NHTSA Complaint #10415543 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I BEGAN TO HEAR A NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR OF THE CAR IN APRIL 2011. OVER TIME THE NOISE PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE. I RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS BEEN WEARING IMPROPERLY. I CHECKED ONLINE TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS ISSUE. WHILE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, EVERY HONDA CIVIC WEBPAGE AND FORUM THAT I WENT TO WAS FILLED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM (RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM CAUSING RAPID WEAR OF THE TIRES). I FOUND THAT HONDA HAD EVEN SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN ON 2-8-08 REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I FIGURED WITH THIS MANY COMPLAINTS, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A RECALL NOTICE THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE. IN JULY 2011 I BROUGHT MY CIVIC TO MAJESTIC HONDA OF RHODE ISLAND TO HAVE MY VEHICLE CHECKED AND ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL BUT THEY DID CONFIRM THE PROBLEM AFTER PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC WHICH COST ME $111.02. MY CIVIC NEEDED A NEW CONTROL ARM, 4 NEW TIRES, AND AN ALIGNMENT. THESE REPAIRS WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $1066.75 OR MORE PLUS TAX. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT, HAD HONDA JUST SENT OUT A SERVICE NOTICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY FIRST NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CONTROL ARM ISSUE, WE COULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE FOR ONLY $455.00 -- THE COST OF A CONTROL ARM AND AN ALIGNMENT. MY SPEECH FELL UPON DEAF EARS. I COULD TELL BY THEIR DEMEANOR THAT THEY HAD HEARD MY STORY BEFORE AND DID NOT CARE AT ALL. ALL I GOT WAS, "WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE; CONTACT HONDA AMERICA." AFTER WRITING TO YOU, I WILL BE CONTACTING HONDA AMERICA. *TR