My husband took our 2007 Honda Odyssey into the dealership a couple days ago because the steering wheel has been shaking when braking for several months now. They said it’s the the brake rotors, but that they’re not covered under the warranty b/c rotors are “normal wear and tear.” So, is there really any reason that our van with 15K miles should need the rotors turned/machined? When I called the dealership today to inquire about it they said it must be the way I drive; however, I’ve never had a problem with excessive wear and tear on brakes/rotors on any vehicle I’ve driven and I’ve been driving for 15 years. Thanks!
One common way to get warped rotors is to over tighten or unevenly tighten your wheel lug nuts. That often happens at tire change places where inexperienced tire changers with hefty impact wrenches tend to over tighten them.
Overheating the brakes, especially followed by splashing through puddles, can aggravate rotor warping.
Contact Honda customer care and complain. You may get them covered. I think wear items on most cars are only covered 1yr/12000 miles.
At 33,000 miles my mother had her rotors turned under warranty on her Honda CR-V when she complained of the exact same problem. Is this the dealer where you bought the car?
I had rotors replaced under warranty at 34,000 miles on a 2003 Sable. There wasn’t enough material to machine them so they had to replace them. I think they should covered under warranty, if they have warped. If they just plain wore out, they would not be covered.
Rotors are subject to normal wear and tear, but this isn’t a wear and tear problem. If they were worn down, that argument might hold but warp-age is a defect. But first find a safe place to do a couple of hard 60-5 stops. You do not want the brakes to lock up but just short of that. And you do not want to come to a complete stop as that will localize the heat you are going to generate. You also do not want to come to a complete stop for more that a few seconds after doing this, just drive around at moderate speeds for about 15 minutes. Then test to see if the shuddering goes away.
If the rotors are warped enough to cause the steering wheel to shake when you are braking, I think I would go for replacement of the rotors. They may have to take too much metal off the rotors and in a few thousand miles the rotors may warp again. I think 15,000 is way too early for rotors to warp if you are driving the Honda Odyssey as you did your previous vehicles and didn’t have problems with them. We have a 2003 Toyota 4runner with 56,000 miles and have not had the brakes touched. Our 2006 Chevrolet Uplander has 42,000 miles and hasn’t had the brakes touched. Much of our driving is stop and start town driving. If you aren’t driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other foot on the brake, I think your brake rotors should have lasted more than 15,000 miles.
On my previous cars, I’ve told the shop to replace the rotors rather than machine them. For the extra money, I think it’s worth it.
I have machined many rotors due to pedal pulsation on cars under 15,000 and under warranty (GM) the Impala (front wheel drive version) was the car I saw most often,just my experience.
Modern rotors are rather thin. They are not intended for really long life. The lighter weight means a better ride. Other than to just clean them up and maybe true them a little, I would replace them. Check the cost and I believe you will find that new is only a little more.
We bought a 2008 EXL Odyssey last DEC and have driven only 7488 miles in it. We recently started experiencing brake judder which is getting worse and the stopping effort is increasing. Has gone to the dealer today who gave me the spin about rotors not being covered by the warranty.
I will be demanding new rotors and pads on all 4 wheels and will not be accepting a rotor skim.
Contract law here is a little different to the UK but fairly confident that all goods sold have to be fit for the purpose intended. In my opinion, rotor warping after 7000 miles suggests they have used sub-standard steel which can’t handle the heat generated through breaking. I have read some reports that some dealers / Honda have tried to use the excuse “it’s how you drive it” but get real, no ones go put their kids in any car and drive like they’re on a race track and almost certainly not in a minivan ! will post the results on how I make out.
Rgds
Update on the above. My dealer initially only got agreement from honda to change the rear rotors which had apperently got uneven due to high points on the rotors(apparently caused by standing at the dealers lot for too long (over 45 days) prior to purchase !). Advised not to do anywork and that I would seek legal advice. The service manager (who in fairness was very helpful) contacted the Honda Area claims manager and all 4 rotors we changed. Whilst rust may cause high spots on rotors which may cause grooving and will ultimately reduce braking efficiency over time, fairly confident rotor warping only occurs when the rotors get too hot which is why you can’t usually take your standard car on a race track and thrash it around !
Given we’re talking about a minivan, the more plauasible reason is that Honda have likely used a batch of low quality steel rotors either unknowingly or possibly taking a risk on a cheap option they assumed they might get away with.
Also note that they may be about to make a recall on 2007/2008 models due to this problem which is apparently linked to 10 accidents and hundreds of complaints that have occured !
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is warping of rotors because of a trailer hitch. These vans are not equipped to tow much weight. The rotors can be warped because the van is having to stop itself , as well as a trailer. If there is a trailer hitch, it is wear and tear. If someone rides the brakes (unlikely) while accelerating, it will cause overheating as well.