2006 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 HONDA CIVIC IN JANUARY OF 2006 FROM A DEALERSHIP IN AUBURN, WA.. TWO WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THE A/C HAD STOPPED WORKING, SO I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND REPAIRED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 11,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE CONDENSER WHICH IS BETWEEN THE OPEN GRILL OF THE BUMPER AND THE RADIATOR. THE CONDENSER, MADE OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MATERIAL AS ALUMINUM FOIL AND ACTUALLY ALUMINUM, IS COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED. THE PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC IS WIDESPREAD AND ACROSS NEW HONDA MODELS. IF A SMALL PEBBLE OR ANY OTHER TINY HARD ELEMENT HAPPENS TO STRIKE THE COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED CONDENSER IT KNOCKS A NEARLY INVISIBLE (WE CAN'T SEE IT) HOLE IN IT, WHICH IN TURN KNOCKS OUT ALL A/C. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS A POOR DESIGN TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION FOR THIS PART. THE PERSON SAID, YES, THEY UNDERSTAND BUT CAN DO NOTHING TO HELP AND THAT THEY SEE THIS EVERY WEEK. I WAS TOLD TO CALL HONDAS CONSUMER COMPLAINT LINE, WHICH I DID, AND WAS TOLD THE SAME STORY AND THAT THEY ARE LOOKING INTO FIXING IT FOR FUTURE MODELS. THEY ALL TOLD ME TO CLAIM IT ON INSURANCE, THAT IT IS A ROAD HAZARD PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY IT'S A DESIGN PROBLEM, AND HAD I KNOWN ABOUT IT I WOULD HAVE PURCHASED A TOYOTA. DEDUCTIBLE ON MY INSURANCE IS $500.00 AND THE COST TO FIX IS $600.00, IT WOULD MAKE NO SENSE TO CLAIM IT AND TAKE THE HIT ON INSURANCE COSTS. HONDA NOT ONLY WILL NOT DISCUSS ANY ASSISTANCE FOR THE PRESENT PROBLEM, BUT OFFERS NO FIX TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. IF I HAVE THIS REPAIRED TOMORROW IT COULD BE KNOCKED OUT AGAIN NEXT WEEK. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, MY CARS INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLANK, ALL GAUGES WENT OUT. THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC PANEL. IN ADDITION, THE CARS ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE CAR WAS RUNNING. IT IS A HYBRID AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS IN THE AUTO STOP MODE WHEN YOU ARE AT A LIGHT, THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING (AT LEAST YOU COULD NOT TELL IT WAS RUNNING). I TURNED THE CARS IGNITION OFF AND THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. IT STARTED UP AGAIN AND THE GAUGES WERE WORKING AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SYMPTOMS. THEY CHECKED THE COMPUTER FOR ERROR CODES AND FOUND NONE. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE WHEN THIS OCCURS. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE STATED THAT THERE WERE TO MANY COMPUTERS AND WIRES FOR THEN TO CHECK THEM ALL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS OCCURRED ONE OTHER TIME WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE DRIVE WAY DURING THE WINTER IDLING. WHEN WE GOT IN THE CAR AFTER A FEW MINUTES, WE NOTICED THAT ALL GAUGES WERE OUT. AGAIN, TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTING THE CAR CLEARED THE PROBLEM. *TR

HONDA COMMON SENSE FAILURE. HONDA PLACES THEIR AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) CONDENSER AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WITH NO PROTECTION, IE A SCREEN TO DEFLECT PEBBLES, RESULTING IN AN EASY TARGET FOR PEBBLES TO PUNCTURE THE FRAGILE CONDENSER TUBE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAT HONDA IS REFUSING TO DEAL WITH. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT IN HIS THREE YEARS WORKING FOR HONDA, HE PERSONALLY HAS DEALT WITH ABOUT 100 OF THESE FAILURES. HOWEVER. HE DID NOT SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM AND LIKENED THE FAILURE TO A CHIPPED WINDSHIELD. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS AT A SINGLE DEALERSHIP, WITH A SINGLE REPRESENTATIVE AMONG SEVERAL. DURING COMMON, EVERYDAY, FREEWAY DRIVING, $657 DAMAGE SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS A CHIPPED WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD IS A PROTECTIVE DEVICE, AND THEREFORE DEFLECTING PEBBLES AND OTHER ROAD HAZARDS IS EXPECTED. I DON'T THINK THE A/C CONDENSER SHOULD FALL UNDER THE SAME CATEGORY AS MY FORMER HONDA DEALER HAS IMPLIED. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION EXCEPT TO BE RECOMMENDED TO MAKE IT AN INSURANCE CLAIM OR PAY THE $657 OUT OF POCKET. A $657 REPAIR MAY BE EXPECTED WHEN BUYING A USED VEHICLE, BUT WHEN THIS SORT OF DAMAGE IS SUSTAINED DURING EVERYDAY DRIVING WITHIN THE 1ST YEAR OF PURCHASING A NEW VEHICLE AND IS NOT THE RESULT OF NEGLIGENCE BY THE DRIVER, IT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE TOLERATED. RECALL. *AK

I HAVE FELT FOR SOME TIME THAT AS I AM ROLLING TO A STOP AT 10-15MPH AND APPLY THE BRAKES THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE RPMS FROM 600 TO 1000 OR SLIGHTLY MORE. THE SUDDEN REVVING IS ENOUGH THAT I HAVE SENSED THAT THE CAR COULD ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN I INTEND FOR IT TO STOP AND PERHAPS CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. RELATED TO THIS, I HAD ONE INSTANCE WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THAT I HAD TO APPLY GREAT FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO AVOID RUNNING OVER A SPEED BUMP AT THE END OF THE SPACE. I HAD INITIALLY THOUGHT I MAY HAVE PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY ACCIDENT, BUT DOUBTED THAT AT THE TIME, AND NOW SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT GIVEN SOME OTHER REPORTS I HAVE READ ON THE WEB.*AK

THE INCIDENT DATE IS NON-SPECIFIC AS THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. THE SUN VISORS ARE VERY STIFF AND THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO RAISE AND LOWER THEM FREQUENTLY RESULTS IN THE VISOR SPRINGING AWAY FROM THE RETAINING CLIP. THIS MOVEMENT COULD STARTLE UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS OR RESULT IN THE VISOR HITTING THE DRIVER'S HEAD. I HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE VISORS HAD TO BE THAT STIFF OR THEY WOULD "FLOP" DOWN. THIS IS INACCURATE - WE HAVE A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA THAT HAS A VERY LIGHT ACTION ON THE SUN VISORS AND TO-DATE, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VISOR "FLOPPING" DOWN. I HAD HOPED THAT THE VISOR MECHANISM WOULD SLACKEN WITH TIME; HOWEVER, THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE. *JB

THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL GEARBOX AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS VERY STIFF TO OPERATE. THIS COMBINED WITH A FAIRLY LONG TRAVEL COULD REQUIRE SHORT DIVERS TO POSITION THEIR SEAT VERY CLOSE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO GET ENOUGH LEVERAGE IN THEIR LEG TO FULLY DEPRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL PRIOR TO STARING THE ENGINE. THE INCIDENT DATE IS NON-SPECIFIC AS THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. I HAVE RAISED MY CONCERN WITH THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY CANNOT REDUCE THE STIFFNESS OF THE CLUTCH ACTION OR REPOSITION THE ENGINE DISCONNECT SWITCH (SO THAT THE PEDAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE PRESSED TO THE FLOOR). *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HER 2006 HONDA CIVIC AT 40 MPH, SHE TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT COULD NOT GET TO THE VEHICLE TO BRAKE ON TIME BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION THE CONTACT AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING SEATBELTS, AND THE DAMAGED WAS IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT WAS TOWED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES ON HER NECK AND WAS EXPERIENCING CHEST PAIN AND HAD TO BE TAKEN IN AN AMBULANCE, THE PASSENGER DID NOT NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION OF THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT SINCE THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING SORENESS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 MILES. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE POLICE REPORT IF NEEDED.

MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC EX HAD APPROXIMATELY 20000 MILES ON IT AS OF 3/20/07. I BOUGHT IT NEW OVER A YEAR AGO AT ABOUT 10000 MILES . I STARTED HEARING NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER , WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE TWO REAR TIRES HAD FLAT SPOTS. THEY ASKED ME IF I HAD DRIVEN WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. I DID NOT DRIVE IT WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT HELP ME, AND ASKED ME TO CALL BRIDGESTONE TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER TIRE WARRANTY. BRIDGESTONE TOLD ME IT WAS A VEHICLE ISSUE, AND WOULD NOT HELP ME. I THEN TOOK IT BACK TO THE SAME HONDA DEALER 1000 MILES LATER AND PAID $45 FOR THEM TO TELL ME I NEEDED NEW REAR TIRES. THAT WAS DUMB ON MY PART CONSIDERING I KNEW THAT, BUT I WAS HOPING IT WOULD BE A WARRANTY ISSUE . I ASKED THEM WHAT I WOULD DO IF THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, HE SAID IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY WANTED $425 FOR TWO REAR TIRES PLUS AN ALIGNMENT. I SAID NO, AND TOOK IT TO SULLIVAN TIRE, WHO REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH SUPERIOR GOOD YEAR TIRES FOR UNDER $425. THE ONE THING WORTH NOTING, THEY SAID THE VEHICLE DID NOT NEED AN ALIGNMENT, AND THEREFORE DID NOT DO ONE NOR DID THEY CHARGE ME FOR ONE. I ASKED HOW THE REAR TIRES BECAME SO CHOPPY, AND THEY SAID MAYBE IT WASH SUSPENSION ISSUE OR DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT I WILL WAIT NOW TO SEE IF THE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE GOODYEAR TIRES. *AK

I BOUGHT A NEW 2006 HONDA CIVIC AND TOOK DELIVERY IN JULY 2006. FROM THE TIME OF DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NOTICEABLE THAT THE REAR END OR REAR TIRES OF THE HONDA CIVIC WERE VERY NOISY. LACKING SUFFICIENT TIME, I DID NOT INVESTIGATE THE NOISE UNTIL OUR TRIP TO ARIZONA IN EARLY MARCH, 2007. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ARIZONA, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES FOR THE FIRST TIME TO EXAMINE THE REAR TIRES. TO MY AMAZEMENT, THEY WERE WORN OUT AT 21,000 MILES - TO THE POINT WHERE STEEL BELTS WERE PROTRUDING FROM THE TIRES. I TOOK THE CAR TO A AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER IN TUCSON. AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTS, THEY CLAIMED THAT THE CAR HAD NO DEFECT - I HAD TWO DEFECTIVE REAR TIRES. I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT BOTH REAR TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE WOULD WEAR SO BADLY, WHILE THE FRONT TIRES ON THE FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE CAR WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITON FOR 21,000 MILES. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A SERVICE BULLETION FROM ACURA - A DIVISION OF HONDA. THE SERVICE BULLETIN 05-076 DATED JANUARY 19, 2007 STATED THAT THE ACURA 2004 & 2005 HAD AN ISSUE WITH "PREMATURE REAR TIRE WEAR". THE PROBLEM WAS DESCRIBED AS: "THE REAR TIRES ARE WEARING PREMATURELY (UNEVENLY ACROSS THE TREAD). PROBABLE CAUSE: THE REAR TOE INCREASES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS LOADED" THE DESCRIPTION AND PICTURES OF TIRE WEAR IN THIS SERVICE BULLETIN EXACTLY MATCH WHAT I FOUND IN MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC. I HAD JUST CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE IN ALL FOUR TIRES. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE HONDA CIVIC, THE REAR TIRES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEEN WITHOUT KNEELING. WHEN I FOUND THAT THE REAR TIRES HAD BEEN WORN SO SEVERELY THAT STEEL BELTS WERE SHOWING, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT SUCH PREMATURE WEAR CONSTITUTES A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD.

XI HAVE OWNED A 2006 CIVIC HYBRID FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAVE NOTICED THAT A LIGHT APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL CAN RESULT IN A SUDDEN ACCELERATION} RATHER THAN IN BRAKING. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, I WOULD SAY APPROXIMATELY ONCE A MONTH. IT SEEMS LIKE A MALFUNCTION IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM RUNNING THE BRAKING SYSTEM. ON ONE OCCASION LAST APRIL THIS RESULTED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR A SHORT INTERVAL AND WAS SURPRISED AT THIS STRANGE REACTION OF THE CAR. SINCE THAT TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU HAVE HAD OTHER REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM AND WHETHER YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. SINCE IT IS AN INTERMITTENT EFFECT IT IS NO USE TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. *JB