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Comments
If I want to have the front brakes free of pulsation, I need to have them turned every 12K miles.
Honda fixed this problem on the next generation by using larger rotors. My friend owns a 90 Accord. Its original rotors and pads lasted 45K.
He drove like a maniac (sp?) and still does.
I haven't had any brake issues with my 03EXV6 yet since the car hasn't been used in a daily commute. Still keep my fingers crossed.
Consumer Reports gave a bad mark for brakes because there are enough 86-89 Accord owners put down the brake problems on the CR's annual survey.
1) every car/truck sold in America must meet FMVSS 105 or 135, which mandates maximum stopping distances from 30 & 60 mph at a maximum pedal force. So from a legal standpoint, there is no such thing as "underdesigned brakes."
2) If you can lock your wheels (or activate ABS), then installing "larger" brakes won't reduce your stopping distance unless you improve the tire/road interface.
3) Brake system complaints are the #1 or #2 warranty item for the US manufacturers. I don't know about the Asian companies but I suspect they have similar issues.
4) The company I work for employs many PhD engineers who are trying to solve the problems of brake noise and roughness.
5) The maximum DTV (disc thickness variation) for rotors we sell is about 40 microns. A micron is 1 millionth of a meter.
6) The reason cars have brake issues are too numerous to count.
As Linda Richman used to say on SNL "discuss."
There's a guy in the Mazda6 room now that claims they too have widespread issues. My God how did people stop those 2 ton behemoths in the 70's on all drums?
but yes, i know my car stops well enough to be "legal" in the U.S.
Thanks.
The vast majority of times we never had to do any warranty replacements. Other customers were back month after month with brake problems. Sometimes the rotors and drums were blue from heat damage and the pads were cooked.
Of course, some makes and models were worse than others but usually premature brake problems were clearly the result of the way the car was driven.
Any mechanic/technician will back me up on this without question.
Of course, the customers would never agree they could be at least partially to blame. I remember in some cases, I would make the decision to simply refund the customer's money and suggest they have another shop do the work.
People who drive their automatic transmission cars using two feet are the worst at this.
BTW, I just sold my 99 EX V-6 coupe. 54,000 miles, original front pads. Last checked at 52,000 miles with 4MM (out of 10)pad remaining.
Your results may vary...
What would you have said to a longtime customer of your repair shop who had gone through several cars with absolutely no brake problems, and then began having regular brake problems with a new car?
How would you explain that situation?
Funny, how some people can't come to grips with the fact it just may have something to do with the way they drive.
Some people will get 40,000 out of a clutch and others will go 200,000 miles.
" It's not my fault" seems to be Justin's much repeated mantra in every Honda forum he can find.
I've checked with the guys in our shop and there is no widespread brake problem with Accords like he seems to be having.
So, I don't know what is happening but I do have my suspecions.
funny how people can't seem to get their minds about that most basic principle of logic.
i have yet to have ANYONE come up with an answer to that question. people ignore that question, and i guess i would too if i was wrong.
i did call another dealer, and they were like "we can look at your car, but you know as well as we do that we will resurface rotors and send you on your way".
i figure, next time i go in, i will get new rotors (Honda has preapproved that on a case #). then those will get resurfaced every 2-3k miles, then get new rotors again when they are worn down. my regional rep pointed out to me, the way it works, i won't actually have to PAY for repairs ever, because rotors come with a 12k parts warranty. and the frequency of my repairs is 2-3k miles. i guess that is one sort of good thing - that i won't ever be out of a warranty on brakes
it does take time out of your day though, and that stinks. who knows, if the engine stays as good as it is, and they can fix my airbag and rattles to my satisfaction, i might actually eventually try out aftermarket parts if i decide to keep the car. makes my stomach hurt just thinking of it though.
It is definately how you drive. My Scirocco front pads lasted 130,000 miles. The first owner replaced the clutch at 40,000 shortly before I bought the car, and that clutch was still fine when I sold the car with 170,000 miles.
BTW every time your rotors are resurfaced they get thinner and are that much more likely to warp.
There are many factors that determine brake wear, and one of them "is" the way you drive, but it's not the only factor. And when people have other cars where they experience significantly different results than with their Honda, then Yes, that experience does count for something.
My wife's previous two cars didn't have brake pads replaced earlier than 50K miles, and the rotors only got turned once in 80K miles. On the Odyssey, she's been through 5 sets of pads and two rotor turns in 80K miles. She hasn't changed how she drives enough to go through 5 times the number of pads. Sorry - that's not the only explanation.
It's a complicated matter. I'm not complaining about the brakes, because we just accept the frequency of pad replacement as a "Honda thing" - but that doesn't make it right. And it certainly doesn't make the excess wear our fault when no other car in our possession exhibits the problem.
Sorry, but I'm just getting tired of all the offhand remarks that "it's the way you drive". That's definitely not the whole story.
-n
My 02 Accord has gone 22k in two years. Not a single problem with it, and I got 26 mpg in the city (with AC most of the time) on my last tank of gas (manual trans).
When the refreshed 2001s came out, the only noticeable difference was the taillights (turn signals changed from top to bottom and from amber to white lenses).
The Civic received slightly different tail lights for the 03 model year as well as interior upgrades but they still freshened the styling for the 04 MY.
If so, put the transmission in its "D" position for almost all driving and leave it there (see owner's manual for the few times you might choose a different gear).
The transmission "knows" when to shift and you don't need to do anything under most driving situations.
You bought an automatic so you wouldn't have to shift gears, so enjoy the driving ease of your automatic.....Richard
Rattles? Has anyone who purchased a 2005 model noticed rattles/squeaks or do you think that these are fixed in the 2005 model year?
Thanks in advance for your input.
-n
It is annoying me too.
The 4-cylinder Accord hasn't been included in this recall.
The problem is the possibility of excessive heat in second gear due to insufficient lubrication under some very specific conditions. A fix for this was implemented in production sometime early this year. For potentially affected Accords, the dealer will inspect second gear for signs of overheating. If it shows any such signs, the transmission will be replaced. If it doesn't, an oil jet modification is performed to increase lubrication to second gear.
Put it in D and leave it.
when it comes to Hondas and automatic transmissions, not enough evidence out there to say that 2005 are indeed truly fixed. i mean, we don't know for sure that the recall actually helps anything. only miles and time will tell. you can be sure if a late model 04 has the problem, the news will be all over it, and these boards will light up like a Christmas tree
rattles? i think that has to do with what robot or person put the that particular piece of the car together that day....some people have rattles galore, and some claim to not have any at all.
good luck!
Example: drove yesterday on a steep winding hill (up Mt. Tamalpias in Mill Valley, CA). There are plenty of "S" curves going uphill, but couldn't feel much shifting--lots of power from the 4 cylinder engine, too--quiet and smooth all the way up.
Return trip going down the mountain was controlled by automatic downshifts when using the brakes--the Accord doesn't run away in overdrive gears going down hill.
My impression is that the "grade logic" feature on the 4 cyl. AT Accord works very well and makes most other AT cars feel clunky by comparison (I was ready to buy a Mazda 6i but changed my mind because its AT was like an old Ford and couldn't figure out what gear it should be in when climbing winding hills).
With respect to the Honda Accord, I'd suggest leaving the transmission in "D" and enjoying the ride.......Richard
love that 240 hp and 24mpg city
Because of this, car makers should have "regional choices".
Honda's approach has always been to build cars by model trims with few to NO options.