rear brakes, backing plates

[kkate98]

Hello,

I have an 03 pilot with 51,000 miles. It squels, squeks constantly. Honda couldn't figure out what it was, told me it was because I had someone other than them do my brakes. I am a single Mom of three and had a professional mechanic do them for about 1,000 less than what they wanted. He took the car apart twice and couldn't find anything. Today I took it to another mechanic who told me that the BACKING PLATES on the rear brakes are rotted. Honda says these are not covered. Has anyone had a problem with the noise, or this part. Should I push to have it covered. The mechanics have told me that Honda should pay for this. I don't know what to do. Where can I go to get the parts, they have to be Honda.

Thank you for you help....

[jestmaty]

Hang in there.... someone with much more knowledge and experience than I have will be advising you here soon.

I did go look at the rear brakes on my '04 Pilot and I can't see how they would cause squeaking or noise.

As far as I know, the plates are there to help protect the brakes and rotor from incidental damage ( like stuff being kicked up or dragged underneath the car ). They also are supposed to keep brake dust from settling so much on the wheels.... to some degree.

If they have rusted or somehow come into contact with a moving part, then of course you will have noises. I know it is probably impossible to provide a picture or two, but it sure would help.

Maybe you or a neighbor could jack the Pilot up in the back and spin the wheels, listening for something unusual.

Good luck, there are lost of people on this forum that will probably give you some better advice and suggestions.

[BigDozer66]

Since you live in "Orangemen" territory I would have to guess that you see some salt on the road during the winter.

If this is the case then the backing plates could be rusted/rotted from this and they very well could be moving. If the touch the rotor it will squeak or squeal.

As far as that being covered by Honda or any other manufacturer I would not have a clue but I would tend to think it wasn't.

You might contact the Honda Regional Office and inquire about it.

Best of luck,
BigDozer66

[kkate98]

Hello, and thank you kindly for replying...

I had looked up and found that the Honda Plates were covered as per www.mohawkhondacre.com/dsp_coverage.cfm

I didn't think they would be covered, because yes I live in North Territory and they salt the roads here. I do wash my car weekly, under carriage but I am told that it doesn't matter, things still happen.

I do have the extended warrenty through Honda Care - I don't see how these would or could break except for them rusting out too soon. The man hung up on me, and I am by far rude...I told him what I saw on the website and he told me that it was the dealers web site and they couldn't be responsible, I said to him, well I got my honda care through a dealership, the one I bought it from...

My next step, I called my local Honda who said I don't actually need those plates, they are nice, but if I keep my breaks looked at regularly I would be fine and many don't replace them because it involves an alignment after you pull apart the entire rear suspension.

I called back Honda to tell them about the guy hanging up with me at Honda Care and the dealership and they told me , "sorry" go back to Honda Care they can't do anything for me and that I must have been rude, because thats the only way they would have hung up on me.

At this point, my friend sanded down the plate - its the driver side, my squeel / squeeking is gone - YEAH, however; I feel like this problem will return.

Check out the website if you want, its listed above - so do I pursue it and if so with who and how about just not replacing them, I have no clue - ....

Sincerely - I greatly appreciate your assistance...

Have a nice day and stay cool....

Terri

[BigDozer66]

Originally posted by kkate98
Hello, and thank you kindly for replying...

I had looked up and found that the Honda Plates were covered as per www.mohawkhondacare.com/dsp_coverage.cfm

Check out the website if you want, its listed above - so do I pursue it and if so with who and how about just not replacing them, I have no clue - ....

Sincerely - I greatly appreciate your assistance...

Have a nice day and stay cool....

Terri

Terri,
I think you had a problem with the link?

I'm trying to fix it.

BigDozer66

[kkate98]

http://www.mohawkhondacare.com/dsp_coverage.cfm

Thats the link, I copied and pasted it, before I just wrote it in, hopefully it will work....

[BigDozer66]

Originally posted by kkate98
http://www.mohawkhondacare.com/dsp_coverage.cfm

Thats the link, I copied and pasted it, before I just wrote it in, hopefully it will work....

Terri,
That one works.

You left the "a" out of "care" in the first one.

BigDozer66

[jestmaty]

So..... it appears it was rusted and maybe bent enough to touch the moving parts of the brake system.

I, too, believe that the backing plates are not necessary (although all disc braked cars come with them) and removing them shouldn't cause any problems at all.

Once the plates are removed, there is no way that problem should reoccur.

A lot of kids with sooped up Hondas and Nissans and VW's remove them when they do brake upgrades, so... you too stay cool and don't worry about it.

BTW, hats off to you for being sane while raising 3 kids on your own. You deserve a BIG pat on the back.

[kkate98]

Thank you very much -

I am not always sane, I fake it well....thank you for the compliment, they are special "needs", two of them and one is reaching teenager and needs to get to her events while the others have doctors appts. I can't take them if the car isn't doing it's job. I feel safe it in, the only vehicle I have been able to drive in the rain without a problem - it's just the noise was driving me crazy and of course the conflicting responses from Honda.

I am glad I joined this site and while I have read responses on here several times, this was my first time that I participated.

Happy Summer...