I bought my Civic under excrutiating circumstances I won't go into here. But to make matters worse, I was back at the dealer 10 days after I left with it brand new. And then another 4 times more. Suffice it to say we are in Lemon Law litigation. Why?

I've had an unmistakebly clear POPPING sound coming from under the front rear end suspension either while turning OR simply driving straight and going over normal terrain (not potholes, not manhole covers etc) and during all these visits - well on the first visit my verbal description of the problem lead them to do nothing but "retighten" the suspension which cause it to then ride like a dump truck. On the second visit, they found a Service Bulletin they SUDDENLY FOUND THAT PRE-DATED MY FIRST VISIT, the wording matched my descritption from the FIRST visit WORD FOR WORD. They just didn't try to find it that day.

Granted I am a single woman (blonde at that) going into a repair shop whom they think must be an idiot. What they don't know is that I am the daughter of an engineer who works in the automotive industry and also has taken the time over the life of having owned a few cars to learn a thing or two about whatever I possibly good when I could. It helps when I'm dealing with these people.

An engineer from Honda USA (we called them in on the matter - but we should have known they'd side with the dealer) who said he drove it alone and then we went on a group trip - 3 people in my little car which usually has only ME in it so the weight distribution was off and also, the engineer chatted and chatted the entire time so it's not likely we'd hear it the "pop" from out under the wheel or in the front end - whatever is wrong with the darn thing. And if he heard it when he was alone, he sure as heck wasn't going to tell me!!

They kept the car from me for weeks at a time, telling me they were working on it; turns out the service manager and the salesman were taking turns driving it. When I picked it up and got into it, radio was on!! Can't hear the problem when the radio is on. I drive in silence.

I got Lemon Lawyers to take the case - they who told me their files on Honda & Toyota were VERY thin. More interesting though that when my complaint was filed into the court, it was learned that there were 3 other Honda Civic LX's (2 '07s & 1 '06 all LX's) filed in that court alone with the SAME EXACT COMPLAINT.

I have walked down streets near where I lived and heard new Civics go by me popping along; they were going too fast for me to catch them. Recently at the bank, the woman beside me at the ATM had a Civic and I asked her what year it was and did she hear a noise in the front when she turned or had gone over slight bumps in the road and her eyes popped wide open and she said YES, it does. I told her to go to her service dealer and get it checked out.

I have NO IDEA what kind of outcome to expect. Oh I forgot, on the fourth official visit, they "retourqued" my car. I was like - what are you talking about?? So basically now, it rides like a Sanitation truck since it has been tightened TWICE, NEEDLESSLY and there has not been one moment of enjoyment of this car except the time I looked at it on the floor of the showroom. And it costs more than the Corolla that I first bought but returned.

I've been treated ill and talked to disrespectfully by some of the sales staff and so for me, the wonderful, wonderful world of Honda is evasive. I definitely chose the wrong dealer; it's what happens when you take the recommedation of someone that at the time you didn't know had a serious drug problem. They can be could at hiding those things. I'd planned to buy out of state and I wish that I had done; perhaps things might have gone better, including my price and NOT being sexually harassed by the Toyota salesman who sold me the aforementioned Corolla?!? Of course none of this would have been an issue if I hadn't totalled my own car which I had officially paid for in Feb 07!! Insurance was affordable and car payments done.

Now, I have a car that has gotten progressively worse as expected. Slamming down hard as ever and now, the FRONT END makes squishy shounds and bubbly noises that sound like a giant fish tank. That CAN'T BE NORMAL.

Just want to alert other recently bought Honda Civic owners (not '08, don't believe it applies) of '06 & '07 LX model owners that if you think you are hearing something in your front end and it doesn't sound right, you're not imagining something. Bring it in to be checked, there is a Service Bulletin available to all the Honda Dealer workshops and perhaps your car is fixable; or, if it's not, join us on the Lemon wagon and we'll make the bowl of Lemon juice just a little bit bigger for them.

They don't want anything to tarnish the evidently unbelievable STERLING HONDA BRAND but guess what?? NO ONE IS PERFECT. There's an Odyssey problem I know of on account of what I saw on my many trips to the Honda garage and from what I know from my father's business. Honda knows about it but they are trying to go about it in the quietest way possible to get customers to come in for the part without letting them know it's a real problem. Yeah, perfection - uh huh, OK.

So, '06, '07 Honda Civic LX models with noise under the front wheels or in front suspension sound, LISTEN UP GOOD NOW!!! I liked the idea of plugging in my iPod into the car stereo but I never do because I have to keep listening to the darn car. A Service GM said, after I filed suit, that they'll probably end up buying the car back but I'm banking on anything at this point - no way to tell how it's going to go but I was glad that I wasn't the only Civic on record at that court house where we filed the complaint! YEAH!!! It wasn't just me!!

 

I drive an 06 LX..... yup, noisy front end!
I'm wondering what the super intellectual genius tech was "tighening", and "retorquing"on the front end? What a line of sh*t.
Let us know how your lemonaid stand works out.