2000 Honda Civic

DT: FRONT BRAKES STARTED GRINDING AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED NEW BRAKE PARTS FOR FRONT AND REAR BRAKES, ASSUMING THAT IF THE FRONT BRAKES WERE WORN OUT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO REPLACE THE REAR AT THE SAME TIME. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT TO THE METAL BACKING. UPON REMOVING THE REAR BRAKE SHOES AND COMPARING THEM TO THE NEWLY PURCHASED SHOES THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE WEAR. IN EFFECT, THE CAR WAS ONLY USING THE FRONT BRAKES. OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TWO FRONT END COLLISIONS WHERE THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED, MAKING IT HARDER TO MANEUVER AND CAUSING IT TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD, EVEN WHEN TRYING TO STEER AROUND TO AVOID A COLLISION. *AK UPDATED 7/13/2006 - THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKE WEAR WAS NORMAL. *NM

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE CONTINUALLY WARPING. CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND AM NOW ON MY THIRD SET OF ROTORS. FIRST AND SECOND SET OF ROTORS WERE EACH RE-MACHINED PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT. SPOKE WITH HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THEY CANNOT VERIFY MY DRIVING HABITS. CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, SO I USE ENGINE BRAKING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID OVERUSE OF THE BRAKES. AM AT THE POINT NOW WHERE I AM AFRAID TO USE THE BRAKES FOR FEAR OF CONSTANTLY WARPING THE ROTORS. HAVE DONE SOME INFORMAL RESEARCH AND APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS HONDA MODELS, NOT JUST CIVIC. HONESTLY FEEL THAT I AM NOT HARD ON MY BRAKES, AND BELIEVE THIS IS MORE OF A DESIGN FLAW ON HONDA'S PART. HAVE NOT HAD ANY INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM YET, BUT IT IS ADVERSELY AFFECTING MY SUSPENSION AND STEERING COMPONENTS, NOT TO MENTION MY FINANCES.*AK

I HAVE A 2000 HONDA CIVIC EX. FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP, THE CAR'S ANTISKID BRAKES SOMETIMES KICK IN WHEN NOT NEEDED. FOR EXAMPLE, RIDING OVER BUMPS SUCH AS A RAILROAD SOMETIMES SETS THE ANTISKID OFF AND IT CONTINUES FOR SOME TIME AFTER THE RAILROAD HAS PASSED, THUS UNNECESSARILY INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCE. SOMETIMES JUST ON PLAIN ROAD IT DOES THE SAME. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE IN COLD WEATHER. WE HAVE A 2000 ACCORD AND IT DOESN'T ACT THIS WAY. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY OTHER HONDA'S AND NONE EVER ACTED THIS WAY. I AM AFRAID THIS MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT MAY SOMEDAY LEAD TO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE COMPLAINED LONG AND HARD TO HONDA CORPORATION, BUT THEY INSIST THE DESCRIBED PROBLEM IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OCCUR. THEY MAINTAIN THAT THE BRAKES ARE A 'BLACK BOX', AND EITHER WORK PERFECT OR NOT, ALL THE TIME. THEY HAVE LOOKED AT THE CAR, AND SAID SINCE THEY CLAIM THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SINCE IT CAN'T POSSIBLY OCCUR ANYWAY IN THEIR OPINION, I AM OUT OF LUCK. SURELY MY HONDA IS NOT THE ONLY CAR THIS EVER OCCURRED IN. IT IS ALMOST LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE, LIKE A SENSOR OR A RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENT(S). PLEASE HELP BEFORE HONDA CORPORATION KILLS SOMEONE. I HAVE TOLD HONDA THAT I PERSONALLY HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY ACCIDENT. THANKS. J RICKY SIMMONS

CUSTOMER STATES BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR IN THE MORNING WHEN COLD, AFTER SITTING FOR A LONG TIME AND WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. DEALER CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES AND VERIFIED SLIGHT DROP IN PEDAL MASTER CYLINDER BYPASSING INTERNALLY. REPLACED BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND BLED SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *TT

I ATTEMPTED TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL, AND THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND TO MANUALLY TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. PRESSING THE BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE WOULD STOP THE ACCELERATION, BUT WOULD NOT DECELERATE. I CALLED AAA WHO CALLED THE STATE POLICE. THEY RECOMMENDED PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AFTER PULLING THAT AND KEEPING MY FOOT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE ON THE BRAKE, I GOT THE CAR DOWN TO ~30MPH AND TOOK THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGINITION. SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALER STATES THAT THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE FOUND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE REAR BRAKES, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND TO THE WHEELS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DEALER AND HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THEY CANOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT FEEL THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE IF THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AND FIXED. I AM DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR HELP IN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU!!*AK