I have owned five Honda cars over the last 20 or so years, so brakes being as they are with these cars is not new to me. However, in all the years of dealing with the brakes, I had never encountered a lack of quality in materials and workmanship. Traditionally, a replacement part for a Honda is identical to the part that came on the vehicle. Brake rotors are machined on all surfaces, except where the brake pads ride. That surface is precision ground, with no tool marks typical of a rotor that has been turned on a brake lathe. The surfaces are shiny, ground, silver in color.. Parallel and run out is well within specifications. NOT THE CASE ON MY NEW Si.

I did not know that Honda has a " hill hold " feature. Neither did the 4 dealerships we called. I stopped on a hill one day and took my foot off the brake to start moving. As I was releasing the clutch, I noticed the car did not move. Then a pop and the cars brakes released. I was sure it was the pads binding up, and when I inspected the brakes I was shocked to see that the rotors on the rear were not, in appearance, genuine Honda made to the specifications that I'm used to seeing. The front rotors have a ground finish, but the castings and general appearance were not as expected. The car had 1600 miles on it. Not raced or abused. The front rotors are a blue color, indicative of brake overheating. In fact, I went to the dealership where I purchased my car and looked at some new Civics. They all had blue rotors. Some rotors were not ground. One car had 4 distinctly different rotors, as to quality of finish. One front had such poor work on its surface that you could drag your fingernail across it and leave huge amounts of scratch. It was turned in a brake lathe by someone that had no idea how to operate it. Not only that, but these surfaces are supposed to be ground on new rotors, from the factory on my car and in the box at the parts department.

I took the car in for a brake inspection. After going around about whether or not the brakes were supposed to lock up on a hill, no one was sure. No sales person,no parts person, no service people. They kept my car from 10:00 am till 4:30 . They never called me. Took me three times to get the service person on the phone. They started work on my car at 11:00 am. They did nothing! No inspection. Just handed me a print out of the hill hold feature. (It's on about page 307 of 430 on the disc) They did test drive the car!! When I asked them why they drove my car two miles, the service manager said they were checking the transmission . Funny! I did not bring in the car for transmission problems. But they did check the seat, and steering wheel adjustment because when I got in the car everything was screwed up. Why would Honda assemble a new vehicle with parts that are different from OEM Honda replacement parts, in quality of finish and materials. ( materials I can not prove, quality of finish is obvious) . Traditionally, Honda replacement parts are identical to the original parts, in quality of finish, fit, and materials.

Why would Honda Motor company compromise BRAKE PARTS?

I know from tests that I have conducted that the traction level of the tires exceeds the power of the brakes. The ABS has never given me a signal that it is working. Even on wet pavement. The car still nose dives and the rear brakes show no or little sign that they assist in stopping the car. All of my Civics had some sort of brake problem, most had to do with air in the lines which the dealer would not address, even on a car with 60 miles on it. They said the mushy pedal was like that on all of the cars. Yes. The brakes had air in all the wheel cylinders, calipers.

Now, I'm waiting for a response from American Honda. Called them three times, mail box is full! I have a extension number, case file number but if they don't answer it's no use.

Did you know that the wiring harness is made in China? Just something to ponder while trying to stop your car from 60 mph. Unrelated. But why would Honda knowingly put sub standard, poorly machined brake parts on their new cars? When was the last time the NHTSA tested the brakes on these cars. Not from 35 mph, but from 65 mph ? Air bags are injuring people. They may not deploy as often if the car would stop in a reasonable distance. There is no reason why , with a few changes to the master cylinder and rotor pad combinations, as well as getting a better balance in braking by changing the brake bias, the car should stop faster and better. Have the engineers missed the mark or is it that the parts are no longer made to the standards set forth in the blueprint specifications?

I went to a Honda dealer parts department and asked them to pull a new replacement brake rotor from stock. We opened the box, took off the protective packing and looked at a perfectly machined rotor with a precision GROUND SURFACE. Absolutely not what was put on my 2015 Civic Si. The material was different in appearance from the rotors on my car. Why did my new car have blue rotors on the front? They were like that when I bought the car. They are like that on most of the new cars on the sales lot. Why? The potential problems that may arise from the use, installation of sub standard brake parts are numerous. While total failure is unlikely, the risk is there.

The ability of the car to stop in a safe distance is compromised by the use of sub standard, poorly made parts not to standards set by Honda Motor Company. It may be that the assembly plant has not looked at the brake parts they are installing on their new cars. In any case, Honda should be overseeing the assembly. If Honda knowingly has allowed the use of non standard, improperly manufactured brake components on new vehicles then they are negligent ! There is an expectation of quality with the purchase of any new car. When that is compromised, especially with BRAKES, there is a problem. The term "new" implies that the item is unused, of the quality as specified, and will perform as stated. Free of flaws and defects which would cause premature wear or affect operation.