2023-2025 Honda Civic Front Damper Noise While Turning

Understanding the Investigation: Honda Civic Front Damper Noise

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) has initiated an investigation into customer reports concerning "front damper noise while turning" in specific 2023-2025 Honda Civic 2.0L Sport models. This issue, described as a noise emanating from the front suspension, can manifest at any vehicle speed. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the root cause behind this Honda Civic front damper noise, AHM is proactively seeking to collect specific damper components from affected vehicles for detailed engineering analysis. This proactive approach aims to identify the precise nature of the problem before any repair attempts are made.

Priority Action and Important Warnings for Dealerships

This communication is marked as "PRIORITY/ACTION REQUIRED" and is exclusively directed to Honda dealership personnel, including Service Managers and Advisors. Dealerships are instructed to print this internal message and distribute copies to the Shop Foreman and all Service Advisors to ensure widespread awareness. A critical directive from AHM is that they wish to collect parts from qualifying vehicles prior to you attempting a repair of any kind. This means that if a vehicle meets the specified criteria, no diagnostic or repair work should be performed on the damper components before contacting AHM's Technical Information & Support (TIS) group. This ensures that the components are collected in their original, unmodified state for accurate analysis.

Vehicle Qualification Criteria for Parts Collection

AHM's interest in collecting parts is strictly limited to vehicles that meet a precise set of criteria. For a 2023-2025 Honda Civic 2.0L Sport to be considered for this program, it must satisfy all the following requirements, specifically regarding the Honda Civic front damper noise:

• Trim Level: The vehicle must be a 2.0L Sport trim model only. Other Civic trims are not part of this specific investigation.
• Noise Isolation: The "front damper noise while turning" must be definitively isolated to one or both front dampers. Technicians are required to use specialized diagnostic equipment, specifically "ChassisEARs," to accurately pinpoint the noise source.
• Damper Condition: The front damper(s) exhibiting the noise must NOT be leaking any fluid. Leaking dampers indicate a different failure mode that is not the focus of this particular investigation.
• Noise Duplication: The noise must be consistently reproducible by the technician during a test drive or inspection. Dealership personnel are required to capture the noise on a short video recording to provide evidence of its presence and characteristics.
• Collision History: The vehicle must not have been involved in any collision, as prior accident damage could introduce confounding factors to the investigation.
• Repair History: There must be no previous repairs or replacements performed on the damper or any related damper components. This ensures that the collected parts represent the original factory condition of the affected component.

Reporting a Qualifying Vehicle for Analysis

If a Honda dealership encounters a 2023-2025 Honda Civic 2.0L Sport that precisely matches all six qualification criteria, they are instructed to contact American Honda's Technical Information & Support (TIS) group. TIS can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-880-1072. The TIS team is available Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST. Upon initial contact, TIS will provide further instructions and guide the dealership through the information collection process for the Honda Civic front damper noise issue.

When submitting an email to TIS, the subject line must be structured to include specific vehicle details for efficient processing. The required format is:

• Model Year: (e.g., "2024")
• Model Name: (e.g., "Accord" - Note: For this specific issue, it would be "Civic")
• Issue: (e.g., "Brake Judder" - Note: For this issue, it would be "Front Damper Noise While Turning")
• VIN: The full Vehicle Identification Number.

The body of the email should contain the following comprehensive information:

• Dealer Number: The dealership's unique identification number.
• Your Name: The name of the dealership personnel submitting the report.
• Best Phone Number: A direct contact number where the personnel can be reached.
• Current Mileage: The vehicle's current odometer reading.
• Confirmation of Qualifiers: An explicit statement confirming that the vehicle meets all six qualifiers listed above, along with the attached video evidence of the noise.
• DPTS#: Any relevant Dealer Parts Technical Support number, if applicable.

Incentive for Dealership Participation

As a gesture of appreciation for their cooperation in this critical investigation, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will provide an incentive to dealership personnel. If a dealer identifies and reports a qualifying vehicle that is subsequently accepted as a candidate for parts collection (whether through a Dealer Visit, Parts Collection, or Information Collection), the referring dealer personnel will receive a "VISA gift card". Technical Information & Support (TIS) will furnish additional details regarding this incentive program as applicable.

Source: NHTSA ID 11013108