1997 HONDA CIVIC Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

1997 HONDA CIVIC, UNIT 1 WAS DRIVING UP TO LANE 5 EXIT 151 ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. UNIT 1 WAS APPROACHING THE TOLL BOOTH WHEN THE BRAKES ON THE CAR FAILED. UNIT 1 STEERED INTO AND STRUCK THE CRASH BARRIER BETWEEN THE LANES. THIS ACTION WAS DONE TO PREVENT STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. BF ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. ALSO, THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0098-90)*JB UPDATED 04/22/11 *BF UPDATED 06/17/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE DOES NOT OWN THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A DEALER VEHICLE BEING TRANSPORTED TO AN AUCTION. UPDATED 09/19/11

BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

THE LEFT AND RIGHT AIR BAGS WENT OFF INADVERTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A SEWER DRAINAGE HOLE. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WENT TO THE HOSPITAL ON HER OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. *AK

THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED EARLY UPON, WITHIN WARRANTY. IT WAS REPAIRED BY WARRANTY. MY POWER SUNROOF / MOONROOF HAS QUIT WORKING, I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPING, PART BECAUSE OF MY FAULT I WOULD ASSUME AND APPLYING THE BRAKES HARD. DOESN\\'T HELP DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 401 IN TORONTO THOUGH. ALL IN ALL, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR. I HAVE 362,000 KM ON IT NOW AND SHE STILL DRIVES LIKE NEW.

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY HESITATED TO STOP, WHICH RESULTED IN A FRONT COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE MASTER CYLINDER. SCC *JB

Mileage: 68,000

DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS ALIGNMENT, WHICH IT WASN'T. ROTORS CAUSED SHIMMY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, JUST PURCHASED. REPLACED PADS & ROTORS. HAD TO REPLACE PADS 30K MI. LATER. NOW I'M AT 60K MILES AND I'M REPLACING THEM AGAIN. I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD, DRIVE IT TO WORK AND BACK. CONTINUAL SQUEALING AT SLOW SPEEDS, NOW.*AK

DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS ALIGNMENT, WHICH IT WASN'T. ROTORS CAUSED SHIMMY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, JUST PURCHASED. REPLACED PADS & ROTORS. HAD TO REPLACE PADS 30K MI. LATER. NOW I'M AT 60K MILES AND I'M REPLACING THEM AGAIN. I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD, DRIVE IT TO WORK AND BACK. CONTINUAL SQUEALING AT SLOW SPEEDS, NOW.*AK *JB

DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS ALIGNMENT, WHICH IT WASN'T. ROTORS CAUSED SHIMMY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, JUST PURCHASED. REPLACED PADS & ROTORS. HAD TO REPLACE PADS 30K MI. LATER. NOW I'M AT 60K MILES AND I'M REPLACING THEM AGAIN. I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD, DRIVE IT TO WORK AND BACK. CONTINUAL SQUEALING AT SLOW SPEEDS, NOW.*AK

DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS ALIGNMENT, WHICH IT WASN'T. ROTORS CAUSED SHIMMY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY, JUST PURCHASED. REPLACED PADS & ROTORS. HAD TO REPLACE PADS 30K MI. LATER. NOW I'M AT 60K MILES AND I'M REPLACING THEM AGAIN. I DON'T DRIVE IT HARD, DRIVE IT TO WORK AND BACK. CONTINUAL SQUEALING AT SLOW SPEEDS, NOW.*AK *JB

ROTORS HAVE WARPED REPEATEDLY, I ONLY NOTICED DUE TO THE PULSATION WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. SEEMS TO BE CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING EVERY 25,000 TO 30,000 MILES. I HAVE A CO-WORKER WHO BOUGHT THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL 30 DAYS BEFORE WE DID WHO IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. HE HAS HAD TO HAVE HIS TURNED 3 TIMES, AND FINALLY BOUGHT REPLACEMENT ROTORS AT 90,000 MILES. IF THIS IS NOT CAUGHT BY THE OWNER, OR DURING A ROUTING INSPECTION, THE BRAKE SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, RESULTING IN CRASHES AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES.*AK

1) FRONT BRAKE DISCS WARPED AFTER ONLY 34,000 MILES. SHUDDERING FELT UPON BRAKING. CAREFUL DRIVER DID NOT ABUSE BRAKES, AND THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH ALLOY WHEELS ALLOWING PLENTY OF COOLING AIRFLOW TO BRAKE DISCS. BRAKE DISCS ARE OF POOR QUALITY AND WARP T

1) FRONT BRAKE DISCS WARPED AFTER ONLY 34,000 MILES. SHUDDERING FELT UPON BRAKING. CAREFUL DRIVER DID NOT ABUSE BRAKES, AND THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH ALLOY WHEELS ALLOWING PLENTY OF COOLING AIRFLOW TO BRAKE DISCS. BRAKE DISCS ARE OF POOR QUALITY AND WARP T

REPEATED WARPING OF BRAKE ROTOR WITH SEVERE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHENEVER BRAKES APPLIED. TURNING (RESURFACING) ROTOR ONLY SOLVES PROBLEM FOR 10,000 MILES. DEALER WOULDN'T COVER UNDER WARRANTY & INSISTS VIBRATION DOES NOT AFFECT SAFETY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS, AS STEERING WHEEL JERKS VIOLENTLY AT HIGHER SPEEDS.*AK

BRAKE ROTORS FAILED TWO TIME IN 20,000 MILES, FIRST REPAIR AT 9,000 MILES, ROTORS WARPED CAUSING EXTREME VIBRATION WHILE BRAKING. *MJS

THE FRONT ROTORS HAVE NOW TWICE FAILED IN 21,000 MILES, DUE TO EXCESSIVE WARPING. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT 9,000 MILES; THE SECOND BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES AND BECAME INCREASINGLY MORE SEVERE. HONDA HAS PROVIDED NO COLORABLE EXPLANATION FOR WHY THIS WOULD OCCUR. WITH RESPECT TO DRIVING, THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER CLAIMS THAT THIS POSES NO SAFETY ISSUE. I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE. THE WARPING HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE SHIMMYING IN THE CAR (AND, AT SOME SPEEDS, A HARD AND SUDDEN PULL) UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES, AFFECTING BOTH STEERING AND STOPPING, AND OVERALL HANDLING. DESPITE THE CAR'S RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE, THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER (SF HONDA) HAS DEEMED THIS TO BE A "REGULAR" WEAR AND TEAR ITEM, AND THUS ONLY MACHINED DOWN THE ROTORS TO RESOLVE THE MOST RECENT WARPING. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF (OR EXPERIENCED) SUCH ROTOR WARPING IN 15 YEARS OF DRIVING. I AM ALSO CONFIRMING BY LETTER (COPIED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER) THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. I FURTHER NOTE THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN ISSUED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1997 CIVIC'S BRAKES. *AK

THE FRONT ROTORS HAVE NOW TWICE FAILED IN 21,000 MILES, DUE TO EXCESSIVE WARPING. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT 9,000 MILES; THE SECOND BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES AND BECAME INCREASINGLY MORE SEVERE. HONDA HAS PROVIDED NO COLORABLE EXPLANATION FOR WHY THIS WOULD OCCUR. WITH RESPECT TO DRIVING, THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER CLAIMS THAT THIS POSES NO SAFETY ISSUE. I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE. THE WARPING HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE SHIMMYING IN THE CAR (AND, AT SOME SPEEDS, A HARD AND SUDDEN PULL) UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES, AFFECTING BOTH STEERING AND STOPPING, AND OVERALL HANDLING. DESPITE THE CAR'S RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE, THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER (SF HONDA) HAS DEEMED THIS TO BE A "REGULAR" WEAR AND TEAR ITEM, AND THUS ONLY MACHINED DOWN THE ROTORS TO RESOLVE THE MOST RECENT WARPING. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF (OR EXPERIENCED) SUCH ROTOR WARPING IN 15 YEARS OF DRIVING. I AM ALSO CONFIRMING BY LETTER (COPIED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER) THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. I FURTHER NOTE THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN ISSUED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1997 CIVIC'S BRAKES. *AK

IF THE CAR IS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH OR GREATER AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE CAR SHAKES UNTIL THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED. *AK

BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN 45,000 DUE TO POOR ROTOR DESIGN. *AK

IN A PANIC TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN, THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ONCE LANDING ON THE HOOD. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG'S. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *YC

WHILE DRIVING 35 -40 MPH CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE.DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FUTHER INFORMATION. *AK

BOTH FRONT DISC WHEELS HAVE WARPED THREE TIMES IN 60,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS BEEN PRIMARILY A COMMUTER AUTO, TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY; THEREFORE, I SELDOM USE MY BRAKES FOR THE NUMBER OF MILES ON MY CAR. DEALER HAS FIXED MY BRAKES TWICE.

BRAKES PULSATE,.WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, AND CONSUMER GETS LESS THAN IDEAL BRAKING. DEALER HAS DONE VARIOUS THINGS TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM, INCLUDING TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF ALL HARDWARE. THERE CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM EVERY 4,000 MILES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ABS SYSTEM FAILED.

BRAKES FAILED TO STOP CAR AS IT WAS COMING TO A HALT, ROLLING FORWARD AT ABOUT 2MPH. BRAKE PEDAL WAS FLOORED, TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND ENGINE TURNED OFF...STILL KEPT ROLLING FORWARD, AS IF BEING PUSHED. ONLY THING NOT TRIED WAS EMERGENCY BRAKE. ENDED UP HITTING CAR IN FRONT ON BOTH INCIDENTS. ROAD WAS DRY THE FIRST TIME, WET THE SECOND. CRUISE CONTROL NOT ON IN EITHER INCIDENT. HONDA MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS.

CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD A THUMPING NOISE, AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. SHE WAS ABLE TO USE THE HAND BRAKE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN AND GO OVER TO THE SIDE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED / REPAIRED AND REPLACED BRAKE BOOSTER. *AK

CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD A THUMPING NOISE, AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. SHE WAS ABLE TO USE THE HAND BRAKE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN AND GO OVER TO THE SIDE. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED / REPAIRED AND REPLACED BRAKE BOOSTER. *AK

AT 24,000 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE PREMATURLEY WORN OUT, AND THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED OR CUT DUE TO PULSATION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

COMPUTER FAILED WHICH CAUSED TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHIN 24HOURS BEFORE FAILURE, THERE WAS A TICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE FIREWALL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK