Rear End Alignment Problem

[j404303]

as of today I did not get a response from original honda dealer after requesting specs. so i went to another honda dealer and had the alignment rechecked after sitting from 730am to 130pm here are the values that they gave me today.

ACTUAL FRONT LEFT CAMBER
-0.2
BEFORE
-0.5 RANGE IS -1.5 0.5 CAMBER

ACTUAL CASTER
2.2
BEFORE
2.2 RANGE IS .09 2.9

ACTUAL TOE
0.07
BEFORE
-0.09 *********RANGE -0.08 0.08

ACTUAL SAI
12.0
BEFORE
12.3 RANGE -------

ACTUAL INCLUDED ANGLE
11.8
BEFORE 11.8 RANGE----------

RANGES FOR LEFT SIDE EXACTLY AS THE RIGHT

FINDINGS FOR LEFT FRONT
ACTUAL CAMBER -1.0
BEFORE -0.7

ACTUAL CASTER 1.9
BEFORE 1.9

ACTUAL TOE 0.07
BEFORE 0.20*************

SAI ACTUAL 12.9
BEFOE 12.7
INCLUDED ANGLE ACTUAL 11.9
BEFOE 11.9

NOW FOR THE BACK
REAR RANGES AS FOLLOWS
CAMBER -1.3 0.3

TOE -0.08 0.08

REAR LEFT ACTUAL CAMBER -0.08
BEFORE -0.7
REAR LEFT TOE ACTUAL 0.08
BEFORE 0.08

RIGHT REAR ACTUAL CAMBER -1.0
BEFOE -0.8

CROSS CAMBER ACTUAL VALUE 0.8
BEFOE 0.1 RANGE-------------

TOTAL TOE ACTUAL 0.12
BEFORE 0.08
RANGE IS -0.16 0.16

THRUST ANGEL ACTUAL 0.00
BEFORE 0.02

As you can see it idicates just the oppisite of what i was told, These values say that the front end aligment is off , not the rear as i was told. Where does one go for the truth....anyway remember its only been about 10miles and what? aweek in a half from the last alignment ...Right now it tracks better, but tends to still pull slightly to the left when stopping....

[ridged]

Originally Posted by j404303

Right now it tracks better, but tends to still pull slightly to the left when stopping....

It seems to me that the brakes might cause this.

[j404303]

well its been about 2weeks, and the truck still drives very froggy pulling to both right and left, its hard to keep it centered ,and the ride is hard and rides like a fourwheel drive ford truck with nobby dirt tires. It still pulles to the left when the brakes are applied hard. Called again to honda america at 1 800-999-1009 to find out what happened to the rep who was going to be my council...I was told he has been out sick. Hes supposed to call me back, So now i wait for Cory the rep to call me. When i called he was there but on another call at the time. So for now Two seperate aligments have not fixed the problem . One dealership says its the rear, Another says its the front, but eitherway the truck does not drive true. But hey the tell me my windshield is on order now, and so is the trunk gasket.......

[j404303]

ok i finally got a hold of cory from american honda....he never got a copy of the alignment done at the first dealership? I asked him to get me a copy , as i have asked and not got one. I told him the story, and now i have an appt with the second dealership to examine my ridgeline....He called the shop manager at the second dealership and set it up. So Monday comming up it goes in again for another examination. From what he has surmized of the information from me and the two outher dealerships, he says it might be a subgframe problem,? which he says is fixable. Should i let them fix it or ask for a new truck? at this pont i have 4300miles on it , and i dont relish anything that has the word frame and fixable in it....(he says once in a while durring transport they are strapped not chained down, on front and on oppiste rear wheel, and if its a buppy ride, yep they can be tweaked.....We dont know yet, whats what till they check i guess, but im quezzy about the whole thing. Whish me luck....

[j404303]

Ok I took my truck in to honda dealer 2 and left it there overnight . They checked it and again said that it was a front end alignment problem. Gee i guess the one they did before only held for two weeks, and the one dealer 1 did held for 1 month. They said they checked the frame, and said they found nothing. They said they fixed every thing and that it was ready. I asked did they replace the windshield, aaaa no, did they replace the gasket in the trunk.....aaaa no...but they did tighten all the losose bots in the bed that dealer 1 didnt tighten, and they reapplied the tape to the door ege that was loose, Did they test drive it yes ...............alot , i got it back dead empty, they said it was fixed but it still drives the same. I asked did they check the fact that it pulls to the left when you brake, they said it dosent do that anymore. AAhh guess only when i drive it, its still doing it.....Im so fustrated with the whole thing. I told them to order the windshiled, put on the gasket, wash the thing and Id pick it up. It still drives the same but they sware nothing is wrong with it. I hanvent got a call from american hondas cory guy yet. Mabe its time to go to and independent honest honda repair mechanic that dosent work for a dealership. Oh and no one not even cory from amh was able to get a copy of the first alignment. ......I barely made it coasting into the gas station a mile from the dealership.....man right about now toyotas are looking better to me....but right now its trading apples for oranges , your still getting similar problems......Sorry i dont have a happy ending to this story.......I have the money to get a nother new car, but i think from now on im not buying new, i m buying a used one from a friend i know i can trust to sell me a good car. Dealerships have learned to talk you niclely in a friendly respectfull manner, i think they got that from honda teachings, but they still fall short when it comes to actually taking care of your problems properly....they try not to do anything to keep the cost down and then when you insist maybe youll bet some action, or just a pastry and some coffee from their lounge and a promise that your stuff will be ordered , or if you will be patient drive it for a while longer and see if it really bothers you. My thought is if I or you come into a dealership for a complaint , isnt that an assumption that we are already at that point...... Well i have also cancelled the 2nd order for another ridgelline that we had planned to get....
I think that you get the hand shake the pat on the back and the deaf ear to talk to from honda.....E. O. P.

[ShootinDownTheStars]

Gang-

All new cars from Honda have a 1 year break in period. EVERYTHING is covered unless it can be proven that the driver cause the problems---impact areas on tires, abuse, that sort of thing. Jose.....your problem should havebeen completely covered under warranty. There is a chance tha the dealer you are dealing with is trying to get customer pay as they makemore money that way. the manufacturer does not pay for as much labor or parts when they fix things, so Service Advisors would prefer it to be Customer Pay.

The trucking companies also have insurance to cover damages caused by transport. If transport did indeed cause your problem, then Honda would end up billing htem for the repair.

When a car is brand new, as hard as this is to hear, it is VERY likely for it to have problems in the first year. All these parts that have never worked together on a road, have to adjust to one another, and things like misallignment and squeeks and rattles and just failing computers are common and covered. DO NOT LET THIS DEALER TRY TO TELL YOU IT IS NOT COVERED!!!!!!!

All that being said...I have no idea where you are at. If it is CAnada, they could have slightly different warranties,but I would be amazed to find out that the story they are telling is true. Try another Honda Dealer if you have not had this problem fixed.

[ShootinDownTheStars]

Jose....you also sound like you could be close to getting Lemon Law inacted on your car. You need to call Honda Customer Service and explain to them you would like to begin the proceedings of Lemon LAw....they will respond. The process takes a while, no doubt, but it does happen. Sometimes cars just get put together wrong...it happens...hence the laws toprotect the consumers for when it does happen.

DON"T GIVE UP ON THE RIDGELINE...it is too cool a truck. COntinue to pursue....action will happen, and if all goes right and what you are saying is all accurate, then HOnda will be more than happy to help you get into a brand new Ridgeline, or out of the one you have if you don't want to try, at little or no cost to you!!!!!!! All the phone numbers you need are in your owners manuals. Pursue it....you will win!!!!!

[mjstraw]

The RidgeLine is the 6th new vehicle I've purchased in my lifetime. Each time I've had the alignment checked within the first couple of weeks. Each time it's been out enough to potentially cause problems (handling and/or tire wear).

Until now. This is the first new vehicle where the alignment has been within specs when checked.

Around here, there are actually alignment shops that use mechanical equipment to measure. If you run into one of these - run away.
Most shops use what I call "optical" equipment - mirror attachments on rims. They are tolerable.

There seems to be a whole newer generation of alignment machines. Not sure how they work, but there are no visible mirrors involved. Need to do some more research.

It is also my understanding that if the rear wheels require adjustment, that ca/does throw the front ones off, but not the other way around. So you can have a front-only alignment but not a rear-only.