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Honda Civic Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions

1235

Comments

  • 74apollo74apollo Member Posts: 22
    I bought an '08 HCH in January of 2008. I was extremely happy with the mpg up until September when I found out the tire control arms were bad (Honda has a bulletin on it). They replaced the arms and told me they could only prorate a credit on the tires. I pitched a fit and they gave me four new tires. Only problem is that my mpg is about 10 mpg less now than it was before I had the work done. Anyone else have this problem?

    I wonder if Honda discovered they could get better mpg with the wrong tire control arms and that's why they used them.
  • mgrantazmgrantaz Member Posts: 11
    74apollo...it is probably your new tires that caused a drop in MPG. Different brands/types give different mileage vs. traction vs. ride comfort. My new tires are softer, quiet, and smooth, but I lost probably 3 MPG. They are also wearing better and longer, though. The Honda OEM tires were horrible, for me. (read previous posts)
  • 74apollo74apollo Member Posts: 22
    The new tires they put on were the very same as the old tires.
  • etpetp Member Posts: 155
    Mine has gone down too. The gas is crap since November. They are spiking it with at least 10% ethylnol. Also tires should be at 40PSI. It may be other issues on mine as well as I have had 4 hybrids and this is this first one to drop like it has. I could be that the gas it making the computer wacky.
  • hchowner1hchowner1 Member Posts: 2
    Just wanted to throw in my two cents. If anyone can suggest a way to better deal with this than lumping it , please let me know. I'm getting ready to buy my second set of tires for my 06. The outsides tread looks great, the inside is completely gone. I took it in to the dealership where I purchased it after the first set failed and they told me although that part of the alignment was borderline out of spec. , it was not adjustable. At the time I had custom rims and tires on it. So, giving this may be the problem, I switched back to the stock tires and rims. Now, I am experiencing the exact same problem with the inside wear. Also, it has always pulled to the left. People at the dealership don't seem to believe this , claiming it should pull to the right if anything,but I know it is true. I've taken it in three times to have it checked and I am always told it is fine. I don't really know what to do next and any suggestions would be great. :mad:
  • aueaue Member Posts: 16
    Have you had the control arms replaced?
  • lyninmainelyninmaine Member Posts: 15
    go back to my previous post. my claim number for the 4 new tires honda bought me is listed. use it. get rear control arms replaced first. my local dealer did mine free - and - a 4 wheel alignment. complain to consumer reports and any other consumer agency you can think of.
  • mgrantazmgrantaz Member Posts: 11
    In addition to the other advice you are getting here, if you have to buy new tires, don't buy the OEM make (I forget what they were). Buy Falken 912's--I love them and have 9K miles on them now (see message #94, July 2008, before/after). And find a good frame shop that does alignments--NOT the dealer. You want (and need) an unbiased opinion. I asked Discount Tires for a recommendation on a good shop a couple of years ago and they are great (I'm in Phoenix). Then you'll really know if your Honda is aligned properly. If done properly, the inside tread should not wear. I had alignment problems with a Nissan 300ZX that caused inside tire wear--twice--so I traded it in. My Falken's are wearing fine: no inside wear, no cupping, no vibrations, smooth as glass at 35 PSI.
  • hchowner1hchowner1 Member Posts: 2
    No, I havn't had the control arms replaced. I will call my dealer tommorow. Thank you also for the tire claim number. I will try to use that. If not I will definately not buy the oem's anyway. They are horrible when it rains here in So Cal. Thanks !!
  • rkbatesrkbates Member Posts: 3
    Took hch to tire shop to rotate ad balance tires because of excess vibration. The rear tires are worn out on inside and the toed out. The honda dealership in Tyler Texas just said you need new tires without even looking at it. It has 16k miles on it. honda says it isn't in the service bulletin. Is this the control ams? I guess the fight is on.
  • mgrantazmgrantaz Member Posts: 11
    To rkbates:
    My story started the same way...noise, rotation, balance, but it did no good. Got louder and louder, wore out uneven, and shook. Dealer looked at everything, said all was okay, just replace tires. I did, but not with same ones. See my other posts here. Good luck.
  • 74apollo74apollo Member Posts: 22
    It sure sounds like tire control arms. We had same problem only we complained about road noise & vibration at 10,000 miles and they found the bulletin. They replaced the arms and tried to tell us that we would have to pay for new tires. Because we had all of our service done at the same dealer where we bought the vehicle, we continued to press the issue until they called Honda regional office and then agreed to replace the tires free of charge.

    Keep in mind that they are not required to bring up bulletins issued on their vehicles unless the customer complains. A bulletin is not the same as a warranty recall in their minds.

    You may have to look through the other threads on maintenance issues cuz there are a lot of complaints about the tire control arms.
  • janestadler5janestadler5 Member Posts: 5
    Mar. 27, 2009
    Because I have found this blog to be so valuable in my struggle to deal with this issue, I want to update what happened with me, since last blog. After ~5 phone calls to American Honda in Torrance, CA and the dealership that sold me the car, they basically ran me around the block. I then went to another mechanic who ran the car up on the lift and told me that the arms on the car did NOT have the "C" that the definitely correctly manufactured arms have on them. I ended up buying the new rear upper control arms kit, and having it installed, and buying 4 new tires and having the tires balanced and mounted, all at my own expense.
    Now, when I called an alignment guy for the final step, he wants to sell me another "adjustable" set of rear control arms for another $500. I have already been told by Honda and ~4 other mechanics that no such "adjustable" arms existed.
    I must admit that this whole business has made me very very angry with Honda.
  • rkbatesrkbates Member Posts: 3
    Took hch to jack o diamonds honda in tyler tx today. They replaced the control arms, balanced the ruined tires and aligned under warranty. Would not replace tire that has 14000 miles on them. Now it rattles. Before we drove off we called honda cus serv and the rep said the tires were bad. Asked for supervisor and will call in 1-2 days. While waiting on phone a young couple was looking at the new cars and hubby yelled 'don't buy a honda they won't stand behind it'. Saleman promptly took them inside. Good laugh anyway! And yes the fight is on or they can have this hch back! Also my hch surges when accelarating. But they can't get it to do it. Surged about 20 miles from dealer. I get about 35 mpg.
  • mgrantazmgrantaz Member Posts: 11
    If you look back at my messages from July 2008, you'll see that my tires grew worse and worse, got louder and louder, and the vibration/shaking became unbearable at 70-80 MPH. New, different tires solved the noise and vibration problem. The OEM tires are horrible.
  • beeh87beeh87 Member Posts: 1
    What kind of Yoko AVID's did you get exactly? And what is your average MPG?

    Thanks!
  • humblejdhumblejd Member Posts: 2
    I have an '08 HCH, I was having problems with the alignment after having the car for only about 8 months. The dealer then told me that there was a part I could have replaced and it would fix it. So I got the rear control arm replaced, but at that point my tires had already become too unreversably worn. The wear only increased. At this point, a few months later, my tires are all worn and bare on the inside and two have very bad cupping. I need to replace my tires and am not sure which tires to replace them with. Has anyone had the control arm replaced and then gotten new tires that meet the same mpg? Are new tires wearing just as badly even with the control arm fix? Thanks.
  • phbmrgnphbmrgn Member Posts: 3
    I own a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. I have had the car serviced at the dealer as per the manual specifications. I check the tire pressure with each fill up and have never had a tire below recommended PSI. In 2005 at 3100 miles I had to replace the original tires due to uneven wear and cupping. I purchased Sears tires with 75,000 mile warranty. In 2008 Sears replaced one tire and balanced all tires at no charge due to excessive wear and cupping. Honda then realigned the wheels. Now, at 98,000 miles the Honda Service Center tells me the alignment is out again and I need to replace all tires due to uneven wear. Where should I start? Should I go to Sears and ask them to honor the warranty? Or, should I press the Honda Service Center to trouble shoot the cause of the wear? Should I write off these tires as a bad choice and buy a different brand? Is it time to trade?
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    One thing I don't see you mentioning is rotation. Are you rotating the tires every 5-6,000 miles? It's pretty much a given that there's no such thing as a "perfect" alignment and tires have to be rotated to avoid unusual wear patterns and make them last longer.
  • phbmrgnphbmrgn Member Posts: 3
    Yes, the tires have been rotated as per the Honda Service Manual schedule and the tire manufacturer's recommendations. So, the latest set of tires were rotated by Honda in January 2008 and again in June 2008. No mention of unusual tire wear in their inspection report. In July 2008 Sears replaced at no charge one badly cupped tire and aligned the wheels. In June 2009 (this month) Honda rotated the tires again. The inspection report noted uneven wear and recommended replacement of all 4 tires. How could the tires deteriorate so quickly?
  • etpetp Member Posts: 155
    Rotation only delays the problem a little. My new tires with the new suspension are starting to have a very faint noise but still have 90% tread. I have rotated these at Sams and I am about to conclude to leave the same tires on the back and when the noise gets so bad you can't stand it rotate them off the car.

    As far as fuel mileage is concerned, my mileage went up with the two OEMs on the back and then dropped with non OEMs on the back. Weird! The Goodrich are good cheap tires but now I suggest you go another route. Get the new Michelin fuel savers or Goodyear fuel max if you can find them at a reasonable price.
  • hybridguyx2hybridguyx2 Member Posts: 3
    I just had my '07 repaired Wednesday. I will say it was painless and only cost me a total of $102 for new tires. This was due, in large part, to the posts on this forum related to the subject.

    I had printed out many of the posts as well as a copy of TSB 08-001 also posted here. Armed with all of this I contacted the service manager at our Honda dealership. We have always had good luck with our Hondas (have had 8 or 9 since our first Accord in '79) and the dealership has always treated us well, both up front and the sales end and consistently in the service department. We currenly own 2 HCH's, my '07 and my wife's '08. We were the first two HCH family our dealership was aware of (at least at their dealership).

    My daughter and her fiance complained this past spring about the noise level in the back seat. They couldn't hear what we were saying up front unless we hollered. I drove my wife's '08 later that day and noted a MUCH lower noise level. I chaulked it up to those cheap Dunlop tires. But hers were exactly the same as mine. I let is slide until I had need for an oil change and a couple of other items needed addressed under warranty. I actually stumbled on the control arm thread while seeking info on a glitch in the IMA system!

    At any rate, the service manager at our dealership has a totally different take on TSB's than most, it seems. "If is not right, Honda should fix it", he says. "If I can convince them it should be a reimbursable repair, then it should cost the customer nothing". We had a brief discussion on TSB's (which you and I may not know about unless we go searching for them and then complain long and loud enough). He doesn't agree with the way Honda handles TSB's, but I guess it is commonly done this way.

    The upper control arms were replaced (no cost to me for parts or labor), the tires were replaced (only charged a percentage of what they normally would run...that was the $102), tires were mounted and balanced and resintalled on the car and the car was computer aligned...and then washed before I picked it up in the later afternoon.

    I had a good experience (if something like this can be called a good experience). If you have this issue, go armed with copies of posts from this forum and others and take a copy of TSB 08-001 with you. If you can't find it here, email me and I'll make a .pdf file copy of it and email it back to you.

    Good luck!

    And we really do love both of our HCH's!
  • tgbuildertgbuilder Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid and am experiencing uneven rear tire wear and cupping. The tire life is reduced to 20,000 miles.The car came equipped with the upper rear control arm that was supposed to fix this problem. Obviously, that did not fix the problem. I'm on my second set of tires now. I've read the messages on
    this forum and it appears this problem has existed at least since 2003. Does
    anyone have the solution to this problem?
  • etpetp Member Posts: 155
    They replaced mine on my 2007 and I am starting to get road noise again. Most likely it is weak struts and shocks from the factory.
    My last Honda ever. The quality is after profit for these guys as evident they made a profit when everyone else is going down the tubes.
  • astonesastones Member Posts: 1
    I have had exactly the same problem. Don't go to PENINSULA HONDA in Hampton, VA. After care is very poor!

    They tried (still trying) everything to get out of paying, taking responsibility or doing the work. I've been through 2 tires (6 new total), on average, every 16000 miles. Even after showing the dealership the Honda Service Bulletin (08-001) they refused to take any action and refered me to Honda HQ. The service manager said "there's nothing i can do"!

    So frustrating....after reading this forum and spending $750.00 on new tires for a known problem i doubt very much if i'll ever buy another Honda product.
  • hybridnomorehybridnomore Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid that has had all recommended maintenance, including tire rotation. All reports to that point indicated that the tires were in good condition. There are 13,000 miles on the car at that point. Two months later at 15,000 miles, after excessive noise and vibration, I'm told the tires all need to be replaced due to inside wear and cupping. I see that this is a somewhat common issue in this vehicle and am annoyed the neither Honda or the dealerships take ownership of this problem and correcting it. When first reported, the dealership failed to mention that this was a known issue on the car and basically told me I must have hit a pot hole or something. I had the tires replaced with Dunlops (those were the original tires) and the car still vibrates. I'm told my car has the updated arm on the rear tires and doesn't have the same problem as the multitude of posts on this site. Obviously there is something wrong with this car model. I would appreciate anyone's information on how they got the tires replaced, aligned, rotated, etc. without having to shell out hundreds of dollars every few months. I'm counting the days until I can turn this leased vehicle back into the dealership. I will not get another civic hybrid.
  • phbmrgnphbmrgn Member Posts: 3
    I can only give you a "reality check" and say that I had the same experience with my 2003 Hybrid. After reading the related posts, I decided it was time to trade the Civic for an Insight. I used my knowledge of the tire wear problem as leverage in negotiating the trade in value of the Civic. Good luck!
  • kg0330kg0330 Member Posts: 1
    I have HCH 08 and the front two wheels are worn on the inside after 23K. Curiously, for the rear tires, only one on driver's side is worn on the inside. I called the dealer and they said I must have hit a pot hole (the same song and dance other users here got) . My regular mechanic refused to serviced the car due to his machine did not detect any misalignment. Funny thing is that American Honda said my car VIN does not fall in to the Service Bulletin updated JULY 22, 2009 (http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SB/a08-001.PDF)

    I guess the control arm issues don't appy to my specific VIN, yet my car has the same cupping problem.

    I'm not sure what to do next. I'm tempted to just bring it to Sears for alignment and tire replacement and not have to deal with the dealer who doesn't what to deal with the dddreal issue here :-)
  • oreo1oreo1 Member Posts: 2
    '07 civic EX 2 dr., started to hear loud noise from right rear of car above 60-70 MPH, seemed to go away when below 35 MPH. Took to dealer for look-see, as it is still under warranty only 14500 miles. Yep, changed out the rear control arms at no charge, realighned 4 wheels. Both rear tires are cupped on the inside and they offered to sale me "New" tires for about $360. I think you can guess what I said. If your part damages my part, then you should pay for my part. It would be the same as if you hit my fender with your car, then you should be responsible to fix my fender. Sure hope someone would post that TSB.
    Also, steering wheel squeaks when turning into or out of a parking spot, latest word is another" TSB" that calls for stop bumper replacements on the front suspension. :mad:
  • lyninmainelyninmaine Member Posts: 15
    go back to my old posts. i got my new michelins paid for by honda america. the case number is posted. use it.

    i am not happy with the 2006 hch. i wish my dad had bought me a used station wagon. after taxes, we paid 26k for a car that doesn't get the mileage they said it would and isn't backed up by the manufacturer. :mad: :mad: :mad:
  • lyninmainelyninmaine Member Posts: 15
    my 1990 toyota camry was better. i gave it to a young man with 2 children when i got the hch. the toyota didn't corner as well, but it got better mileage than stated, after 266k miles! 35 mpg! and, the car is still running another 100k later!!!! yeah, its back to toyota after i have enough money to pass the civic on to a deserving person. at least the civic it has high safety ratings.
  • oreo1oreo1 Member Posts: 2
    I'll give Honda a call first thing in the morning as I'm still waiting for the local dealer to call me on a diff. problem as in squeaking right rear suspension bars that they replaced last week; Of course they cannot hear it.
    Thanks again
  • p1neapplep1neapple Member Posts: 1
    I have a HCH 2008 and I too have had this issue with the cupping etc. I called Honda and spoke to my dealer. The best they can do is for the dealer to pay half of the cost of fixing the rear arm control. Something is better than nothing. But this upsets me since i have spent money on replacing the tires too soon. Honda wasnt willing to do anything on their end. I hate my HCH. I should have bought the Prius.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I have HCH 08 and the front two wheels are worn on the inside after 23K.

    I have to ask... did you rotate the tires? Because there's no such thing as a "perfect alignment" on ANY vehicle. If you don't rotate the tires every 5-6,000 miles, you WILL get some kind unusual wear patterns.

    At 23K, should have been rotated at least three times. Check with any independent tire shop and they'll tell you the same.

    I used to be a slacker on tire rotation, but once I hooked up with a tire shop instead of my dealer on tires, I started having them rotated regularly. (Your local tire guy may rotate them for free if you buy the tires from him like mine does)

    We put a lot of miles on our vehicles and I have to say the evidence is pretty strong. Before I became a "rotator" I was getting a max of about 30,000 miles out of a set of tires. I haven't gotten less than 50,000 out of a set since. The last set of tires on my 2001 Altima went to 60,000 miles and if it hadn't been heading into fall and winter last year I likely would have gotten close to 65,000 out of them Right now they have 20K on them and at the latest rotation I measured the tread depth and they are at about 8/32 (started at 11/32) so I'm right on schedule to get 50K+ again.
  • humblejdhumblejd Member Posts: 2
    I rotated my tires four times before 30,000 miles- and they were still horribly worn. The alignment was also adjusted when they fixed the rear arm. Did you have the rear arm replaced on your '08 Hybrid? What was the mileage when you got it fixed?
  • leafbeyleafbey Member Posts: 1
    After the second tire rotation at 10,000 miles, I noticed heavy tire noise. The dealership showed me the factory bulletin and installed upgraded rear control arms at their expense. I had tire alignment checked (OK!) at a good tire store. The tire merchant and a Honda service writer both have told me that the cupping of all four tires will not be "healed" by wear-in, as claimed by Honda.

    The dealership has checked the tires on 2 more occasions and the Service Manager elevated my claim to the District Representative, who turned me down flat.

    Honda's national customer relations group has told me the District Rep has the final say. They can do no more.

    I now have 15,000 miles on the car and there is strong vibration in the 50s and 70s mph. I am worried after reading this blog that perhaps my alignment is not ok. I am also very concerned about wear and tear on the car, which I can't afford to replace like the tires.

    I've asked Honda's Customer Relations to annotate my complaint with the comment that I have been a very loyal customer through 4 Hondas, but this has ripped my loyalty away.

    Where can I find a good class action lawyer? :
  • walt16walt16 Member Posts: 1
    My tires wore out at 30K on my HCH06. I had the dealer replace the upper control arm for free, but got nothing for pre-mature tire wear. They aligned and balanced the tires free as well.
    I need new tires! I used the Dunlop OEM's and they gave me 40 mph (with 15%ethanol fuel) and I want to maintain that.
    I heard of recommendations like Bridgestone Potenza or Escopia EP100, Cooper GFE and Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max. All are LRR tires I believe.
    What tire should I get???? Help! I need them in a couple weeks for a long trip.
    Thanks folks.
  • rlmccoyrlmccoy Member Posts: 3
    I now know from these postings that there is a design flaw in my 2008 Civic Hybrid and its tire wear. It started at about 23000 miles and now at 32000 it is almost unbearable! I, too, have had my tires rotated by our Honda dealer with every oil change and have record of such. After all, who else am I going to take it to for an oil change? After reading all these postings about this sorry tire/car design, I realize that I probably made a big mistake in buying this car. Where is your savings if you have to buy a new set of tires extremely prematurely? But what really ticks me off is that way too much of the good mileage of this cars is based on a freakin' tire instead of the hybrid assist system. We have been had. And another thing----the car is a HONDA which is the reason I bought it. Why in the world won't they take responsibility for this problem. I hope there is a class action lawsuit that will put thousands of dollars back in our pockets.
  • hybridblueshybridblues Member Posts: 13
    After dealer replacement of rear upper control arms on my 06 HCH (after of a year of [non-permissible content removed] excuses when they knew of the problem; a buddy ran his Civic off the road from bad tires), it is much better but not perfect; tires still tilted inward and wear on the inside. However, I may be fooled by better wearing tires (Yokohama AVID TRZ; almost as good mileage (high 40s to 50 MPG summer; low 40s winter) as Dunlop OEMs Their TSB admits to the problem FINALLY so I assumed that 2008 would be fine. Make sure you have the correct control arms on the rear. Like you say, we trusted HONDA and got shafted...man, do I regret not getting a Prius.

    P.S. I change my own engine and tranny oil - 5W-20 Quaker State works fine and little or no mileage loss (0W-20 is way too pricey) and the $8/quart of CVT oil at the dealer is hard to take but only 3 quarts every 30K or so.
  • rlmccoyrlmccoy Member Posts: 3
    Could you please tell me more about these Yokohama AVID TRZ substitutes? Isn't it funny that Honda only recognizes 2 tire brands with each one having one model for the Civic Hybrid but yet if you take this problem we have been discussing to Honda then its the "tire manufacturer's fault"? Does that even make sense?
  • rockyrollzrockyrollz Member Posts: 1
    at 19000 miles, just recently found out abt the control arms and tire replacements...and obviously honda is not paying anything to replace tires. Has anyone had any luck on any complaints against the company regarding this problem coz the AH doesnt seem to care. Also had a problem with external water pump last year...i guess thats so much for a honda....there ends my honda loyalty.
  • udaychoudhuryudaychoudhury Member Posts: 1
    I have exactly the same problem (HCH 2008) . At 14000 miles I went to the dealer for 1st minor service, they told me the rear-tire edges are wearing down, need to change two tires and recommended to do alignment by paying $99.I had my initial oil change done at 7000 miles, they did not tell me anything at that time. After I showed my frustration, dealer tells me to check with bridgestone for tire warranty (which is not going to work because I did not purchase the tires from Bridgestone, Honda did).
    1. I would like to know if anybody has contacted American Honda main office and has any response from them.
    2. If I do an alignment check outside (not with Honda service) and find no-alignment issues, are they going to pay for this.
    3. Given such a massive number of complaints, is anybody aware of mass-law-suit in progress or preparation.

  • wmh9680wmh9680 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 HCH and 3 of the 4 covers for the lugnuts are chipping. There are no scratches or chips on the rims themselves. Honda has replaced one aready and they have sent pictures in to get an opinion from Honda, but so far the dealer says it is from driving. I only have 12,000 miles and am extremely careful with the car everywhere I go. I find it hard to believe that after 14 months and 12,000 miles that 3 of the 4 inserts would be chipping. Has anyone else had a simliar problem? Thanks, Mike
  • rlmccoyrlmccoy Member Posts: 3
    I just have to let you know that I decided that I wasn't going to put up with Honda and its attitude about these tires so I went out and found a 2008 Prius program car with the exact same features my 2008 Civic Hybrid has and since it did not affect my monthly payments and only had 8000 miles on it I traded in the Civic Hybrid and never looked back. I did not want to say, "I regretted not buying the Prius" when I had the opportunity. I forgot how comfortable/plush these cars really are. Maybe I can still be part of the lawsuit, anyway.
  • eljoheljoh Member Posts: 3
    First, thank to all forum folks for entering information about HCH 2008. I found out about 2 TSBs that did apply to my car (auto stop hard restart issue, acceleration from stop issue). Took in for my B1 minor service, took printed out pdfs of the TSBs. No problem. Then at service desk to pick up car, tech says "your tires all have a lot of inner wear, and your right rear is bald on the inner side. We recommend you get an alignment and consider replacing the bad tire."

    Me: I think this is covered by a TSB.
    Tech: I'm not sure, but don't think so.
    Me: Let's have a look
    Tech: clicks around on puter for several minutes, says " I know there is one for the 2006, but don't think it applies to 2008"
    Me: I'm pretty sure and it's in my VIN range as I recall. I ddin't print it out as i didn't know I had that issue. Keep looking.
    Tech calls over supervisor.
    I ask them to read out loud.
    They do.
    slowly it emerges that my VIN is covered by TSB 08-001 (all 06-07, and a vin range for 08). Then they tell me my wear isn't enuf to qualify. I respond sounds pretty dangerous, so it must qualify. Then they read "if the inner part is bald" you ignore the middle tread number, and enter the prorate chart ata 2/32 tread. The TSB also says, do NOT replace only one tire, if one tire bad, replace 2.

    A bit more polite smiling persistance, and a full 08-001 TSB service done at no charge, and a rental car paid for, as they were not equipped to do all this that afternoon. I had to split the cost of 2 tires 50%.

    I think they did well by me EXCEPT -- when the tech told me of my inner tire wear issue, he used exactly the phraseology from the TSB, yet never mentioned it, nor seemed to think it could possible be.

    At home, did some research the 2008 HCH was added to this TSB (versus creating a new TSB) Feb 08, so it is possible (?) that they weren't fully aware that 08 had been added (early 08s - like mine bought in 07).

    I did find the TSB 08-001 and saved it as a pdf, i cannot figure out the link i used to get to, but do know i googled HCH TSB 08-001 and eventually found the PDF. Its'a 5 page PDF and the dealer has to take all sorts of photos of the tires so they can be reimbursed.

    hope this helps you all.
  • eljoheljoh Member Posts: 3
    check out my posting, number 108 in this thread.. there is a tsb that covers this issue and I just got the work done "free." TSB 08-001.

    eljoh
  • mainiac59mainiac59 Member Posts: 1
    Let me share my story.

    I bought a 2008 HCH in November of 2007. All was fine until I had snow tires last winter. In February 2009, I found out that my snow tires were worn and needed to be replaced. I bought Goodyear Triple Treads. In less than two months, I started hearing some loud humming at certain speeds. At my next scheduled service, i found out that my tires were cupping (in fact, the snow tires also had cupped). That was in June. The service manager told me about the TSB and replaced the rear control arms. he said they couldn't do anything for me on the tires. I bought a new set of Triple Treads.

    Two weeks ago, I had my tires rotated, and the same noise is back. I'm goiing back to the dealership.

    In the meantime, another thought popped into my head. Why were the OEM tires okay? They weigh 18 lbs. each, while the Triple Treads weigh 24 lbs. each.

    My question for you is: could that make a difference? Should I stick with LRR tires on my HCH? Or is the problem elsewhere?

    Thanks!
  • scosselscossel Member Posts: 2
    I bought a HCH 2008 in May of 2008 and I have 50,000 miles on it now. Last winter (at about 25,000) Honda noticed that my tires were wearing unevenly and told me that I needed to get my alignment checked. (And yes before you ask, Honda performed all of the required maintenance on my car and and did all the tire rotations as scheduled). They "fixed" it or so I was told. About 20,000 miles later, I noticed that my car was making some crazy noises. So I take it back to Honda, and they tell me that I need my alignment "fixed" again and that I need my rear rotator arm or whatever fixed. BUT I also need new tires now because the original Dunlops wore unevenly. So - I get my alignment "fixed" again and the rear rotator arm is "fixed" as well (at no charge), and I buy Yokohama Avid TRZ tires for my car because the Dunlops were crappy in ice and snow. I like the Yokohama tires - they are better but my mpg dropped from 45 to 38 mpg. So - what do I do now? Do I keep the car and just deal with having to buy new tires every year? Should I keep the Yokohamas and hope they deal with this problem better or go back to the Dunlops and just expect to buy new tires every year? Or should I stay with a better tire and just deal with the drop in mpg? Someone, please, please help me! Thanks.
  • hybridblueshybridblues Member Posts: 13
    I had/have similar problems with a 2006 HCH and after 3 sets of tires and all sorts of excuses, Honda kindly replaced the upper control arm (incompetent bogus design). It's better but still noisy and premature wear...my Yoko AVIDs are about shot after 30K. I get 45-50 MPG (low 40s in winter) with them though (Dunlops were a little better); driving habits must be the difference.

    BUT I can't believe that Honda has allowed this problem to fester...they knew in 2006 that they screwed up (rear tires tilted inward) and it's still happening...this is outrageous...we must band together and demand a recall. I complained to NHTSA (clearly a safety issue...quick wear = more accidents even deaths) and wrote to Honda; I suggest everyone do the same. And next time, buy a PRIUS.
  • scosselscossel Member Posts: 2
    With the Dunlops - I got 50 mpg in the summer and 47 mpg in the winter. I also got 50,000 miles out of them. I do only highway driving and I put the cruise control on at 60 mph and stay there for the entire time. I was still getting this mileage until I changed tires and that's the only thing that I changed and my mpg drops like a rock? WTF? Also the TSB states that my car does not fall into this catagory that by the time my car was made, this problem was FIXED! Uh - yeah right! Anyway - I don't want this car anymore and with the amount of driving I do - its making me nervous. I need to decide if I want to keep dealing with this crap or get something else and just take a hit (money wise) just to have piece of mind. I bought this car with the idea that I would own it until it died, because its a Honda right? I am SO disappointed. Anyway - I am calling my lawyer and seeing if I can do anything about this. I'll keep you all updated.......
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