NHTSA Complaint #10399484 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

IN 2008 I NOTED THAT THE TIRES OF OUR 2007 HONDA CIVIC WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN I ROTATED THE REAR TIRES TO THE FRONT AFTER ABOUT 25,000 MILES AND IT JUST ROARED. WE TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE UPPER REAR CONTROL ARMS AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THEM AND PRORATE THE REAR TIRES. AT THAT TIME I ELECTED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AND ASSUMED THAT HONDA HAD FIXED THE DEFECT. AFTER 25,000 MILES, THE ROAR IS BACK AND I AGAIN HAVE CUPPED TIRES ON THE REAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS EVENTUALLY THIS SUSPENSION DEFECT COULD LEAD TO EITHER TIRE FAILURE AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM (SERVICE BULLETIN 08-001) BUT TOLD US WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE DEALER THAT IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. WHILE POOR ALIGNMENT CAN LEAD TO CUPPED TIRES, I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING BULLETIN BOARDS ON THE INTERNET AND SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT OTHERS ARE STILL EXPERIENCING TIRE WEAR THAT RESULTS IN CUPPED TIRES AFTER THE 15,000 TO 25,000 MILES ON TIRES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST 60,000 TO 75,000 MILES. MY DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR TO AND FROM COLLEGE AND HAS NOT HAD A MAJOR FAILURE YET. HOWEVER, IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT HAD I NOT RECENTLY RIDDEN IN THE CAR AND HEARD THE PROBLEM THAT SHE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT, UNAWARE THAT SHE MAY BE HEADING FOR A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE DUE TO THIS DESIGN FAILURE. SPECIFICALLY, IT APPEARS THAT 2007 HONDA CIVIC REAR ENDS WILL "DRAG" THE REAR TIRES DOWN THE ROAD IF THE THERE ARE REAR PASSENGERS OR CARGO. IN OTHER WORDS, THE SUSPENSION IS INCORRECTLY DESIGNED AND REAR TIRES DO NOT TRACK CORRECTLY WHEN THE CAR HAS LOAD IN THE REAR OR TRUNK. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE THERE IS A RASH OF TIRE FAILURES DUE TO THIS DESIGN FLAW. *TR