Very Bad Experience with Honda!!!

[carolhonda2002]

I have a 2002 Honda Accord EX and it is about 30K miles.
It started to make very laud noise several weeks ago whenever I hit the brake, and when I released it, the car does not move freely. I took the car to a auto service center (VIP) and thought it was a brake problem, and they told me the caliper was frozen and therefore the brake pad was all worn and the rotor was damaged. They lifted the car up and showed me the fact that the particular tire (only the rear passager side) did not move freely when rotating (almost did not move at all and making laud noise when it did), and all the other 3 tires are ok.
Since I bought it 8/27 2002 and it was still under its warranty that week, I took it to the Honda dealer (08/24) where I bought this car from. They looked at it and told me that they took it apart and the caliper was fine and it was only because I did not change the brake pad when it was worn and now the rotor is bad.
I have been driving Honda Accord since 1992 and, for the other 2 Accords, I did not have to do anything until it was 60K miles. Also, when the brake pads were worn, there would be a noise indicating that I need to have them changed. But the first noise I ever heard was a very laud, almost like metal crushing noise, and it was only 30K miles. I think I drive very carefully and I never hit the brakes hard.
I was pretty conviced that the caliper was bad so I went into the garage with the Honda tech and asked him to show me the problem that morning. He lifted the car up and took out one wheel to show me the pad was worn and the rotor was damaged. I asked the Honda tech to show me the other side of the brake pad, and he told me it was "almost gone". And I asked him to show me the other rear brake pads and he said he looked at it yesterday and it was also "almost gone". And then he said he was busy and did not have time to repeat what he did yesterday...
I brought the car to another Honda the next day and paid $39.99 to see if they would find something wrong... well... they told me exactly the same story...
2 weeks later, (I was out of town for 2 weeks and the car just sat in my garage), I brought the car back to VIP and had them change the rear 2 brake pads and rotors, they gave me the old parts back--It was the time I found out the Honda technician actaully LIED TO ME!! OUt of the 4 brake pads (2,inside and outside, on each tire), only 1 was gone. The rest 3 still have more than 50% left. I really don't know what to say... I really think they try to avoid their responsibility... I just feel really bad about Honda... especially when 2 dealer services link each other and told me the same story while it was totally wrong!!!

[Shrewz92]

Sorry to hear about your experiences with the Honda Dealers Service Depts. One wants to trust those ppl, believing they'll tell one a straight and have ALL the answers. However, it's still a for-profit business. Service Writers & Techs are often motivated by commissons %-age $'s on the # of orders written and the ttl costs and payment of the repairs conducted. Goofy as it may be, I've used www.cartalk.com and that site has a link called 'The Mechan-X Files'. That's a list of mechanics, sorted by state, city & zip code who've given good service to customers by persons who've chosen to take the time and fill out a little survey. I found my current, most frequently used, Auto Repair Company there.

[mpumas]

Time to write to your state consumer protection department and also get a hold of the Honda zone manager. Save all your parts. Also you may threaten to sue in small claims court for the cost of the evaluation and repair. American Honda does not like this sort of publicity and I am sure they will resolve the problem with you and take action with the dealers. Keep us advised of your progress. By the way, I diagnosed this problem when you brought it up before and I was right. The caliper was OK but the caliper did not slide on the bolts, so it took out one pad.

[carolhonda2002]

Shrewz92: Thank you. I will try to look for some good techs on the site you recommended. ^^
mpumas: Thank you SO MUCH!! I was just upset and did not know what else I could do... I will try to write to the state consumer protection one of these days if I could find it. I am in NH. Yes, your diagnose is right-- and that is the reason why only 1 out of 4 pads is totally gone and the rest 3 are perfectly fine. I think the worst thing the HOnda tech did was he told me all 4 pads were "almost gone" and "you could probably drive another week or so and you will have the same problem" which was just a lie! but the good thing for me is that I have his voice recorded that day... ^^ it might help. I think I will start with the state department and the dealer's service manager first (the manager was on vacation when all these things happened). I will keep you posted if there is any progress. Thanks again!!!

[BullShifter]

Regardless if they lied good luck finding one brake pad for sale, they come in a set of 4(2 inner 2 outer front or rear). I've never replaced 1 corner of brake pads, it's either front or rear and never repalced 1 rotors. If 1 gets changed they both get changed. Calipers on the other hand you can get by with changing 1.

If you can not provide proper maintenance records to your current mileage, including a brake service/inspection Honda is mostly going to do NOTHING. There were many times customers couldn't back-up their maint. records so their claimes were denied. In some cases Honda would go 50/50.

[mpumas]

I agree they do not sell just one pad. But not only did the pad fail, it took the rotor also and that should definetely be covered under warranty. As for the cost of the pads. there is some betterment on the one wheel, so she should probably pay for 1/2 the cost of the pads, and everything else should be covered under warranty including the rotor on the non-affected side. .

[BullShifter]

I worked for Honda and the only time I saw brakes get covered under warranty was under 5,000 miles and it was due to a defect. One customer needed front/rear pads & rotors at 11,000 miles NOT COVERED. Brakes are a wearable item.

Seeing she didn't do the repair at Honda, nothing will be covered.

This is a perfect reason why brake service and inspections are important, at least every 15K. Inspections can be done every tire rotation.

[mpumas]

Brakes are a wearable items, I agree. If the brakes had a normal wear pattern then warranty would not apply. Tires are a wearable item also, however, if a strut is defective, then the wear a tire could be excessive and the replacement of the strut should be covered. Agreed, the pads can be inspected when you rotate the tires, but it would be difficult to check that the caliper is floating without removing a bolt and lifting one side and pushing it back and forth. In any case, if the dealer won't cover it under warranty and Honda drags their feet, then NHqaghO

[mpumas]

Brakes are a wearable items, I agree. If the brakes had a normal wear pattern then warranty would not apply. Tires are a wearable item also, however, if a strut is defective, then a particular tire wear could be excessive and the replacement of the strut should be covered. Agreed, the pads can be inspected when you rotate the tires, but it would be difficult to check that the caliper is floating without removing a bolt and lifting one side of the caliper and pushing it back and forth. In any case, if the dealer won't cover it under warranty and Honda drags their feet, then NHTSA, state consumer protection and small claims court may be able to resolve the issue.