MajorCommonBrakes

Honda Civic: FN/FB Rear Brake Caliper Slide Pin Seizure

FN/FB Rear Brake Caliper Slide Pin Seizure is a common brakes fault on the Honda Civic on the 2006–2015 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $220 to $550 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 39 documented faults on the Honda Civic.

Vehicle: Honda Civic
Years: 2006–2015
System: Brakes

This page covers the Honda Civic as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda Civic faults39 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Brake disc and pads yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The rear disc brake calipers on FN and FB Civic models use floating caliper slide pins that are susceptible to corrosion seizure when the grease dries out or water ingress rusts the pin bores. A seized slide pin prevents the outer pad from retracting when the brake is released, causing the outer pad to drag continuously against the disc. This creates severe uneven pad wear (outer pad worn to metal while inner pad is still thick), rotor scoring, brake fade, and a pulling sensation under braking. In severe cases the pad material overheats and glazes, or the pad backing plate contacts the rotor.

What you would notice

Uneven brake pad wear — outer pad on one or both rear calipers worn significantly faster than inner pad
Vehicle pulling to one side under moderate or light braking
Burning smell from the rear wheels after highway driving even without heavy brake use
Rear brake disc showing heavy circumferential scoring on outer half of swept area

How to check it

Where to look. Rear brake caliper slide pin bores, left and right

Try to move the caliper body laterally by hand with the pin bolt slackened; resistance or inability to move indicates seizure. Inspect slide pins for rust, pitting, or dried grease. Check rotor surface for circumferential scoring on the outer swept area. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove the rear wheels and inspect pad thickness on inner vs outer pads — a discrepancy greater than 3 mm on the same axle indicates a seized slide pin.

Parts involved: Brake disc and pads.

What it costs to put right

$220 to $550 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“When were the rear brakes last serviced, and were the caliper slide pins cleaned and greased at that time?”
“Have you noticed any pulling under braking or a burning smell from the rear wheels?”
“Is the rear pad thickness even between inner and outer pads on both sides?”

Now check the Honda Civic you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Honda Civic buyer questions

Is fn/fb rear brake caliper slide pin seizure serious on a Honda Civic?

We rate it major and common on the Honda Civic. The rear disc brake calipers on FN and FB Civic models use floating caliper slide pins that are susceptible to corrosion seizure when the grease dries out or water ingress rusts the pin bores. A seized slide pin prevents the outer pad from retracting when the brake is released, causing the outer pad to drag continuously against the disc. This creates severe uneven pad wear (outer pad worn to metal while inner pad is still thick), rotor scoring, brake fade, and a pulling sensation under braking. In severe cases the pad material overheats and glazes, or the pad backing plate contacts the rotor.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda Civic?

$220 to $550 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda Civic years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2006–2015 Honda Civic. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.