2007 Honda Civic

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ACCOMPANIED BY A BURNING ODOR. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING INDICATORS BEING ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A SAFE LOCATION AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I PURCHASED A SLIGHTLY USED CIVIC FROM A DEALER IN JANUARY OF 2009 AND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT ON ICY ROADS IN ONTARIO WINTER. MY WIFE WHO USUALLY DRIVES THE CAR COMPLAINED SHE WAS SCARED TO DRIVE IT IF THERE WAS ANY ICE ON THE ROAD SURFACE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT POSITION SIDEWAYS IN THE LANE. I FOUND THE REAR TIRES WORN OUT VERY FAST ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH WHEELS. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT HONDA HAD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE THE REAR UPPER STRUTS WITH A LONGER UNIT. THE DEALER DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT AFTER I BROUGHT IT UP VOLUNTEERED TO REPLACE THEM AND NEGOTIATED WITH ME FOR HALF THE REPLACEMENT COST OF THE TIRES. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT SET OF REAR TIRES ALSO WORE PREMATURELY ON THE INSIDE IN ABOUT 25000 MILES. WHEN I CALLED THE HONDA DEALER HE TOLD ME I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. I PAID FOR AN ALIGNMENT AT AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE AND WAS TOLD THE REAL WHEELS COULD NOT B ADJUSTED TO CORRECT THE NEGATIVE CAMBER. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THAT HONDA DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS DEFECT AND THE WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER ANY REMEDY. HE DID A FREE REALIGNMENT FOR ME WITH DIFFICULTY AND SAID TO ROTATE MY TIRES MORE OFTEN. I TRIED THAT AND MY NEXT SET OF TIRES WORE OUT ON THE INSIDE JUST THE SAME. THE DEALER DID SAY THERE WAS AN AFTERMARKET PART THAT MAY CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE INSTALLATION ($600). I HAVE ABOUT 180000 KILOMETERS ON THE VEHICLE.THE VEHICLE MAKES REAR NOISE AND THE VIBRATION CANNOT BE GOOD FOR THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE REAR SUSPENSION AND THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM CAUSE EXCESSIVE AND PREMATURE WEAR ON TIRES REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF PREMIUM TIRES AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES OR LESS. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 80K MILES AND IS IN NEED OF ITS 4TH SET OF TIRES. NEEDLES TO SAY THE WEAR CREATE UNSAFE CONDITIONS WHILE DRIVING FASTER THAN 50MPH MAKING DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE A RISKY ENDEAVOR. *TR

MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC'S PAINT STARTED WEBBING AND PEELING ON THE HOOD AND ROOF OVER A YEAR AGO. DEALER SAID NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT SUGGESTED AN AUTO BODY SHOP I COULD GO TO. THANKS BUT NO THANKS. AM NOT SPENDING OVER 1,000 DOLLARS FOR AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN HONDA'S PAINT/PRIMER. NO MORE HONDA'S FOR ME.MY CAR WHICH I TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF LOOKS HORRIBLE. *TR

I'VE HAD THIS CAR SINCE NEW AND IT ABSOLUTELY EATS TIRES IN THE REAR. THE TIRE WEAR IS NOT ADJUSTABLE AND EVENTUALLY LEADS TO PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME 2 TIMES ON HIGHWAY DRIVING, WHERE THE TIRE HAS HAD A BLOWOUT. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH A DESIGN FLAW IN THE REAR CONTROL ARMS THAT CAUSES THE WEAR, BUT REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE CONTROL ARM, BUT IT DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS DESIGN ISSUE KILLS SOMEONE FROM A TIRE RELATED FAILURE. YOU CAN'T SEE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S ON THE VERY INNER MOST PART OF THE TIRE. IT ISN'T JUST THAT IT MAKES THE TIRE BALD - THERE IS SEVERE CUPPING AND THE TIRE IS MORE WORN IN SOME SPOTS THAN OTHERS. SO EVEN IF YOU VISUALLY INSPECT THE TIRE, BY GETTING ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES AND PUTTING YOUR HEAD UNDER THE CAR, YOU COULD MISS WHERE THE TIRE IS ALMOST WORN THROUGH, IF THE CAR IS SITTING ON THAT PART OF THE TIRE. THIS ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS! IT MAKES ROTATING THE TIRES UNADVISABLE BECAUSE IT RUINS ALL 4 TIRES INSTEAD OF JUST THE REAR TWO. IT MAKES IT SO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TIRES IS CONSIDERABLY LESS BECAUSE PARTS OF THE TIRE ARE SEVERLY COMPROMISED. *TR