2003 Honda Civic: ABS light or ABS activating

Filed Aug 29, 2013 · Brakes, Electrical · 91,325 miles · IL

I got a recall notice (nov. 2012) about 2003 honda civic's headlights failing. About a week later in the early morning as I was going to work, my car headlights failed as I left my driveway. I left the car at home and took another. On return from work I found both headlights out, no blown fuses, heater fan not working, both ABS and brake panel lights on. I scheduled repair at o'hare honda, des plaines, il. I arrived at the service dept. With recall notice and also to have additional maintenance services. I left the car for them to work on it. Repair work done on invoice #410741 dated nov.19, 2012. The service writer called me the next day and told me the brake light repair required the master cylinder to be replaced. I ok'd major work. Service writer called back to say the ABS module needed to be replaced too. I ok'd that repair at large cost also. When I picked up my car the service writer told me they "put in a free alternator as that too was bad". The headlight repair cost $1,877.77 ($1,326.17 for parts + $551.60 labor). I have been thinking about this repair and have come to the conclusion that the voltage regulator on the alternator failed and put a large surge on the electrical system of the car. This surge "fried" the electrics on the two brake parts and burned out the headlights. The "free" alternator should have been the clue to the cause of the problem. I don't understand why some device can not be installed into the electrical wiring system of the car to prevent this expensive and potentially dangerous failure. The final problem with this repair was that I had to immediately return to the dealer to have them install new headlight bulbs as they must not have checked them and they were still burned out. So much for quality control.

Filed Mar 2, 2010 · Brakes · 1,000 miles · NJ

Braking while on a bumpy road occasionally results in a delay of the braking action. We thought this was part of the ABS system, but there was no ABS "feel" in the brake pedal. With the toyota problem description, we now feel it may be a similar problem. Only occurs while braking on rough pavement.

Filed Feb 6, 2010 · Brakes, Tires · 51,000 miles · TN · crash

I wish to make notice to the federal safety agency that the issue in braking for prius vehicles would seem to me to be related, in general, to hybrids, built in japan, and not just toyota. I have an '03 honda civic hybrid, and it has issues. It has been in an accident back in '05 and what was the issue? Braking! The car went out of control under heavy braking (though all these vehicles have 4 whl ABS) in an "animal-avoidance" attempt. I ended up careening side-wise sliding until colliding with a utility pole, at the passgr side "a" pillar. Raccoon didn't survive. I had noticed on several occasions that the ABS, upon encountering bumps or jolts of any significant degree, will "cut-out" momentarily, and further, the "engine-braking' associated with the hybrid motor-generator also cuts out and does not return (until after the stop has been concluded using only the available braking methods left)(no ABS "chatter" is to be observed in these scenarios). The phenomenon is definitely reproducible; I have often found that such bumps are virtually unavoidable on certain places I commonly drive near my home. It is such an issue that I have learned to try to compensate for that when driving over these bumpy places, but one can't compensate when encountering same in a new, unfamiliar area/situation. Please do look into the concept that it could be more of a japanese made ABS system-fault , (possibly including engine-regenerative braking system) rather than a toyota-only thing. I would request that my note be acknowledged, myself be contacted so as to provide any further info needed, and my contact info be retained so as to be contacted regarding subsequent resolutions, ie recalls/legal cases/settlements. By the way, I had not "collision" insurance, thus I paid to repair my hch post that accident. I still drive the car today, though anyone would have called it "totalled".tires- were the same set installed as oem, were at least 60% even at 51k, they readily woreout afterwards-post-acc alignmt issues

Filed Feb 28, 2005 · Brakes · 34,000 miles · MI

Abs failed during drive to work. Roads were yet unplowed from the previous evening snowstorm. Abs failed at 6:30am, turned east on 147th street from north on sailview. Descending slight grade ABS indicator illuminated when applying brakes. Brake system locked during decent, very scary, luckily no other cars on road. Took to dealer, unable to find fault. What good is a brake safety system if it fails during hazardous road conditions?

Filed Jul 24, 2003 · Acceleration, Brakes · 1,000 miles · MD

Frequently, braking will actually cause an acceleration. If I'm going down a hill and am pressing slowly on the brake to slow down, and then hit a bump in the road, the car accelerates and there's a bump, bump, bump until finally the brakes engage. I have taken it in for service and was told this is just the way ABS works. However, I have driven other cars with ABS (including hondas) and have never had this problem. This has happened over 30 times since I bought the car several months ago. One time I nearly collided with the car in front of me.