2008 Honda Civic

EXCESSIVE INNER-EDGE REAR TIRE WEAR (OUTER EDGE AND MIDDLE AREA TIRE WEAR SEEMS NORMAL AND HAS PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT AFTER THE INNER EDGES ARE EXCESSIVELY WORN). TIRES REPLACED AT 18,000 MILES, 31,000 MILES, AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT 40,000 MILES (OEM DUNLOP SP31 TIRES WERE USED EACH TIME). DEALER REPLACED REAR CONTROL ARMS AT 18,000, ADVISED TO ROTATE THE TIRES MORE OFTEN AT 31,000 MILES. DEALER MOSTLY SEEMS UNABLE TO RESOLVE, OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE, THE ISSUE. *TR

RODENTS EAT WIRES, FUEL, BRAKE LINES. IT SEEMS THE CAR COMPANIES HAVE STARTED USING A NEWER MATERIAL TO REPLACE THE COMMON PLASTIC USED IN WIRE INSULATION AND TUBING WITH A SOY BASED PRODUCT. THIS NEWER PRODUCT HAS ATTRACTED SQUIRRELS AND OTHER RODENTS WHICH EAT THIS MATERIAL. THIS IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE IT'S ALSO A HAZARD AS THERE IS NO WAY TO PREVENT THIS. ANY NUMBER OF THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS VERY BAD CHOICE OF MATERIAL USED. ONE ONLY HAS TO SEARCH GOOGLE TO SEE HOW WIDE SPREAD THIS PROBLEM IS. I TYPED IN "SQUIRREL ATE MY HONDA WIRES" AND CAME UP WITH PAGES AND PAGE OF COMPLAINTS. THE FIRST ONE IN THE RESULTS GIVEN IS A PERSON THAT HAD TWO NEW HONDA CARS AND BOTH WERE DISABLED DUE TO THIS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG IN 6 LANES OF 1-WAY TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR TO MY RIGHT MADE A LEFT-HAND TURN IN FRONT OF ME FORCING A COLLISION. I WAS IN A PATTERN OF ACCELERATION FOLLOWING A PREVIOUS STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. I HAD NO PASSENGERS WITH ME. THE POINT OF IMPACT TO MY VEHICLE WAS THE FRONT AS I HIT THE TURNING VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S LEFT SIDE FORCING RELEASE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG IN THAT VEHICLE. MY DRIVER'S AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. I WAS WEARING A SEATBELT. I SUSTAINED NECK AND UPPER BACK STRAIN (WHIPLASH) AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL ED WHERE I UNDERWENT X-RAYS TO EVALUATE FOR DAMAGE TO MY CERVICAL SPINE AREA (NEGATIVE) AND TREATMENT FOR PAIN. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC COUPE. AFTER 15,000 MILES THE REAR TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE THAT THE MECHANIC SAID WAS SEPARATED BELTS. I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE AND THE OUTCOME WAS HONDA POINTING FINGERS AT BRIDGESTONE AND VICE-VERSA. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE WITH THE CAR COMPANY OR TIRE MANUFACTURER? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE FRONT TIRES HAD WORN OUT RAPIDLY. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T REPLACE THE TIRES SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE CAMBERS WHICH CAUSED THEM TO WEAR AND CUP. THEY ALSO ADVISED HER THAT THE SOLUTION WAS TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED AFTER EACH OIL CHANGE. SHE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WASS DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS NEAR 40,000.UPDATED 01/20/10. *LJ UPDATED 01/21/10.

LIKE IN COMPLAINT #10225955, MY 2008 CIVIC 4-DR EX-L SPORADICALLY REFUSES TO STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SO FAR, AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, IN DIFFERENT WEATHER, WITH AND WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I WILL LIGHTLY PUSH THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND THEN PUSH SLIGHTLY HARDER ONCE I'VE REACHED THE CROSSWALK/INTERSECTION TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR WILL LUNGE FORWARD ONCE OR TWICE. IT'S LIKE THE BRAKE IS ON BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE, AND IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. I'VE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER ONCE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL DOWNSHIFTING OF GEARS WHILE COMING TO A STOP--BUT THAT SHOULD NOT CAUSE THE CAR TO ACTUALLY JOLT FORWARD, STOP, AND THEN JOLT FORWARD AGAIN, WITH MY FOOT SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME. (I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I WONDERED IF I WAS PRESSING THE GAS BY MISTAKE. I WASN'T.) I'M BRINGING IT INTO THE DEALER AGAIN, BUT AM NOT HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

1. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT ON A BUSY 6 LANE FARM TO MARKET ROAD. WHEN THERE WAS AN OPENING IN TRAFFIC I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR MOVED OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC LANES, BUT WITH GREATLY REDUCED ACCELERATION. MY HYBRID HAD LOST THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST NEEDED TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY. I WAS ALMOST BROADSIDED BY A SPEEDING SUV BECAUSE I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY. 2. THIS LOSS OF ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST OR INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) STARTED OFF HAPPENING ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. NOW IT IS HAPPENING A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK. THERE IS NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL WARNING LIGHT THAT THIS LOSS HAS OCCURRED. THE ONLY EVIDENCE IS THE LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND THE BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL WILL DROP FROM "NORMAL" (6 OR 7 BARS) TO ONE OR TWO "BARS" ON THE BATTERY CHARGE DISPLAY. THIS UNEXPECTED LOSS OF NORMAL ACCELERATION CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MERGING INTO BUSY TRAFFIC. IT IS ONLY AFTER THE DRIVER COMMITS THAT THEY DISCOVER THEY CANNOT ACCELERATE "NORMALLY" 3. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES AND OPENED A CASE AT AMERICAN HONDA. THEIR POSITION IS THAT SINCE THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS LOSS OF ACCELERATION IS DUE TO A PROGRAMMED FUNCTION IN THEIR IMA SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PERIODICALLY RESET THE STATE OF CHARGE FOR THE BATTERY PACK TO A MINIMAL VALUE TO ELIMINATE ACCUMULATED ERRORS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST IS DISABLED AND THE SYSTEM USES THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY PACK. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS "RESET" OCCURS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME; WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND THE DRIVER NEEDS THE HIGH TORQUE/LOW RPM ELECTRIC MOTOR TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ACCELERATION. IN MY OPINION, THIS UNANNOUNCED RESET FUNCTION AT A STOP IS A DESIGN FLAW AND MAKES THIS VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO OPERATE. *TR