2006 Issues with TOO MANY things, Warranty - Honda I am hating the truck...

5009 Views 56 Replies 26 Participants Last post by MikeQBF, Aug 18, 2009

Spookahontas

Discussion Starter · Jul 28, 2009

A truck that I LOVED!

Oh I hate Honda everything now... here is why. And, please tell me I am not the only one with these numerous issues.

2006, 55K Back brakes are on the metal. This is my 3rd set of brakes in 3 years! I bought the truck new, I am a girl - I do not beat the brakes!

Front brakes ALWAYS like new - back ones always bad!

The Sway Bar? How about it? My Honda dealership had the adjuster out today *I have an extented warrenty through Honda Care - RIP OFF BTW) they said it is not loose enough WHAT??? for them to cover the replacement. So... I have to wait until it totally goes, out of warrenty or better yet I kill myself in the toaster because it was not LOOOOOSE enough!

Shocks and struts (finally something they actually ARE covering) are leaking gas.... nice, again this is a 3 year old truck!

I am sick over this truck! I loved everything about it... I truly feel there is something totally wrong with the back end for these issues (brake wise too) to happen!

Oh get this - At the honda dealer they said are these brakes after market? I said yes, they said they are semi-metallic that is why they wore so fast .. OH yeah? I said What does an actual Honda brake consist of ?? Carbon? All Metallic - none at all? They could not answer me.. none of the service people could. BUT - the same thing happend with the original *Special Honda Brakes* that were on it to begin with... I get a blank stare from the service people.

I am pissed off and ready to buy a Found on Road Dead

Ford.

Anyone else been through this? What was your outcome?

I have physically myself called the warrenty of honda.. they are just as clueless as the dealership! :x

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1 - 20 of 57 Posts

spdrcr5

· #2 · Jul 28, 2009

The rear brakes are an issue with some 2003-05 Elements. If you do a search you will see this issue cropping up on several Elements. It is NOT a very common issue, but it is an issue that enough people have experienced that you can print out the threads and bring to the dealership. Maybe they will listen then.

So far I don't know of any fixes for the rear brakes for any of the Elements that are showing this crazy fast brake wear.

The sway bar issue, is common once you get lots of miles on the Element. It is just a matter of replacing the sway bar bushings. Once the bushings go entirely it will NOT be a problem driving the Element so don't worry about that. It just becomes a noise issue and the handling won't be as crisp as it was with good bushings. Just replace them and all will be good.

As for the brake pad material in the pads that Honda sells, don't know. They might not be semi-metallic, they could be just an organic compound which would be softer on the rotors. But using semi-metallic pads will NOT cause the early wearing of the rotors that you and others are experiencing... because lots of us use that pad material and don't have those issues.

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goosler

· #3 · Jul 28, 2009

Excellent fist post, Spamahontus......or is it Trollahontus?

I'll give you $3500 cash for it?

Yoda E SC

· #4 · Jul 28, 2009

It sounds like an issue with the brake proportioning valve putting more of the stopping power/brake pressure on the rear pads than should be on this an all the E's that are having problems with premature pad wear. that or the abs modulators having issues but i would lean towards the brake proportioning valve. they get an hour to replace it under warranty so it isnt a big deal to do and it might help fix the brake problem

E_BikeR

· #5 · Jul 28, 2009

Yoda E SC said:
It sounds like an issue with the brake proportioning valve putting more of the stopping power/brake pressure on the rear pads than should be on this an all the E's that are having problems with premature pad wear. that or the abs modulators having issues but i would lean towards the brake proportioning valve. they get an hour to replace it under warranty so it isnt a big deal to do and it might help fix the brake problem

Yoda's suggestion is what I am thinking too. I have a local Honda Dealership that I'd never trust taking my 2006 to! Too many past issues with them. I take the time to go 80 miles to a Honda shop I trust. See where the next Honda shop is for you and try that if you are not getting the service you expect. Just from your brief explanation, I'd say that 06 was driven down rough washboard roads a lot in its former life. Sad.

Spookahontas

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 28, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Anywho Spookahontas is my cats name so call it how you see it as I do not care.

I used to post on here a while ago - way before you found the site under Astro. Back then I loved the element. You seem defensive and that's an issue YOU need to work with. $3,500. YOU CAN HAVE it for 3k ...;-) Moving on.

Thanks everyone for your input. With the brakes (Thanks Yoda) I feel that is what is happening however, just off the phone with the dealership and he said something about a slider? Not sliding and proceeded to tell me about how our weather (rain) is doing that to the brakes. 3 times over?

Ugggg,.

ramblerdan

· #7 · Jul 28, 2009 (Edited)

Need more info

It's very important to get specific information from the shop after a brake job, and they usually won't tell you unless you ask. Each of the Element's brake calipers (the part that squeezes the pads against the disk) has one hydraulic piston. The sliders enable the entire caliper to "float," so the pad on the side opposite the piston will do its job. If the sliders stick, only the pad on the piston side will wear—and fast. Replace the pads without fixing the sliders, and you'll be back in the soup in short order. Of course the shop should be checking the sliders, and the fit of the pads in the caliper as well.

A bad proportioning valve is certainly a possibility, but in that case you should have noticed that the front brakes are relatively ineffective.

If you don't know whether your rear pads have been wearing out evenly (left and right pad on each wheel, and also left and right wheels), it's impossible to diagnose further at this remove.

The stock Honda pads—assuming they have all been made the same through the years, which we can't really know for a certainty—are quite hard and last a good long time when things are all working right. In fact my rotors and pads wore out together, whereas on previous cars the rotors lasted through several sets of (obviously softer) pads.

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slimerdogs

· #8 · Jul 28, 2009

Thats very true about both the climate causing problems with the calipers and sliders to stick. The factory pads are Ceramic and will last longer if treated properly. The rear rotors are solid and do not have any center cooling and if the driver comes up on lights or stop signs quickly and does a hard stop it can overheat the pad and cause blistering on the pad witch will wear it out a lot faster. This is assuming that both pads on one caliper are wearing out evenly. If only one of the pads are wearing out and the other looks good that would fall under a sticky slider or caliper. When I did fleet services I used a synthetic grease and that worked great to keep the calipers and sliders free.
On the Fords I worked on the piston would bind in the caliper almost every time and had to throw the unit away.

Basset Box

· #9 · Jul 29, 2009

If you are using after market pads those could be the problem. If you went to one of those pads for life places they use garbage pads. I think they usually wear through the rotors too fast causing more expensive repairs, not sure how well the pads themselves wear. Either way, 3 times in 3 years should have been covered under warranty. Why weren't they? Was the car not maintained properly? I have read on here that if you don't have them services yearly they will not warranty the brake system.

Post some details if you want help. Mileage, where you live, driving habits, etc. Complaining doesn't help anyone without information. Otherwise this is just trolling.

prior8t2000

· #10 · Jul 29, 2009

I think that someone needs to find where this person lives.
Only because these are some easy fix'ins here.
I mean come on guys, somebody help this person out a little.
If Spookahontas sells this E money is lost.
Just my 2 cents here.

Pope*Mobile

· #11 · Jul 29, 2009 (Edited)

prior8t2000 said:
I think that someone needs to find where this person lives . . .

Spookahontas- are you in NY with the ABM 4WD LX? Not sure if you are the Astro I found in a search. If so, there are quite a number of avid owners in your area that would probably be more than happy to help you.

But in the event you want to wipe your hands clean, I possibly could be talked into saving another E if the price is right . . . ;-)

prior8t2000

· #12 · Jul 29, 2009

Please help this fellow Element member.
Plus, repair what ever needs to be fix'ed
I you need to use any tools let me know - I can lend.

Spookahontas

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jul 29, 2009

Pope*Mobile said:
Spookahontas- are you in NY with the ABM 4WD LX? Not sure if you are the Astro I found in a search. If so, there are quite a number of avid owners in your area that would probably be more than happy to help you.

But in the event you want to wipe your hands clean, I possibly could be talked into saving another E if the price is right . . . ;-)

Yes Pope I am the Astro that you found in your search, I do live in NY and from my previous posts you see how much I truly love "Astro the Blue E"!

There is no warrenty on my brakes because I did have them done after market with semi-metallic brakes. I know it is my own fault for not going with carbon or Honda supplied brakes.

The dealership is fixing all but the sway bar, they finally gave in to a rental (chevy aveo I feel like I am in a little bubble )

I guess what my hang up really is, is am I going to be doing brakes every 6 months? They have been installed by professionals everytime. Seems like a defect of sorts for the year of the car (2006 55K on it) I have read other posts with the same thing happening.

I don't want to put good into bad money... that's fair..

Yoda E SC

· #14 · Jul 29, 2009

are you noticing the truck sort of "nose dive" when you break hard? ideally the thing will stay about level if it is proportioned right. if it nose dives the rears are doing most of the braking and if it feels like the back is "lifting" then the fronts are doing most of the braking. they sound similar but which ever end is doing more braking will do less up/down movement than the end that is not.

TOADSTER TIM

· #15 · Jul 29, 2009

My '06 LX has 77,000 miles (in three years!) and I'm just now needing to replace rear pads. My one and ONLY beef was with the stock Goodyears wearing out at 25K, which was not a big deal because I work at a Honda dealership and I got them warrantied. Put on some Bridgestone Duelers and got 50K out of them. I just had my suspension and chassis checked out because I beat the thing on trails and dirt roads. No issues at all, and I really do beat on it! Maybe the brakes lasted longer because I have the 5-speed and I usually downshift...

And according to a certified Honda tech, all Honda front pads are semi-metallic, and all rears are organic.

spdrcr5

· #16 · Jul 29, 2009

Spookahontas said:
There is no warrenty on my brakes because I did have them done after market with semi-metallic brakes. I know it is my own fault for not going with carbon or Honda supplied brakes.

Just so you know, this is not true. Your warranty is still intact on your brakes. The dealership and Honda themselves need to PROVE that the aftermarket brake pads are what is causing the premature wear. Just because they say something and sound as if they know what they are talking about, doesn't make it so. This would be the same as the dealership telling you the swaybar bushings are not covered because you put on Michelin tires instead of the OEM Goodyears... not allowed! You are allowed to use any aftermarket replacement part and they warranty cannot be voided if something goes wrong.

Do you know the name of the manufacturer for the brake pads? If you do, contact them and see if they will help you fight this. I would also ask the dealership and/or Honda to actually show you what these pads did wrong, as well as what is wrong with the pads themselves.

kedsall

· #17 · Jul 29, 2009

I have the same rear brakes issues with my 2004 E, FWD.

The rotors were shot at 22,000kms and the dealer tried to make me pay for a full brake job. I told them to get the car ready for me to pickup and they ended up putting new rotors on anyway under warranty??

I've always had/noticed noises and sometimes vibration coming from the rear when braking which has been an annoyance. I just replaced all pads/rotors with NAPA premiums and its only been 2 years (20,000kms) and the dealer is saying they are completely shot. My dealer told me he sees a lot of rear brake issues from the Element but there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do but just keep changing frequently... seems strange... and expensive.... I'm disappointed but at least rotors and pads are super easy enough to do myself....

Basset Box

· #18 · Jul 29, 2009

kedsall said:
I have the same rear brakes issues with my 2004 E, FWD.

The rotors were shot at 22,000kms and the dealer tried to make me pay for a full brake job. I told them to get the car ready for me to pickup and they ended up putting new rotors on anyway under warranty??

I've always had/noticed noises and sometimes vibration coming from the rear when braking which has been an annoyance. I just replaced all pads/rotors with NAPA premiums and its only been 2 years (20,000kms) and the dealer is saying they are completely shot. My dealer told me he sees a lot of rear brake issues from the Element but there doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do but just keep changing frequently... seems strange... and expensive.... I'm disappointed but at least rotors and pads are super easy enough to do myself....

I would take it somewhere else to get looked at. I saw a member on here that changed his pads because the dealer said they were done, but he had at least half of the pad left after inspecting the old pads. It may not be premature wear, just a service guy trying to drum up business. If you are in a heavily salted area, it can definitely cause premature corrosion as well.

Yoda E SC

· #19 · Jul 29, 2009

spdrcr5 said:
Just so you know, this is not true. Your warranty is still intact on your brakes. The dealership and Honda themselves need to PROVE that the aftermarket brake pads are what is causing the premature wear. Just because they say something and sound as if they know what they are talking about, doesn't make it so. This would be the same as the dealership telling you the swaybar bushings are not covered because you put on Michelin tires instead of the OEM Goodyears... not allowed! You are allowed to use any aftermarket replacement part and they warranty cannot be voided if something goes wrong.

Do you know the name of the manufacturer for the brake pads? If you do, contact them and see if they will help you fight this. I would also ask the dealership and/or Honda to actually show you what these pads did wrong, as well as what is wrong with the pads themselves.

what you are refering to is the Magnuson-Moss Act. the thing is though that brakes are parts like windshiled wipers that are items that arent covered for normal useage. sure, calipers, brake lines, master cylinders, etc are covered, but it is because they are not designed to wear out like pads, shoes, drums rotors are. if you can get them to warranty them then great, but if it cant be pointed at another parts fault difinitivly that is causing the wear then good luck with that. I still feel something is up with the proportioning valve. which if is the case then you can have that and the worn pads replaced as this is one of those parts that isn not designed to wear out

Twilightzero

· #20 · Jul 30, 2009

I had the same thing with my old 03 E, ate the back brakes like mad. I also did my own brakes (actually very easy) and ignored it. My new 07 is almost 40K and has lots of brake left. I agree what was said above, the problem is most likely the solid rotor in the back.

Is there a way to change an earlier E to the 07+ rear rotors/pads? Would this just require the newer calipers/rotors/pads?

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