NHTSA Complaint #759062 — 2001 HONDA CIVIC

THE BRAKES WERE MAKING A RUMBLING SOUND. THE CAR WOULD ALSO SHAKE REAL BAD AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, HOWEVER I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THE BRAKES AT THIS TIME. I TOOK THE CAR TO CUSH HONDA. THEY SAID THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS HAD HOT SPOTS. THEY MACHINED THE ROTORS AND REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT WOULDN'T SEEM TO ACCELERATE. IT WAS A WHILE BEFORE I COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO MOVE HARDLY AT ALL, SO I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND IT WAS THEN I REALIZED IT WAS THE BRAKES LOCKING UP. THE CAR WAS STILL SHAKING REAL BAD AT TIMES ON THE FREEWAY, BUT I STILL DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THE BRAKES BECAUSE IF I SLOWED DOWN IT WOULD QUIT SHAKING. MY HUSBAND THEN TOOK THE CAR TO TIPTON HONDA IN EL CAJON, CA. HE TOLD THEM WHAT CUSH HAD DONE AND THAT THE BRAKES HAD GOTTEN WORSE. TIPTON FELT THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER WAS STICKING. THEY REPLACED THE CALIPER AND ALSO REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS, WHICH CUSH HAD JUST REPLACED TWO MONTHS EARLIER, BECAUSE THEY WERE BURNT AGAIN. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND IT IMMEDIATLY STARTED TO LOCK UP AGAIN. I RETURNED IT TO TIPTON THAT NEXT MONDAY. THEY HAD THE CAR SEVERAL DAYS AND FINALLY CALLED TO TELL US THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED. THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH, HE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS CONTAMINATED BECAUSE THE DIAPHRAM IN THE FLUID RESERVOIR WAS SWOLLEN SO BAD THEY COULDN'T GET IT BACK IN. THE HONDA CORP. REFUSED TO REPAIR THE CAR BECAUSE TIPTON SAID THE BRAKE FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN TO ANY SERVICE CENTER BUT THESE TWO AND I HAVE NEVER LENT OUT MY CAR TO ANYONE SO I KNOW THAT IF THE FLUID IS CONTAMINATED, IT IS FROM A DEFECTIVE BRAKE SYSTEM OR IT WAS CONTAMINATED WHILE ONE OF THESE TWO HONDA DEALERS WORKED ON IT. IF IT WAS CONTAMINATED BY ONE OF THESE TWO DEALERS, THEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE ANYWAY. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THIS CAR SINCE I GOT IT BACK IN FEBRUARY. I HAVE TALKED TO AN ATTOR