2005 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID Complaints

2005 ACCORD HYBRID - IMA FAILURE, TAKATA RECALL AIR BAGS, AND POWER STEERING FAILURES. I HAVE TAKEN MY HYBRID IN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST 8 YEARS WITH THE IMA AND ENGINE LIGHT ON. DEALER DID 2 COMPUTER UPGRADES TO "FIX" IT. "NOT FIXED"; I STILL HAVE THE IMA AND ENGINE LIGHT ON. NOW NO POWER STEERING OR $1500.00 TO FIX THAT AND HONDA SENT ME HOME WITH IT NOT FIXED - NOT SAFE! AT ONE POINT I HAD NO POWER AS I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SEATTLE TO PORTLAND WITH NO ACCELARATOR POWER. IT WAS LIKE I WAS COASTING AT 50 MPH FOR ABOUT 75 MILES UNTIL I REACHED MY HOME. I TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER, THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ME OVER $4500.00 TO REPLACE THE IMA, WHICH WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT IN IN 2009, 2010, AND AFTER. THEY SAID "DRIVE YOUR CAR MORE". BUT MY IMA STILL COMES ON SINCE I DON'T DRIVE MUCH SINCE MY STROKE IN 2012 AND DON'T HAVE $5-10K LAYING AROUND. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNDER ORIGINAL WARRANTY AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTIES. HOWEVER, HONDA REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. NOW THAT I AM BEYOND 8-9-10 YEAR WARRANTY, THEY WILL FIX IT ALL FOR $8-10K. I ALSO HAVE THE TAKATA AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON. I HAD A STROKE IN 2012, I CANNOT PAY $5K, $10K, OR EVEN $2K. THE ACCORD HYBRID WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CIVIC IMA LAWSUIT, NOR INCLUDED IN THE TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY A FEW OF US OWNERS OF ORIGINAL 2005 ACCORD HYBRIDS, BUT BY THE COMPLAINTS I READ; ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUES. I NOW HAVE THE POWER STEERING OUT AND THE DEALER TODAY SENT ME HOME CHARGING ME $250.00 FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND DIAGNOSTIC; THEY TOLD ME WHAT I TOLD THEM AND HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM SINCE 2009 WHEN I INHERITED IT FROM MY DAD. NOW I'M ON DISABILITY AND CAN'T WORK. HONDA WANTS ME TO PAY THEM 10K TO FIX IT ALL KNOWING IT VIOLATES SAFETY AND HEALTH LAWS OTHER LAWS THEY WERE SUED FOR. I WANT HONDA TO FIX MY CAR OR GIVE ME A NEW ONE ALL FOR FREE BEFORE I DIE IN THE DANG CAR!

TAKATA RECALL WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO RESPONSE, ACTION OF ANY KIND, OR EVEN ACKNOWLEGEMENT OF THE AIRBAG ISSUE WITH THIS SMALL (25,000 CARS) MODEL RUN DESCRIBED IN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS -- SEE COMPLAINT NUMBERS 10651654, 10652518, 10659813, 10717673, 10722366; AND TWO MORE RECENT ONES.

TAKATA RECALL AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY. STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. STAYS ILLUMINATED WHILE IGNITION IS ON, UNTIL SUBSEQUENT RESTART OF CAR. DEALER CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION AND DOESN'T KNOW IF IT IS PART OF TAKATA RECALL.

THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINT NUMBERS 10651654, 10652518, 10659813, 10717673, AND 10722366. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED. IT CONTINUES TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED INDEFINITELY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. HOWEVER, UPON RESTART IT LIGHTS BRIEFLY AND THEN GOES OFF, WHICH APPEARS TO BE NORMAL OPERATION. THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THE PROBLEM MEANS IT CAN'T BE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. HOWEVER, OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM FIRST APPEARS ABOUT 2013 OR EARLY 2014 AND HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR THEREAFTER. PLEASE NOTE THE STRIKINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL. FIVE OF THE FIFTEEN COMPLAINTS DEAL WITH EXACT ISSUE, AND TWO OTHER COMPLAINTS (10567527 AND 10567640) REPORT THE FAILURE OF THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY IN ACCIDENTS IN WHICH THEY CERTAINLY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THUS ALMOST HALF OF THE COMPLAINTS DEAL WITH AIRBAG OPERATION FAILURE. NOTE ALSO THAT THIS IS ON A RELATIVELY LOW-VOLUME MODEL. ONLY ABOUT 25,000 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID 2005 WERE SOLD IN THE US. UNLIKE MOST 2005 HONDA ACCORDS, THIS MODEL (THE HYBRID) WAS MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN, NOT THE US, AND THUS HAS MANY DIFFERENT PART SUPPLIERS. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THIS MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TAKATA RECALL, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT APPARENTLY HAS A TAKATA AIRBAG SYSTEM.

HAVE NOTED ON A FEW OCCASIONS THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER IS NOT ACTIVATED WHEN A CAR HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT OR FOR EXTENDED DURATION OF TIME. WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS IS THAT I START THE VEHICLE AND SHIFT IT INTO GEAR AND PROCEED. HOWEVER, IF I HAVE TO BRAKE WITHIN 1-2 MINUTES OF STARTING THE CAR, THE BRAKE BOOSTER APPEARS TO NOT BE WORKING AND I AM LEFT USING MANUAL BRAKES ESSENTIALLY SINCE THE VACUUM BOOST IS NOT WORKING. ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE BRAKE BOOSTER STARTS WORKING NORMALLY. BECAUSE OF THIS INTERMITTENT BEHAVIOR, I HAVE ALMOST CRASHED INTO THINGS WHILE BACKING UP OR DRIVING FORWARD SINCE THE POWER BRAKES WERE ESSENTIALLY NOT WORKING IN THOSE SCENARIOS. I HAVE CHECKED THE BRAKE BOOSTER SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING APPEARS TO BE NORMAL. BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT SINK DURING NORMAL OPERATION, NOR DOES THERE APPEAR TO BE A LEAK IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM WHEN I PRIME/PUMP THE BRAKE WHILE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE, I HAVE FOUND A TEMPORARY SOLUTION IS TO START THE CAR AND PUMP THE BRAKES FIRST BEFORE GOING. THE BRAKES WILL LOSE THE VACUUM BOOST IN THE INITIAL 2-3 PUMPS AND THEN AFTER A FEW MORE PUMPS WILL GET THE NORMAL VACUUM ASSIST BACK. I HAVE GONE TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM IF THERE ARE ANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUE AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE NONE. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE HONDA INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST IN THEIR HYBRID VEHICLES, THERE IS AN EXTRA VACUUM SWITCH MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE BRAKE BOOSTER SO THAT IT CAN TURN THE ENGINE BACK ON DURING IDLE-STOP TO RESTORE BRAKE BOOSTING. I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT 3-WAY JOINT THAT IS CAUSING INITIAL LOSS OF VACUUM. ONLINE FORUMS HAVE INDICATED POTENTIAL PREMATURE FAILURE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSES. HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/FAILED-VACUUM-BRAKE-BOOSTER-HOSE-MAY-CAUSE-BRAKE-TO-FEEL-HARD-148

AUTO EXPERIENCED "STICKY ACCELERATOR"/"SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WHEN ENGINE COLD. NECESSARY TO APPLY EXCESS PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR TO GET CAR ROLLING FROM STATIONARY. IN ONE INCIDENT, CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED PUSHING THE WHEEL OVER A PARKING SPACE WHEEL STOP AND INTO A FENCE POST CAUSING MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. LOCAL SAN JOSE, CA HONDA DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND CLAIMED IT COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.

AFTER CRANKING THE CAR THE GEARSHIFT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. I HAD TO PRY THE CAP OFF THE SLOT TO THE LEFT OF THE P AND STICK A SCREWDRIVER IN TO RELEASE THE GEARSHIFT AND THEN PULL IT DOWN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. THE CAR WOULD THEN CRANK AND SHIFT LIKE NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SINCE BUT ALWAYS IN THE WINTER. IT HAS HAPPENED IN BOTH MICHIGAN AND ARKANSAS. I ALWAYS FEAR THAT ONE DAY IT WON'T RELEASE AND I WILL BE STUCK SOMEWHERE.

AIRBAG SIGN ABOVE GAS COMES UP EVERY NOW AND THEN AND STAYS ON FOR A WHILE UNTIL I TURN OFF THE ENGINE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER BUT HE SAID THAT HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL HE SEES LIGHT. BUT LIGHT DOESN'T STAY ON ALL THE TIME.

SIMILAR ISSUE AS REPORT 10659813. THE AIRBAG/SEATBELT LIGHT ABOVE THE GAS GAUGE RANDOMLY STAYS LIT. DOESN'T HAPPEN EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS USED, AND OCCURS MORE IN COLD WEATHER THAN WARM. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME STATES THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THEM WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ON. THIS SITUATION DOES NOT HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON.