Honda Car Forum

Has anyone had problems with the Honda Accord 2003 front brakes? I
had my car serviced and after 31K (approx 20K miles), the front brake
pads had to be changed. I was informed by the dealership that there
is a problem with the front brakes and some cars had their front brake
pad changed at 12K (approx 7K miles).

I would be glad to heard from anyone who had a similar experience.

Honda, like many other brands, has had a problem with front
brakes for several year. Generally the problem lies in the REAR
brakes being out of adjustment, requiring the front brakes to do
most of the work and overheating. We check rear brakes for
proper operation at each service interval.


mike hunt



Clifford Wong wrote:
>
> Has anyone had problems with the Honda Accord 2003 front brakes? I
> had my car serviced and after 31K (approx 20K miles), the front brake
> pads had to be changed. I was informed by the dealership that there
> is a problem with the front brakes and some cars had their front brake
> pad changed at 12K (approx 7K miles).
>
> I would be glad to heard from anyone who had a similar experience.

<StoneyRhoades@lmailcity.com> wrote in message
news:3F5FBA50.C977F3B5@lmailcity.com...
> Honda, like many other brands, has had a problem with front
> brakes for several year. Generally the problem lies in the REAR
> brakes being out of adjustment, requiring the front brakes to do
> most of the work and overheating. We check rear brakes for
> proper operation at each service interval.
>
>
> mike hunt

Just to clarify our cut-and-paste friend, the front brakes *always* do most
of the work (braking)...right around 70%.

Still waiting...

NetSock <NetSock@nospam.com> wrote:

> <StoneyRhoades@lmailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:3F5FBA50.C977F3B5@lmailcity.com...
>> Honda, like many other brands, has had a problem with front
>> brakes for several year. Generally the problem lies in the REAR
>> brakes being out of adjustment, requiring the front brakes to do
>> most of the work and overheating. We check rear brakes for
>> proper operation at each service interval.
>>
>>
>> mike hunt

> Just to clarify our cut-and-paste friend, the front brakes *always* do most
> of the work (braking)...right around 70%.

Duh. If you account for front-heavy weight distribution and torque
about the front axle when stopping, then the front brakes have the
POTENTIAL to most of the work if the brakes are calibrated to favor
the front by the proper amount. The problem with my Accord is that
the dickheads at NTB underadjusted my rear brakes so that they were
pulling nowhere near 30% of the braking burden, which resulted
directly in me crashing into another car. That 30% DOES matter.

Andrew

"Andrew" <andrew442017@aol.com> wrote in message
news:bjprpi$84e$1@news-int.gatech.edu...

> Duh. If you account for front-heavy weight distribution and torque
> about the front axle when stopping, then the front brakes have the
> POTENTIAL to most of the work if the brakes are calibrated to favor
> the front by the proper amount.

The axle torque has nothing to do with it...there is none at closed throttle
situations, but with the weight distribution in addition to kinetic energy
that "dives" the front end, and "lifts"the back, the rear tires can only
grip so much.

On a FWD car, one could put on the e brake, and drive away...dragging the
locked up rear tires, however, on a RWD car, one can hold the car to a stop
with the front brakes, as the back wheels spin.

>The problem with my Accord is that
> the dickheads at NTB underadjusted my rear brakes so that they were
> pulling nowhere near 30% of the braking burden, which resulted
> directly in me crashing into another car. That 30% DOES matter.

It most certainly does...I was not indicating that it doesn't, rather Mike
habit of making statements that are not clear, or downright incorrect.

Hmmm. In May I had the 75,000 mile tune-up done on my 99 Accord Ex. My
Honda mechanic had to replace the rear brake pads. He said my rear discs,
front discs, and front brake pads are all fine. I bought the car new and
other than brake fluid changes and parking brake adjustments no other brake
work has been required.

Rick

<StoneyRhoades@lmailcity.com> wrote in message
news:3F5FBA50.C977F3B5@lmailcity.com...
> Honda, like many other brands, has had a problem with front
> brakes for several year. Generally the problem lies in the REAR
> brakes being out of adjustment, requiring the front brakes to do
> most of the work and overheating. We check rear brakes for
> proper operation at each service interval.
>
>
> mike hunt
>
>
>
> Clifford Wong wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone had problems with the Honda Accord 2003 front brakes? I
> > had my car serviced and after 31K (approx 20K miles), the front brake
> > pads had to be changed. I was informed by the dealership that there
> > is a problem with the front brakes and some cars had their front brake
> > pad changed at 12K (approx 7K miles).
> >
> > I would be glad to heard from anyone who had a similar experience.

NetSock <NetSock@nospam.com> wrote:

> "Andrew" <andrew442017@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:bjprpi$84e$1@news-int.gatech.edu...

>> Duh. If you account for front-heavy weight distribution and torque
>> about the front axle when stopping, then the front brakes have the
>> POTENTIAL to most of the work if the brakes are calibrated to favor
>> the front by the proper amount.

> The axle torque has nothing to do with it...there is none at closed throttle
> situations, but with the weight distribution in addition to kinetic energy
> that "dives" the front end, and "lifts"the back, the rear tires can only
> grip so much.

I didn't say axle torque, I said torque about the front axle, which is
what dives the front end.

Andrew

"Andrew" <andrew892103@aol.com> wrote in message
news:bjqcdf$l10$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
> NetSock <NetSock@nospam.com> wrote:
>
> > "Andrew" <andrew442017@aol.com> wrote in message
> > news:bjprpi$84e$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
>
> >> Duh. If you account for front-heavy weight distribution and torque
> >> about the front axle when stopping, then the front brakes have the
> >> POTENTIAL to most of the work if the brakes are calibrated to favor
> >> the front by the proper amount.
>
> > The axle torque has nothing to do with it...there is none at closed
throttle
> > situations, but with the weight distribution in addition to kinetic
energy
> > that "dives" the front end, and "lifts"the back, the rear tires can only
> > grip so much.
>
> I didn't say axle torque, I said torque about the front axle, which is
> what dives the front end.
>
> Andrew

I guess you lost me then...

What does "...torque about the front axle..." mean?

Nose dive is not torque "around" the front axle, but a force vector "at" the
front axle. Sure, the vehicle rotates slightly about the axle during
braking, but that's a miniscule resultant motion. If you had only rear
brakes, the car still nose dives because the CG transfers from the back
toward the front as you slow down.

As for the primary point of the discussion: braking capability is directly
proportional to the friction at the tire. If a rear tires have 30% of the
weight during the braking maneuver, the best they will be able to contribute
is 30% of the braking power. That's not a limitation of the brakes--it's
all about weight transfer and friction.

I think the idea that many manufacturers have had problems with front brakes
for many years is absurd. This is true on some types of vehicles (minivans
in particular), but it's ridiculous to make such a general statement. Some
minivans have problems with front brakes and tires because they sometimes
use brake/wheel combinates that were designed for the cars they were derived
from--but the minivan is much heavier and wears them out. This problem is
becoming less widespread as minivan designs improve. I do not neglect the
fact that some cars have wimpy brakes--but that is not generally the case
anywhere.


"NetSock" <NetSock@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:bjqgd4$r4n$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu...
>
> "Andrew" <andrew892103@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:bjqcdf$l10$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
> > NetSock <NetSock@nospam.com> wrote:
> >
> > > "Andrew" <andrew442017@aol.com> wrote in message
> > > news:bjprpi$84e$1@news-int.gatech.edu...
> >
> > >> Duh. If you account for front-heavy weight distribution and torque
> > >> about the front axle when stopping, then the front brakes have the
> > >> POTENTIAL to most of the work if the brakes are calibrated to favor
> > >> the front by the proper amount.
> >
> > > The axle torque has nothing to do with it...there is none at closed
> throttle
> > > situations, but with the weight distribution in addition to kinetic
> energy
> > > that "dives" the front end, and "lifts"the back, the rear tires can
only
> > > grip so much.
> >
> > I didn't say axle torque, I said torque about the front axle, which is
> > what dives the front end.
> >
> > Andrew
>
> I guess you lost me then...
>
> What does "...torque about the front axle..." mean?
>
>

My '92 Civic has 218K miles and is still--even to my amazement--on the first
set of brakes with no signs of fading.

"razingkane" <razingkane@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:w608b.128$Pd2.150510@news1.news.adelphia.net. ..
> Hmmm. In May I had the 75,000 mile tune-up done on my 99 Accord Ex. My
> Honda mechanic had to replace the rear brake pads. He said my rear discs,
> front discs, and front brake pads are all fine. I bought the car new and
> other than brake fluid changes and parking brake adjustments no other
brake
> work has been required.
>
> Rick
>
> <StoneyRhoades@lmailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:3F5FBA50.C977F3B5@lmailcity.com...
> > Honda, like many other brands, has had a problem with front
> > brakes for several year. Generally the problem lies in the REAR
> > brakes being out of adjustment, requiring the front brakes to do
> > most of the work and overheating. We check rear brakes for
> > proper operation at each service interval.
> >
> >
> > mike hunt
> >
> >
> >
> > Clifford Wong wrote:
> > >
> > > Has anyone had problems with the Honda Accord 2003 front brakes? I
> > > had my car serviced and after 31K (approx 20K miles), the front brake
> > > pads had to be changed. I was informed by the dealership that there
> > > is a problem with the front brakes and some cars had their front brake
> > > pad changed at 12K (approx 7K miles).
> > >
> > > I would be glad to heard from anyone who had a similar experience.
>
>