NHTSA Complaint #10247424 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

NOTICED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AND VIBRATION ON MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, AND NOTIFIED HONDA SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHEN I BROUGHT IN THE CAR FOR OIL CHANGE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAID THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE WORN, AND THIS WAS DUE TO REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEM. HONDA WOULD COVER THE COST OF THAT FIX, BUT I ALSO NEEDED FOUR NEW TIRES -- NOT COVERED BY HONDA. HE OFFERED TO MOVE THE REAR TIRES UP FRONT AND JUST FOCUS ON THE REAR ($280 FOR TWO TIRES). AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND FINDING THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED LAST SPRING, I DECLINED TO HAVE TWO WORN TIRES WITH EVIDENCE OF CUPPING PUT ON THE FRONT OF A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR. I ASKED WHY I HADN'T BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS DESIGN FLAW WHEN I HAD BROUGHT IN THE CAR FOR A PRE-ROADTRIP CHECK IN JULY (HE SAID IF I DID NOT TELL HIM TO LOOK FOR REAR TIRE WEAR THEY WOULDN'T LOOK) OR WHY HE DIDN'T NOTE IT TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN BECAUSE THE A/C HAD FAILED ON THE TRIP (ANOTHER KNOWN DEFECT, I NOW REALIZE). THE CAR ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE AN ELECTRIC SWITCHING IRREGULARITY, WHICH HAS YET TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE SERVICE REP SAID UNLESS I SPECIFICALLY ASK, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE LOOKED FOR THE REAR SUSPENSION ISSUE -- EVEN THOUGH THERE HAD BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN -- BECAUSE "NOT EVERY CIVIC HAS THE PROBLEM." I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT AT 15,600 MILES (WHERE IT WAS IN JULY) THAT THE TIRES DID NOT THEN HAVE SIGNS OF UNEVEN WEAR THAT NOW HAS NECESSITATED TIRE REPLACEMENT AT 19,000 MILES. I REPLACED TWO TIRES, ONE OF WHICH HONDA COVERED. WE HAVE ISSUED A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA TO COVER THE COST OF TWO OTHER NEW TIRES, WHICH THEY SAID WOULD BE RESOLVED WITHIN THREE WORKING DAYS. *TR