NHTSA Complaint #10460659 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

THIS VEHICLE WAS HAVING A CONTINUOUS ROARING NOISE FROM THE REAR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. TOOK TO PROCTOR HONDA OF TALLAHASSEE AND MENTIONED THE PROBLEM. HONDA DEALER NOTICED THE REAR TIRES WERE BEGINNING TO CUP AND ROTATED TIRES TO ADDRESS SOUND ISSUE AND BLAMED THE TIRES AS THE MALFUNCTIONING PART BY RECOMMENDING A TIRE REPLACEMENT. AT THAT TIME THE TIRE TOYO SPECTRUMS WERE ONLY 1 YEAR AND 9 MONTHS OLD HAVING BEING INSTALLED ON 3/2009 , HAD A 65K TREAD LIFE WARRANTY. THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS OF HONDA CIVIC HAD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED REGARDING THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS CAUSING UNEVEN WEAR OF REAR TIRES (CUPPING) SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER : 08-001DATE OF BULLETIN : FEB 08, 2008 ,NHTSA ITEM NUMBER : 10024687. THIS HONDA WAS PURCHASED ON 11/2007 AND WAS OBVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED DURING THE 2007 YEAR. THE PROCTOR HONDA MECHANICS BELIEVE THAT THE REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE BUT I HAVE NO DOCUMENTATION REVEALING A DATE ANY SUCH WORK WAS DONE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE PREVIOUS DEALER HENNESSEY HONDA AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND NEITHER HAVE HAD THESE UPPER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED. NOW IN MAY 2012 THESE TIRES THAT WERE ROTATED WITH THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE THAT WERE NOT CUPPING IN 2010 ARE NOW SEVERELY CUPPED ( HIGH /LOW AREAS) WHILE THE FRONT TIRES ARE NOT CUPPED AT ALL FROM MY INSPECTION. SEEMS ISOLATED TO THE REAR OF VEHICLE. THE REAR CUPPING OCCURS PRIMARILY ON THE INSIDE PART OF THE TIRE NEAREST TO THE VEHICLE BUT IT IS SEVERE. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALREADY HAD THE LOWER ENGINE BLOCK REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING COOLANT PASSAGES WHICH I MIGHT EMPHASIZE THAT THE 2007 HONDA CIVIC ALSO HAS ISSUES WITH. THIS IS MY MOM'S VEHICLE AND I WANT HER TO BE SAFE DRIVING THIS AND DO NOT WANT TO KEEP BUYING NEW TIRES ( OF A DIFFERENT BRAND) ONLY TO HAVE THEM PREMATURELY WORN AND CUPPING OF TIRES CAUSED AS WELL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE ???? *TR