NHTSA Complaint #741033 — 2000 HONDA CIVIC

FROM THE FIRST DAY I DROVE THE CIVIC HOME THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SEVERE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE ABS EVERYTIME I HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE-I USUALLY FEEL THESE VIBRATION AT LOW SPEEDS AS WHEN I AM DRIVING OUT OF MY BUMPING DRIVEWAY, THE VIBRATION IS REALLY SEVERE WHEN I AM APPLY THE BRAKES TO NOT HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE TOO HARD. I REALLY DIDNT GIVE IT MUCH THOUGHT (FIGURED I WAS JUST NEEDING TO GET USED TO NEW TECHNOLOGY) UNTIL WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED (25 OR LESS) ON AN ICY CITY OF TULSA , OK, EVERTIME I APPLIED THE BRAKES GENTLY TO COME TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT THE FRONT BRAKES VIBRATED VIOLENTLY & LOCKED UP PREVENTING ME FROM COMING TO A SAFE STOP. ONCE THE BRAKES LOCKED THE CIVIC IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A SLIDE & ONLY STOPPED WHEN IT'S MOMENTUM SLOWED DOWN. THE BRAKES WERE ABSOLUTELY USELESS IN STOPPING THE VEHICLE BY GENTLY SLOWING IT DOWN AS HAS BEEN NORMAL WITH EVERY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I WAS SO AFRAID OF THE BRAKES THAT I TESTED THEM ON THE BUMPING GRAVEL ROAD JUST BEFORE I GOT HOME THAT AFTERNOON AND SURE ENOUGH THEY LOCKED UP AGAIN UNDER MORE PRESSURE THAN NEEDED UNDER NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS. I DISCUSSED THIS PROBLEM WITH DON CARLTON HONDA'S SERVICE SUPERVISOR TODAY (02/16/01) WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR IT'S OIL CHANGE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS THE WAY HONDA'S ABS OPERATES AND THE BRAKES ARE DESIGNED FOR DRY WEATHER & SMOOTH ROAD CONDITIONS AND IF THE BRAKES EVER SENSE SLIPPING OR ROUGH CONDITIONS THEY WILL "ALWAYS" LOCK UP BECAUSE OF THEIR DESIGN AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO BE FIXED OR THAT CAN BE DONE BY HONDA TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I FIND THIS EXPLANATION "ABSURD" AND "RIDICULOUS" -HOW COULD BRAKES THIS DANGEROUS BE CONSIDERED NORMAL. THE ONLY REASON I DIDN'T PLOW INTO SOMEONE THAT ICY DAY IS BECAUSE LUCKILY FOR ANYONE ELSE & ME THERE WAS NO CAR OR PERSON IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I TRIED TO STOP ON THE ICY CITY STREET. PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN-I AM NOW SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *AK