I currently have the same problem, as did a friend of mine who owns a 1997 CR-V with similar mileage as mine. Both a Honda dealer and an independent shop have told me the same thing, which I will try to explain, though I am not a mechanic. The independent shop works only on Hondas and Acuras, so they were very familiar with this issue. Ultimately, as others have mentioned, it is a strut problem.
It's difficult to explain, but apparently over time, the struts start leaking. Eventually the seals fail, but the driver is unaware of it, because they are still seated well enough to work, and the ride is fine. However, the first time the car is put up on a lift and the wheels are no longer supported from underneath, that stress is the final blow to an already worn strut. The seals officially bust, and will no longer work.I don't understand the specifics and mechanism well enough to explain more. The first time you as the owner would notice it, is right after you pick the car up. Indeed, my car was at the dealer for brake work--not struts--when it happened, and I noticed it while driving away, just like you. My car was bouncing like crazy.
However, the independent shop said that it is a common occurrence on older Hondas and Acuras. I'm partly responding to say that it's very unlikely that Firestone caused the problem. They were involved in the sense of putting the car up on a lift, but it's doubtful that they knew the struts were bad at that point.
For reference, I have a 1998 CRV with 110,000 miles, and it is in the shop for this problem.
Of note, the dealer claimed that all 4 struts needed replacing, for $1200---but the independent shop said that was not true, and determined that only the fronts needed it. That smaller shop is replacing those for $406 out the door, including a lifetime warranty on the parts. If a repair shop says you need 4, that could be the truth, but you might get a second opinion for peace of mind. Doing that saved me $794.00. Good luck.
Thursday, August 28th, 2008 AT 6:54 PM
