2007 Rear Diff questions:

[Honzilla]

Howdy everyone,

Newbie here, but have been reading the forum. Have a new 2007 CRV EX-L 4WD. Today to test the car and determine if our's too is one of the cars with the Rear Diff issue, I went around in a circle and heard a distinct noise from the rear of the car. A kind of rumbling / vibration. So...a bunch of questions for those of you that have experienced this:

1. Are there particular circumstances where this noise is noticed (ie when the car has been sitting for a while, has not warmed up, ETC).
2. I only heard the noise after the car had been sitting for about 30-40 minutes, so is this noise omni-present (meaning you hear it all the time upon hard turns) or is it only occassional?
3. Per above I was then not able to duplicate the noise, is this what you all have experienced too?
4. How did you initiate contact with Honda? Through the customer relations department or directly with the dealer?

Thanks in advance!!

[DVB0721]

I first heard the noise pulling out of my parking spot at work. The colder it is, the more you can hear it. Mine was worse turning left than right..... When it was bad, it sounded awful and even people outside of the car could hear it! Sounds like you have the beginnings of the problem.

I would start with your dealer, they did more for me than Honda..... No big warenty for me, but I did get good service from my dealer along with a tank of gas, a car wash, and winter mats....

Just got mine back on Wednesday and so far so good!

[Visiting_Guest]

If a tank of gas, a wash, and some mats is all it takes to make you happy, Honda corp must love you!

u really should seek the warranty while the issue is still a hot potato, with you, your dealer, and Honda.

in my view Honda is exposed to more than just a quick patch from a dealer - even if your mind is clear of the problem right now, i think an 120k mile warranty is worth an extra fuss

but everyone is different

[sleeksilver]

If a tank of gas, a wash, and some mats is all it takes to make you happy, Honda corp must love you!

u really should seek the warranty while the issue is still a hot potato, with you, your dealer, and Honda.

in my view Honda is exposed to more than just a quick patch from a dealer - even if your mind is clear of the problem right now, i think an 120k mile warranty is worth an extra fuss

but everyone is different

Agreed.

[nsteblay]

If you want to repeat the noise find a parking ramp with a tight spiral exit. I drove mine in one and it made the awful grinding noise all the way down four floors. It sounded like a potential safety hazard to me.

I brought it into the dealer. They wasted a day changing the fluid as their first step toward resolving the issue. Didn't help, the grinding is still there on tight turns. Now I have one more day to wait (probably several) as they order the part - a new differential I was told by the technician - which I told them when I brought it in! If Honda had communicated the issue they would have stocked parts and not wasted my precious time.

I find it interesting that so many are having identical problems with no recognition from American Honda. Edmunds.com has a thread posted mid November about this issue. According to that thread it was bad fluid and a recall was right around the corner. Based on a discussion with American Honda today, I wouldn't even expect a dealer communication about this issue - which will cause significant churn for those experiencing the problem. I would imagine their reasoning is a relatively limited number of cars (less than 10,000 let's say) and the fact that they fail so soon (within the paultry 35,000 mile warranty given) they can manage it at the dealer level. I really question their strategy. It's the poor customer that was stuck with a faulty car that is really paying the price in lost time and confidence. You buy a new car for a reason.

What other time bombs are lurking in the design and implementation of this car that Honda refuses to admit? I am not sure I would take this car on a long trip. I am not sure I would buy it again. My big issue with all this is honesty and communication.

Honda earned its reputation by word of mouth and tangible results. Have you ever seen the Honda COG commercial?

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/honda-ad.html

I heard from my management that they spent 10's of millions of dollars on the two minute ad. We used it as an example of a company committed to quality during a recognition lunch. I have to laugh now. I wish they would spend less money on marketing and managing their image and more on solving real customer problems.

[mdugan7000]

My goodness, nsteblay,

You have one issue with a car in it's first months of a new design and you throw it under the bridge. Do you really expect perfection with something that has that many moving parts? What would you have possibly done with a new car of any make in the 60's or 70's? Committed suicide over the issues?
Relax. It's a car. Honda does take quite good care of their customers. Look what they have done with the AC issues on the 2nd gen V's. Some of these people got $2500 worth of parts and labor at 75k+ miles when the warranty expired at 36k miles. Talk about goodwill.

Since we don't yet know how many V's have the issue out of how many have been assembled - it is just speculation. My guess is a few thousand. Time will tell and so will serial numbers, not build dates.

They (or any car maker) don't "owe" you anything but a proper fix in an expedient manner. If you get an extended warranty for free, that just goes to show you how well they do treat loyal customers.

[ss_shaji]

I started getting this issue for last 2 - 3 days..Vibration is more when the car is cold ..But there is some vibration everytime i do turns.. I sent a FAX to honda and sent email to my dealer service manager..I got a call from the service asking to come for service this friday..Let me see what they are going to do ..

[Dragonfly]

I think nsteblay's issue is not so much that there seems to be an initial defect in a significant number of '07's but that Honda hasn't been proactive in searching out those potentially defective vehicles and , apparently, hasn't even alerted their service network to be ready when these vehicles are driven in.

Truth be told, I'm concerned about the same attitude towards the Gen2 A/C problem. Some dealers deny knowing there's a problem, some say "yeah, we've seen a few of those". Some customers get a goodwill repair, if they ask. Some get free parts and pay for labor, and some (probably the majority, who don't frequent these forums) get bubkis.

Owning up to the problems and having a consistent approach to solving it makes more friends for Honda than they way they seem to be addressing them in my opinion.

[Visiting_Guest]

yo dugan do u work for Honda corp or something, please

[mdugan7000]

yo dugan do u work for Honda corp or something, please

No, but I am realistic in my expectations, whether it is Honda or Dodge.
There is no such thing as a perfect vehicle.

[sleeksilver]

yo dugan do u work for Honda corp or something, please

No, but I am realistic in my expectations, whether it is Honda or Dodge.
There is no such thing as a perfect vehicle.

x2.

All brands have their issues. INCLUDING Honda and Toyota.

[Visiting_Guest]

yo dugan do u work for Honda corp or something, please

No, but I am realistic in my expectations, whether it is Honda or Dodge.
There is no such thing as a perfect vehicle.

no one is asking for perfection.

Swapping out differentials on a new vehicle under 1k miles is far from perfect. Add the other problems people are experiencing, u gotta be kidding me if u think i should just let Honda sit back and not owe me something. " a proper fix in an expedient manner" does not seem to be happening with some of these people. Add to that some rental car costs, time maybe out of work, aggrevation, less than helping Honda Corp people, u better believe i expect more, not perfection, but its a Honda and i expect CLOSE to pefection when i buy one, whether its a new design, or just a new car.

When Honda doesnt act in a responsable manner, going as far to deny knowledge of the problem, not assist in the problem, and actual hinder a resolution - they now become part of the 07 CRV problem and are going to make people hate their new car, and Honda even more. Honda Corp should be a source of comfort when there is a serious problem with the car not an adversary in this process. A dealer is definately not going to go out of their way.

Say what you want, this whole thing is a mess for Honda and i feel horrible for everyone who is dealing with it.

I am as realistic as it gets when i buy things. If you sell me something with a major fault, u bet ur life it will now become your problem till i am 100% happy and made whole again for the inconvienence your product has caused me.

[Visiting_Guest]

What i think is also starting to happen here, is that people are beginning to feel helpless in this process. You would think a call to Honda would be the saving grace, its turning out quite the opposite. So, if Honda doesnt do anything, what are the new buyers supposed to do? It becomes a game of push n shove at their dealership, alot of people do not enjoy that, some people are not apt to engaging themselves in that kind or ordeal and then the entire situation falls apart and becomes a mess.

[bumpzter]

My goodness, nsteblay,

You have one issue with a car in it's first months of a new design and you throw it under the bridge. Do you really expect perfection with something that has that many moving parts?

The rear end in a 2007 a 'new design'? Why? And yes. I would expect perfection. Certainly with this.

Having said that, it has always bothered me why the fluid is so critical. As far as I know Honda has never changed the recommended change mileage, at least for 2 gen's, have they? Yet everyone seems to know that it is twice as long as it should be. Have they now changed it for the 2007's??

[mdugan7000]

Of course the fluid is critical. Do you change your oil? That's critical and you except that. I'll bet 90%+ of new V owners will not go 10k miles between oil changes? All fluids will wear out and need eventual replacement.
The front diff is a part of the transmission itself and therefore doesn't need its' own fluid. However, the tranny does need fluid changes.
The rear diff is a separate part and will need fluid changes (yes, there is an issue with the new V's) If you buy a rear wheel drive vehicle, you will need to change the rear diff fluid. Despite what the obviously incorrect manual says, why are Honda V owners so reluctant to change this particular fluid? It isn't even expensive. A new rear diff is expensive.

Change the fluid and enjoy the thing a long time.

[bumpzter]

I know, mdugan, but the reason I mentioned that is why does Honda not agree with what you say? Why was the maintenance schedule wrong for so long? 'Obviously incorrect' in your own words. Maybe it's still wrong. I don't know.

It's not wrong about other fluid changes. Like oil changes. That's why I don't think you should compare the two. You can follow the oil change recommendation in the manual and not have problems.

[mdugan7000]

Maybe its wrong on purpose? Maybe the vast majority of V's will go 50k+ miles with no issues and when it is out of warranty - BAM! $1200 Please for that new rear differential. Moisture does affect the rear diff and I wonder how many people have gone thru deep water and then not bothered to change the fluid, as the manual says to do in such circumstances?

People should stop trying to avoid changing it every 30k or when they have encountered deep water and save themselves aggravation later on. (YES I KNOW THE 07's HAVE AN ISSUE, that is a separate discussion)

[bumpzter]

:?: Your answer makes no sense. That's OK. Why not just admit you don't know. :lol:

[mdugan7000]

No, I don't know why the manual is wrong, but I am sure not stupid enough to ignore the experiences of many other V owners and neglect to change the fluid so that I can play roulette with a $1200 repair later on.
Common sense, maybe?

[nsteblay]

I completely understand that hardware will fail. Quality cannot be 100%. Look at the shuttle. Not my point.

I talked to the Honda technician working on my brand new 2007 CRV today. This is what I was told. According to Honda's tech line (internal engineering support for repair mechanics) there is a faulty TCD (traction control differential - I think) in the rear end of my 2007 CRVs. They recommended the appropriate fix, and it was applied by the mechanics. If there is some other factor related to its failure (fluid, etc.), I wasn't told.

It must be limited to a relatively small number of cars because they won't be doing any dealer/customer communication or recall. Its obviously a defect given the number of people that have reported this identical issue on the web. If they know the lot of cars that could be experiencing these problems I hope they contact the owners. Maybe they can't reliably identify them, I don't know.

I have definately lost some trust. I feel for people that experience less acute or untimely failures. Honda dealing with this up front would be the right and fair thing to do. I don't have enough information to make a fair judgement, I can only speak from my own experience, which hasn't been good.

I was offered no compensation, extended warranty, floor mats, for my pain. I purchased an extended warranty for the car as insurance.

I can't honestly preach Honda at the moment. Hopefully time with the car will regain my trust.