700 miles on my 2007 FBP Civic Si Sedan, and I have a suspension issue.
First off, has anyone had an issue with the front suspension on a Civic Sedan, Si/EX/LX?
My issue is a loud pop from the front left suspension when I hit a road bump or go over a speed bump and the suspension compresses. This happens on a daily basis after a few days of ownership.
As a historic note, I had the right rear suspension issue on my 2006 Si coupe, popping and clicking at low speeds and when pushing down on the right rear of the car. This was fixed by replacing the shock and strut assembly.
The car is going in today for repainting of the bottom of the front bumper, fully covered by Honda because either the tie down chains were rubbing or it took a nose dive off the truck, and to have the suspension looked at. Any info would be appreciated.
Join the club. Mine has 9000 miles and still does it. Seems it needs to be compressed and that turning the steering wheel may have a part to play. I haven't taken it in b/c no dealer seems to know what it is according to those that have. Not a problem, just an annoyance at this point.
Good to know it is not a single occurance. I will let you know what the repair is. Any popping, clicking, grinding, usually means unwanted and unneeded wear and tear, so I want the problem fixed.
I have never had a problem with the dealership's service department fixing problems, even problems that are tough to diagnose. Hopefully they stick to their track record.
Mine does the same thing. Sounds as if your running over something with the left front tire. Only happens when making a left turn after it sits all night.
I notice it happens once, maybe twice, after the car sits for awhile, but does not seem like it is dependent on sitting and settling for hours at a time. Mine is definatly happening when the wheels are turned.
I think this was a problem with the RSX-S when they were first introduced... but I don't remember the details. I think it was something about the spring not properly installed.
I notice this on my ASM FA5 too. It sounds like a pop for lack of a better word. It only happens when there is a load on the front tires and i hit a bump or something uneven. There is no play at all in the steering and the car seems to drive perfect but the noise is kind of annoying...like something is loose.
Have had this problem in the past with other cars and seem to remember reading a Honda bulletin about it or reading about it in the Honda Service Manual (I read it cover to cover shortly after it arrived). The noise is caused by the upper mount and bearing assembly coming loose or an improper adjustment. That means the shock is slamming into the bearing assembly and upper shock tower mount--that's the noise that you are hearing.
Under certain circumstances there have been cases where the CV joint is damaged from the factory. This is not very likely, becuz CV joints are really tough, but it can happen, and they will cause a noise at extreme steering wheel lock to lock or when the suspension takes an impact or both--usually it is a grinding sort of noise with a metallic "grounch" sound--this happened on a previous Honda.
While I hope this helps you, I want to make a comment here, and hope that Honda will read and take to heart. I'm not really concerned with how well Honda engineers a car (they can advertise all they want to about their quality), but that engineering and quality is only as good as the service "technician's" ability to diagnose a problem when it does happen (quality is not a result of advertising). Seems to me, from reading the complaints on this forum and my own complaints, that American Honda technicians are going the way of the typical American car company technicians (I've owned Hondas for over 25 years and sort of grew up watching Honda service go down hill). This customer has a problem with a brand new car and "we can't seem to find the problem" is NOT an answer. You either find the problem and fix it or give him a new car. If the problem can't be found, then re-train the technicians. If I can sit at this computer and diagnose the problem or come up with a possible answer then the people that are supposed to do that, and get paid to do that, have no excuse for not taking care of this customer. Wanna go broke Honda? Then keep treating your customers this way, or pay me to do the diagnostics for you.
Have a nice day Honda! My apologies to all of the members for my rant, but this sort of thing really ticks me off!
well my new FA5 is in the shop for the rest of the week. It was get some new re-work and paint on the front bumper, then hopefully get the front suspension issue resolved. I will keep you posted.
I am a little concerned about the overall quality of the new Si sedans?! I am thinking about trading my coupe for the Si sedan but after hearing this, as well as multiple complaints on msn autos, I am starting to wonder if that is a good idea. More than a few owners on msn autos have reported similar problems and other problems requiring multiple visits back to the dealership! I am waiting to check out the 08 models, do you think that Honda will correct these issues that the 07s are having?
Lose2Win, sorry to hear about your new Si. That really sucks after your wreck and all, then your new Si sedan has multiple issues. Did you notice the messed up front bumper before you left the dealership? What is with Honda's quality issues on these new Si's??? If there was an accident unloading your car from the truck, why didn't the dealership fix it before they put it out on the lot? That is total BS, I can't believe a dealer would do that, just like oh well, someone will buy it... If I were you I might just demand a new Si since yours was flawed from the start!
Si-newby wrote: I am a little concerned about the overall quality of the new Si sedans?! I am thinking about trading my coupe for the Si sedan but after hearing this, as well as multiple complaints on msn autos, I am starting to wonder if that is a good idea. More than a few owners on msn autos have reported similar problems and other problems requiring multiple visits back to the dealership! I am waiting to check out the 08 models, do you think that Honda will correct these issues that the 07s are having?
Lose2Win, sorry to hear about your new Si. That really sucks after your wreck and all, then your new Si sedan has multiple issues. Did you notice the messed up front bumper before you left the dealership? What is with Honda's quality issues on these new Si's??? If there was an accident unloading your car from the truck, why didn't the dealership fix it before they put it out on the lot? That is total BS, I can't believe a dealer would do that, just like oh well, someone will buy it... If I were you I might just demand a new Si since yours was flawed from the start!
Settle down Si-newby.
The Si Sedan feels more solid overall, IMO. It contains one year worth of fixes from the coupes and sedans. There are no rattles, especially from the rear deck subwoofer. I am not too worried about the overall quality. Honda will keep changing their assembly process to address production issues, so of course the 08 models will be slightly more solid than the 2007 models.
My 06 Si coupe creaked and rattled after a few hundred miles, which took multiple service visits to get resolved. I had a rear suspension issue on my 06 Si also, but once the shock and strut assembly was replaced, the problem never reoccured. I expect a similar soultion for the front suspension on the Si sedan.
The bumper was caught by the the techs doing the inspection. The car was actually a dealer transfer and the original dealer did not notice the bumper, or neglected to tell the recieving dealer. The car came off the truck, sat for two days, was driven to my dealership with all protective plastic still intact inside and out, then inspected and detailed at my dealership. I do not think it took a nose dive off the truck, rather the tie down chains were positioned incorrectly and rubbed on the bumper.
I inspected the damage and said I would still continue with the sale as long as I had a Due Bill included which stated the dealership would fixed the damage at no charge to me and at the body shop of my choice. The damage is all cosmetic: sand, prep, fill, prep, paint, bake, and done. It is on the understand also so it was a small issue.
Luckily, the car never made it to the lot for sale and I put all the miles on it, minus to 40+ miles between dealerships.
I just felt bad for you man, going through the wreck then getting a new Si that already had problems. I didn't realize that you already knew about the front bumper, sounds like an easy fix. I am/was really excited at the prospect of trading my 06 Si for the 08 Si sedan but after reading countless posts on msn autos from new Si sedan owners having various problems as well as your suspension issue I'm just not sure.
This is my first Honda and I was one of the lucky ones to get a Si coupe w/out rattles or the various other problems that others have experienced. My car is tight, drives amazingly, and my only complaint really is the thin paint.
I am going to test drive a Si sedan in the near future and I was wondering if you felt the suspension problem on your test drive? Or is this something that typically develops later after it has a few miles on it. I loathe going to the dealership repeatedly to have major/minor service done but hopefully on the 08s they'll have solved all of the issues that the first year Si sedans are having.
One more question, does your Si sedan have the same sporty "speed racer" feel that the coupe has? We're having a baby so I now need a four door but I don't want to lose that Si fun factor, does the new Si sedan feel as fun to drive? Or is it a bit more subdued or mature feeling? I really want a car that has the best of both worlds available :o)
Thank you. The fix is easy. Fix the damaged areas and repaint the whole bumper. It was taken to a very reputable body shop that uses PPG paint, so the color will be 100% correct. I was not too thrilled about repainting the whole bumper, but they said it was the best way to match the color and get the paint even.
You should still be excited to get an 08 Si Sedan. It is a great car, performs well, and is more practical with 4 doors. IMO, the Si owners who post complaints about their cars actually care about their cars and are very anal and detailed. I am one of those owners. But I also get the problems fixed, rather than just complaining, and the few problems I had with the 06, and now 07, should be fixed easily.
The paint is thin, I agree. The paint on my 07 Si seems thicker. I did not find any thinly sprayed areas when I washed it, unlike my 06 Si, which i found 2 thin areas during the first wash. The paint on Civics have never been the best, but considering the price range, the quality fits the price. A regular cleaning and waxing and the thin paint is not an issue.
I did not feel the suspension issue during my test drive. It developed around 500 miles. On my 06 Si, the issue came up after 2k miles. But, easily fixed. Going back to the dealership every other week can get tiresome, but at least you make good friends with your service department. On my 06 Si, once I got the few rattles, suspension issue and rear deck issue fixed, I only went in for regular service. 22k miles later and it was still solid.
The Sedan still has the sporty feel and sounds. In fact, it shoulds better and louder to my ear. It could just be the acoustics of the coupe vs. sedan, but it the intake and exhaust sounds louder. The VTEC change over sounds different than the coupe. I was able to get a few miles of spirited driving in before yesterday and it feels good. There is slightly more body roll, but only slightly. The suspension does not feel as stiff, but could be due the slight increase in weight. It drives smoother, but still corners great for FWD. It is still just as fun to drive as the coupe.
I pulled this from 8th Civic. Great timing. Sounds like my issue, but the 4 door Si is not included. Oh well. It gives my dealer something to work with.
Colt 1911A1 wrote: It will probably be expanded to include the FA5, as we surely have the problem.
+1
It does not make much sense the FA5 was not included. It covers ever civic model, except the FA5. It seems like after a certain production number for 2006 sedans, Honda thought they had the problem fixed for the sedans.
Greetings,
I guess I'm part of the club, now. Our '07 Si sedan also has maybe 700 miles on it, and I've noticed the very same loud pop from the front left wheel when hitting speed bumps, or depressions in the road between driveways and the street.
Please let us know how the bump stop issue turns out for you.
Upon leaving the dealer, my suspension popped once right as I went over the dip at the exit. Since then, I have not heard or felt the suspension pop. I have tried to go over speed bumps and bump and dips in the road and have not been able to recreate the popping noise. I was hearing the noise multiple times per day when driving in the same conditions and areas, but have yet to hear the popping noise. The TSB fix seems to have worked.
New around here - found this forum through a Google search for the problem discussed in this thread.
My brand new 2007 Si thumped/popped the minute I drove it off the lot. Just as everyone else here has said, it sounded like something was hitting the underside of the car. The sound reoccurred several more times, and after a week, I brought it back to the dealership. I was lucky, and got the problem to reoccur with a service guy in the car. He said he knew what the problem was, but when I tried to get him to explain it to me, it turned out he wasn't as sure as advertised. Evidently, he was more experienced with regular Civics, and not the Si. Since they have different suspensions, he wasn't sure if the problem was the same.
Anyway, my paperwork tells me they replaced the left front strut. I'm not sure if this will solve the problem, but the sound hasn't reoccurred, so I guess I'll just wait and see. Problem is, I'm moving out of state in a week. I suppose I'll just have to have it serviced under warranty at another Honda dealership. If it happens again, I'll be sure to bring up this Service Bulletin. Thanks!
took my car to honda this morning, and the service guy was really being a jerk, he told me he asked me if my car is within the range, i told him not and he said that he would fix it if i pay for it. i called corporate and file for some work done, they said it would take around a day or two before i would get an answer. Later i called the stealership and spoke to the service manager and he told me to schedule it in and they will go out for a test drive (again) then he will decide to make the phone call to CA to ask for permission to work on my car, i dont know how long this would take to get them to admit the problem. Maybe we would start a petition and have eveeryone that have the problem sign their name on it.
OK, first of all, if your car is still under warranty, Honda should fix the problem at no charge to you--it's a defect. All you need to do is prove that it is making the noise. Remember, if they can't fix it by the third time it is brought to the dealership, then start the Lemon Law proceedings.
Now, a word of caution on this. Read the Lemon Law provisions for your state--they are usually furnished with your car's information packets. Sometimes, the first step is not to write Honda or even call them with a complaint, but you are bound by MANDATORY arbitration, as dictated by the State you live in, you have to follow the rules and so does Honda. Read the booklet, it is very important, and follow all the steps exactly. Once you have all the documentation, like three receipts or more from the purchasing dealer, then file a complaint about Honda with the state if the rules say you proceed that way. Most states require a mandatory arbitration board and Honda in California is under no obligation to tell you this--in fact, the dealer and Honda won't tell you this at all--it is up to you to find this out and follow the rules.
To be honest, yeah...your dealer is being a jerk...he apparently, doesn't think well of you as a customer. Why should he? He has your money and another customer will come along to replace you sooner or later. One step that I took was to notify, not only Honda, and the arbitration board, but the dealer, I wrote to the owner (Hendricks Motor Sports) and did get some action that way. In the end, I had to proceed to arbitration.
I got a call back from Honda corporate, she told me that i will have to go to the honda dealership and let them test drive and try to make the sound happen again and then do the visual inspection. i dont know this would work or not, but ill be there on tues ill update more
Good. Make the service department fix it. TSB related or not, it is still under full warranty. My dealer service test drove my car and recreated the sound. Luckily their entrance and exits were perfect for this. The diagnosed the problem and found it to be the bump stop listed in the TSB, even through the Si Sedan is not listed in the TSB. I had one last pop on the way out and have not had the problem since.
I didn't think I had the problem until last night. I left a Hollywood Video store turning left out of the parking lot, down a ramp into the main road. As my front left wheel hit the main road it popped, just as people have described. The sound was a very sharp pop, just like taking a cork out of a bottle.
I guess I will have to approach my Honda dealer to get this done now. It doesn't seem to be a safety issue, hence no recall I suppose, but I know I will feel happier AND safer knowing it is not there!
I get this also on ym asean 2.0 civic - the 7th generation model. I usually notice it going over speed humpt, and usually on the downside of the hump. I wouldn;t say its a popping sound but more like a clunk. I have heard about this problem before but not sure of the cause. Might get it checked out next service.
Yeah, one poster showed a TSB on a badly manufactured bump stop, and my service manual had a notice about poorly tightened upper mount bearing that can also cause this.
Mine did this initially, when new, but has since stopped it.
Nice to hear that the Asian Civics have the same assembly problems that the US Civics have---that way we can blame it on the car or parts design rather than the builders.
Seems to me that I remember that Honda used to advertise that QUALITY pays for itself (or something like that). For one it keeps after sales warranty repairs to a minimum. Perhaps Honda has changed their philosophy.
![[home]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/home.gif){kind=small}
![[rumors and news]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/rumors.gif){kind=small}
![[model release matrix]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/newmodelreleasematrix.gif){kind=small}
![[dealer network]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/dealernet.gif){kind=small}
![[desktop calendar]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/calendar.gif){kind=small}
![[exhaust notes]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/exhaust.gif){kind=small}
![[tov forums]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/forums.gif){kind=small}
![[links]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/links.gif){kind=small}
![[search]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/search.gif){kind=small}
![[sponsors]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/sponsors.gif){kind=small}
![[garage]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/garage.gif){kind=small}
![[login]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/login.gif){kind=small}
