NHTSA Complaint #10435218 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

STARTED NOTICING A ROUGH RIDE AND EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE SO TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A LOCAL HONDA DEALER FOR ALIGNMENT AND WAS TOLD THE NOISE WAS DUE TO TIRE WEAR. OVER THE PAST YEAR TWO REPAIR PLACES THAT HAVE REPLACED MY OIL HAVE TOLD ME THE TIRE WEAR WAS DUE TO WORN OUT STRUTS. THIS SPRING THE DEALER FINALLY TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND IT WOULD COST CLOSE TO $400 TO REPLACE THEM. MY AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT HAD BEEN ON MOST OF THE TIME FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THE HONDA DEALER TOLD ME DURING THIS VISIT THAT THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM AND IF I DIDN'T GET IT FIXED MY AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF A WIRE HARNESS FOR NEARLY $1300. I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA TO SEE IF THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE CONTROL ARMS FOR $75 AND THE WIRING HARNESS FOR $375 BUT I ONLY HAD 60 DAYS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS FOR THIS PRICE. I GOT THE ARMS REPLACED BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GET NEW TIRES OR REPLACE THE HARNESS. I HAVE NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF TRACTION AND THE NOISE AND VIBRATION ARE SO BAD NOW THAT I CAN HARDLY DRIVE THE CAR. THESE BOTH APPEAR TO BE ENGINEERING ISSUES THAT AFFECT SAFETY OF THE HONDA CIVIC AND RECALLS SHOULD BE ISSUED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS. *TR