER THE COST OF NEW TIRES. I EXPRESSED MY STRONG OPINION THAT HONDA SHOULD HAVE MADE THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM AWARE TO ALL HONDA CUSTOMERS. I BELIEVE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO RAPID WEAR OF THE TIRES. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO READ OF MANY INCIDENTS THAT WERE NEARLY IDENTICAL TO MINE. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THIS ISSUE IS VERY COMMON TO THE HONDA CIVIC AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINTS. THIS ISSUE NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ALL INDIVIDUALS RIDING/DRIVING IN THESE VEHICLES. I AM CONSIDERING SELLING MY CIVIC HYBRID. I WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

2007 HONDA CIVIC LX VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH SHAKING DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO THE POINT THAT CONVERSATION VIA BLUETOOTH HANDS FREE DEVICE IS GREATLY IMPAIRED. THE VIBRATION HAS ALREADY LED TO EARLY TIRE WEAR AND THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHEN DRIVING. I HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR WHEEL ALIGNMENT TWICE AND REPLACED BOTH REAR TIRES ONCE AND A SECOND REAR TIRE A SECOND TIME SEEMINGLY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO FEAR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR THAT THERE WILL BE THREATENED VEHICLE SAFETY, AS THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS SHAKING APART AT TIMES. THE VIBRATION/SHAKING OCCURS ALL TIMES THAT THE VEHICLE APPROACHES 70 MPH AND MANY TIMES AT SLOWER SPEEDS. ON-LINE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN A TOO-SHORT REAR ARM IN THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION CAUSING A NUMBER OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN SEVERAL 2007 VEHICLES. HONDA HAS SO FAR SHOWN NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A PROBLEM IN THIS ARENA NOR OFFERED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

NOTICED ROUGH RIDE AND NOISE FROM BACK OF CAR. ON INSPECTING, CAN SEE WHERE THE TREAD IS SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE. TOOK CAR TO LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE HAD 8 2007 HONDA CIVICS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM RECENTLY. THEY STATED THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT HONDA. DEALERSHIP IS GIVING ME THE RUN-AROUND. OH YES, CAR HAS 24K MILES AND WAS PURCHASED NEW. *TR

2007 HONDA CIVIC. LTR. REGARDING RESOLUTION OF ISSUES OUTLINED IN HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 08-001. *NJ THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED UNEVEN/RAPID TIRE WEAR. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CASES WHERE TIRES ON 2006 AND 2007 CIVIC'S REQUIRED TIRE REPLACEMENT WITHIN 11,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE TIRES, BUT ITS CONDITION OUTLINED IN THE BULLETIN. *JB

2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS DAMAGED TIRES. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TIRES ARE DAMAGED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PART ON CAR. WOULD LIKE KNOW WHY HONDA WON'T REPLACE THE TIRES. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A VIBRATION COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THEY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A TIRE ROTATION, BECAUSE THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE REAR END CAUSING THE VIBRATION. THE DEALER RECOMMEND REPLACING THE REAR TIRES.*JB

I WAS EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE TIRE NOISE FROM THE REAR OF MY 2007 CIVIC LX COUPE. I ALSO FELT A SLIGHT SHIMMY COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. I HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HEARING A MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED HUM/VIBRATION NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS VERY PERCEIVABLE SHIMMY ON THE STEERING WHEEL BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. I CONCLUDED THAT WHATEVER WAS WRONG IN THE BACK OF THE CAR WAS NOW TRANSFERRED TO THE FRONT AND IT HAD TO BE TIRES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT FLAT SPOTS HAD DEVELOPED ON THE FRONT TIRES (WHICH HAD BEEN ON THE REAR UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE). THESE FLAT SPOTS WERE THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION/HUM. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT HONDA DOES NOT WARRANTY TIRES. THE DEALER SAID I NEEDED TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT TIRES AND THAT I SHOULD ALSO ALLOW THEM TO REPLACE THE REAR CONTROL ARM AS A WARRANTY REPAIR. THE DEALER NEVER ACTUALLY SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL FACTORY REAR CONTROL ARMS LEAD TO MY PREMATURE TIRE WEAR. THEY ONLY SAID THAT HONDA WAS ADVISING CUSTOMERS TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AS A WARRANTY REPAIR. I HAD TO PAY FOR TWO REPLACEMENT TIRES AND LABOR - ABOUT $280. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2007 HONDA CIVIC, AND NOTICED ON MY FIRST DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THAT THE REAR TIRES MADE QUITE A BIT OF NOISE. UPON INSPECTION BY A LOCAL MECHANIC, HE DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPED AND UNUSUALLY WORN FOR A CAR WITH ONLY 18,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A REAR SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM SERVICE BULLETIN FROM HONDA REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO OFFICIAL RECALL. I WILL CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER REGARDING THIS SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT SINCE I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED I'M WORRIED THAT THEY WILL NOT SEE A "PROBLEM" AND WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE. I FEEL THAT THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE FOR THE NHTSA TO FORCE HONDA TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS, AS THE UNEVEN AND RAPID TIRE WEAR IS AN EXPENSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION CAUSED BY HONDA'S MISTAKE.

HONDA INSTALLED "OUT OF TOLERANCE" UPPER CONTROL ARMS (REAR) ON ALL 2006, 2007, AND POSSIBLY SOME 2008 HONDA CIVICS WHICH CAUSES ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR ON THE REAR (CUPPING). I PURCHASED 2007 CIVIC AND BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AT ~6000 MILES. AT THIS TIME HONDA HAD NOT ISSUED A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE MY ORIGINAL TIRES. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, I NOTICED THE SAME KIND OF TIRE WEAR PROBLEM...RESEARCHED (ON MY OWN) AND FOUND THAT HONDA HAD ISSUED TSB...001 (FIRST TSB OF YEAR 2008) I BELIEVE IN FEBRUARY OF 2008 (PROBLEM HAD STARTED IN 2005 WITH INITIAL DELIVERY OF 2006 MODEL CIVICS) I'VE SPENT ALMOST $1,400 IN REPLACING TIRES, COUNTLESS HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH DEALERSHIPS, AND HONDA AMERICA...FINALLY HAVE MY CAR FIXED (ALMOST 6 MONTHS AFTER I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM) AND HAVE NOT BEEN COMPENSATED...I'VE HAD A CASE OPEN WITH HONDA AMERICA SINCE FEBRUARY 2008. *TR