Hey all - I've had my Fit for just over a year now and I've run across something that the dealership says they haven't heard of yet.

I'm currently at 31k which puts me right at the end of the warranty and my brakes are warping a second time already. I had the rotors turned at around 19k because the steering wheel would shudder when braking from high speeds and you could feel the braking power pulsating when coming to a stop at a light or a stop sign.

Has anyone else had an issue with their brakes warping so quickly? I don't ride the brakes and since it's a MT I'm not sitting in traffic with them half depressed (Most of my driving time actually isn't in traffic at all, I'd say about 80% of my driving is on the freeway at 65MPH+)

Is this something I should continue to try and get the dealer to address? They already turned them once for free, but said that turning them again would cost me. I'm about ready to just go and get new rotors from online and install them myself.

 

I can think of a couple reasons. First, being in the bay area, you've got a lot of small hills to contend with. So you might be on the brake pedal more than someone from Nebraska.

Second, the climate in the bay area can get a little wet in the winter. Hot rotors from the hills + puddles = warped rotors. You're heating up the rotors with the hills and then instantly cooling them with puddle water. Not good for longevity.

I can't believe the dealership hasn't heard of this problem before. You would think a bay area dealer would know the climate and circumstances surrounding normal everyday driving.

You can always appeal to Honda Corporate and see what they say. They might get back to you with the excessive use of brakes and claim not under warranty, but it's worth a shot.

Oh, and by the way, welcome to this forum!

 

Thanks for the welcome! I used to be all over CRX boards when I used to be big into my CRX, so I figured now that I have a Fit I should probably get to know the community.

The Bay Area isn't as wet as you might think haha - not only that but outside of San Francisco there aren't a ton of hills that I would be braking on. There is one steep grade that I drive on my daily commute, but I engine brake on the way down it (Especially helpful to the gas mileage because to my knowledge the injectors turn off).

I am just curious as to whether or not anyone else has been having their brakes warp or if it's maybe something I'm doing. I had my 97 Civic for close to three years (100k of driving) of the same exact driving and my CRX for 6 years before that (another 100k of driving) and have _never_ had to replace rotors from my driving style (I've even autocrossed the CRX and they're not warped haha).

Just seems odd that a brand new car would warp the discs in such a short period of time.

 

Well, I used to live in Sac, and spent a fair amount of time in the bay area, so I have some idea of the climate and hills. If you're not in a hilly area, good for you. I love how the Sac TV stations would give essentially five forecasts for CA: bay area, coastals, central valley, foothills, Sierras - because they were all different microclimates on their own.

Then a couple more questions:

1. You didn't mention which brakes are warped - I'm assuming it's the fronts.

2. 31K in a little over a year is a lot of miles. I'm also assuming you're not using the Fit for commercial purposes because that might change things a bit, a lot of stop-and-go city traffic, which in my experience the bay area has plenty of.

 

I'm gonna guess and say they're the front too - I haven't had anyone take a look at them again since they were turned last but I'm starting to get the pulsating braking feeling when stopping under 5mph along with an ever so slight feeling in the steering wheel when exiting the freeway.

I do 72 miles a day of commuting to and from my job, which also doesn't include those days/nights when I drive 50+ miles to see friends/family. Like I said before I'd guess that about 80% of my driving is spent on the freeway with no braking.

Just doesn't make sense that my Civic and CRX would have no issue with these trips but the Fit's brakes do.

 

Then I can only guess that you have defective rotors, or possibly defective pads that are causing the rotors to warp prematurely for whatever reason.

The Fit is not a heavy car. Unless you're hauling boulders, brakes shouldn't be going that quickly. I'm comparing this to vehicles like the Chrysler Town & Country minivan, which has a reputation for going through brakes and rotors like your Fit seems to be doing.

Until recently, I had a GD3 (07-08) that didn't need any brake work whatsoever until 90K miles. Like you, I had a manual transmission and used engine braking wherever possible. I'd think you wouldn't normally experience that kind of brake wear until 50-60K at the earliest. I'll let others chime in here.

 

Oh, well I forgot to mention that I run a tastypotato boulder hauling service. :P

95% of my driving is just done with me and my work backpack (Which doesn't have boulders in it).

I was thinking they might be defective as well, but damn if that's gonna be hard to convince someone at a dealership.

 

I did over 30K my first year (currently at 36K) and have had no issues with my brakes - still on original pads. I live in the flatter, middle part of the USA in a rural farming area. I always use a torque wrench on my lugs, which I've found to be at least one important aspect to not warping rotors.

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FWIW I had an F150 that was horrible about warping rotors.. Dealer fought with it for months under warrantee, they got a new mechanic in and I was describing my problem and he snickers and says gimme a minute,, disappears into the parts room and comes back with 2 sets of rotors and sets them on the counter.. Says he's going to use the blue box Motorcraft ones on Not the white Motorcraft box ones. I asked him why and he simply puts a finger on the label pointing to the Made in Canada on the Blue box and the Hence En Mexico on the white box.

He told me the Canadian plant would anneal their rotors and leave them hang on racks for weeks before machining them. The plant in Mexico would cast them, dump them in sand, and immediately machine them. So they had no stress relief.

He put them on didn't change anything else, the vibration was gone for good. (This was like 4 sets of rotors in 3 months since I had bought the truck band new.. )

 

That's a good story dwtaylorpdx. I certainly think that replacement rotors (not necessarily OEM brand) might fix the problem.

+++++++++++

But, don't discount the Pad Redeposit theory. Try to get in the habit of allowing the car to roll after harder/longer stops, such as when exiting a freeway:

-Warped- Brake Disc and Other Myths

 

I actually have been thinking the same lately. I have about 17k on my 2015 EX and I have what feels like a slight warp.

In the summer I may opt to switch to something aftermarket. Braking power has been my only rear gripe with this car so Ive been on the fence about upgrading the pads anyway.

 

Rock auto has some really good deals on Fit calipers and rotors.. Even pre-xowdercoted calipers and some higher end rotors..

I have "fixed" rotors by burying them in a pile of charcoal and letting it heat up and cool naturally. Then Dunked them in LN and let it evap on it own and the rotors warm up to room temp. Then machine them. They didn't warp again but if I hadn't had easy access to the LN I'd never waste my time especially on the fit since its my computer battle wagon not a race car..

 

Totally agree, the point i was chasing round the tree was that source of the parts could be a big chunk of the problem.

FWIW I never bed new pads on green rotors. (On race cars) I keep a set of 50% pads to bed new rotors and a set of nicely bedded rotors to bring in new pads.

My 1994 Jeep has 230K on the rotors I only change pads about every 4 years.. They have never been machined and are still in spec. Even after mud and sand have been on them still flat and smooth. I never use ceramic pads on anything either. I don't like the feel or the way they grind up the rotors.

 

I have stood on my brakes pretty hard several times now while on the freeway because of people stopping short. No warping whatsoever.

 

Pad redeposits happen when you stop relatively hard, then don't move for several seconds. Because disc brakes do not retract by themselves, letting your foot off the brake does not prevent this issue.

You need to ROLL. I stop a car length or two away from the car ahead, then creep while waiting to move.

 

FWIW - Had to do almost the same thing with race cars, we don't let them sit when they come off track, we roll them back and forth while in line for the scales. You can feel the pads stick if you don't do this and are running very aggressive race pads.

 

This is the 21st century, and no brake components should be damaged by normal use. That includes a rapid deceleration from freeway speeds, regardless of whether you remain stationary after stopping.

If the brake rotors are warping and you aren't abusing them then it is a warranty issue. Take it to the dealer.

 

Its one of the most common warrantee claims. Ford has had horrid problems for years with it.. Especially on their diesel trucks, warped rotors, sticking calipers...

For me it was not panic stops, its was coming down a LONG hill and touch the breaks through a long sweeper, repeat multiple times. say for 35 minutes, then pull off for lunch.

Come back out and the next time you stop,, whump whump every time you hit the breaks.
The mexican rotors failed the Canadian ones did not.. :shrug:

 

It seems as though cast iron parts need time to "settle" and minimize internal stresses. Heat treatment can speed this, but some manufacturers using "just in time" parts sourcing seem to really rush the process and bad parts end up on cars.

 

22k on mine and got warping a few months ago coming down a long hill going to Payson. As usual, dealer say it is covered the same as a clutch...not covered since it is a wear item