wrote:
> Hi, I'm thinking of buying a 97 honda accord ex v6 with 100k miles on
> it. I like it just fine, the only problem is is that it shakes quite
> noticeably when i brake on the highway over 60. Is this something that
> must be fixed or is it likely that the car is safe with this problem
> (brakes won't fail?) I'm taking it to a mechanic, but if the owner
> doesn't reduce the price by the amount it costs to fix the problem
> should i still get it? I plan to sell it in about two years, and will
> mostly use it to commute to work along the freeways.
>
> Suggestions would be appricated.
>
> Thank very much.
>
unless it's been driven this way for a long time, this is easy enough to
fix. the wheels need to be re-torqued with a two-stage tightening
process and NOT with an air tool. the hubs on the honda are relatively
lightweight and incorrect tightening means elastic distortion which
turns into what you describe. re-torquing in the correct way removes
this distortion and the problem disappears.

if however the car has been driven too long in this condition, or the
brake disks skimmed to "fix" this problem, the disks may never be right
again and require replacement. even that's not a disaster because
they're not terribly expensive.