2009 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2012, I BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE IMA BATTERY FAILING ON MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID (2009). I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HONDA SHOP, AND THE BATTERY FAILED BECAUSE OF HIGH VOLTAGE AND DETERIORATION. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS TRIED FIRST. WITHIN 5 MILES, THE BATTERY FAILED AGAIN. THE CAR STOPPED USING THE HYBRID MOTOR, SO I HAD NO ASSIST WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. THE GAS ENGINE REVVED, BUT IT DID NOT MOVE THE CAR. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD WITH AN 85 HP ENGINE THAT WAS REVVING HIGH BUT GOING NOWHERE. I GOT LUCKY THAT I COULD GO INTO REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY, I TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP, BUT THE CAR AND BATTERY WERE ACTING FUNNY AGAIN. I WOULD GET A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE BATTERY TO CHARGE, THE WHITE LIGHTS WOULD INDICATE AN ASSIST, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE, AND IT WOULD REV HIGH BUT NOT GO FORWARD. THAT CAR AND ITS FLAWED BATTERY AND HORRIBLE SOFTWARE UPDATE COULD HAVE KILLED ME. THAT COMBINATION INDICATES A SERIOUS DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAW. IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO GET A NEW BATTERY, AND THAT NEW BATTERY IS THE THIRD FOR THIS CAR. *TR

NOTICED ABOUT A WEEK AGO THAT THERE WAS A WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHILE IN GEAR. IT DOESN'T MAKE THE NOISE IN PARK OR NEUTRAL OR WHEN AT A STOP AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. TOOK IT TO DCH HONDA IN TEMECULA,CA AND AFTER AN HOUR THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME MY TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND IT WILL COST ME $5250 TO GET A NEW ONE INSTALLED. I HAD THE IMA BATTERY REPLACED LAST YEAR WITH LESS THAN 40K MILES ON THE CAR. STILL ONLY GET 38 MPG AVG. ON HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A ROUTINE INSPECTION TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED HER THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON ANY RECALLS AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 10/24/12*LJ

IMA BATTERY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON SEPTEMBER 24TH 2012 @ 4:15P CST. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 74 DEGREES AND PARTLY SUNNY. *TR

THE CAR HAS A PROPENSITY TO LURCH FORWARD AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEN MAKING A TURN OR STOPPING AT A LIGHT THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY WILL REV AND THRUST THE VEHICLE FORWARD. IF THE DRIVER IS NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE OR PREPARED FOR THIS TENDENCY, THE VEHICLE CAN THRUST FORWARD AND STRIKE WHATEVER IS IN ITS PATH. THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IS THAT THE VEHICLE USES A MALFUNCTIONING INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) FEATURE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE THE VEHICLE EXTRA POWER TO ENTER A HIGHWAY AND SAFELY MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS FEATURE IS UNRELIABLE AND CAN LEAVE THE VEHICLE AND DRIVER IN A POSITION OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH POWER TO SAFELY MERGE WITH HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THIS DIFFERENTIAL IN SPEED IS VERY UNSAFE. IN 2011 I HAD THE LI BATTERY FOR MY HYBRID VEHICLE REPLACED. THIS BATTERY FAILED IN LESS THAN A YEAR. I WAS TOLD BY THE SENIOR MECHANIC AT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT HONDA CORPORATION WAS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT. AND THAT HONDA KNOWINGLY REPLACED THE LI BATTERIES LAST YEAR WITH KNOWN DEFECTIVE BATTERIES AS A QUICK FIX TO APPEASE CUSTOMERS. THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND I BELIEVE THAT HONDA IS INTENTIONALLY NOT DISCLOSING THE TRUE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THESE HYBRID VEHICLES. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS ARE EXPERIENCING A HIGHER THAN NORMAL ACCIDENT RATE DUE TO ENGINE SURGING AT LOW SPEEDS AND INABILITY TO SAFELY MERGE WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF LOSS OF POWER DUE TO THE IMA SYSTEM. *TR

MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC EX, POLISHED METAL METALLIC, HAS PAINT THAT HAS BEEN FADING ON THE ROOF AND TRUNK. THE SPOTS AFFECTED ARE: BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND SUNROOF, ABOVE THE BACK WINDOW, AND THE TOP OF THE TRUNK LID. I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN FEBRUARY OF 2009. THE CAR IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD AND NOW HAS 22,800 MILES. I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THESE ISSUES! *TR

THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AGAIN.. 2012, NOT JUST IN 2010 TIRES ARE ABNORMALLY WEARING EXTREMELY FAST. ABOUT EVERY YEAR SOMEONE IS TELLING ME I NEED NEW TIRES BECAUSE THEY ARE 'CHOPPED' AND WEARING REALLY FAST. THIS LEAD ME TO THE INTERNET TO DO RESEARCH AND FOUND IT IS COMMON WITH THE 2006-2009 CIVICS. SOMETHING ABOUT THE CONTROL ARMS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, IN TURN CAUSING THIS PROBLEM AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHERS LIKE SUSPENSION. I CANNOT AFFORD AND SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT NEW TIRES ON MY NEW CAR EVERY YEAR OR 20000 MILES. I AM SO FRUSTRATED AND AT A LOSS OF WHAT TO DO. I HAVE A CALL INTO HONDA BUT HAVEN'T HEARD BACK, I CAN ONLY IMAGE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY. THE OTHER FAILURE IS MY 'HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL ON' INDICATOR NOISE STOPPED WORKING A YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW. UGH, SO FRUSTRATING. *TR

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP OR ROUGH PATCH ON THE ROAD, THE BRAKES FAIL ALMOST ENTIRELY. AS A REACTIONARY MEASURE, I USUALLY RELEASE AND RE-APPLY THE BRAKES AND THEN IT WORKS BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I APPLY THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I CAN WITHOUT LETTING UP BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO READ END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. IN TOTAL SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR BRAND NEW, I'D SAY THIS HAPPEND OVER 30 TIMES SINCE SEPTEMBER 2009. *TR

SUN VISOR ON PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR HANGS DOWN. IT WILL NOT STAY UP IN THE UNUSED POSITION. THIS IS THE SECOND HONDA I HAVE HAD WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HONDA OF AMERICA SAYS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO THEY WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPAIR THE PART. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE VISOR BLOCKS VISIBILITY TO THE RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS PART? THANK YOU. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS AT MY MECHANICS FOR AN OIL CHANGE. PART OF THEIR SERVICE IS TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE. A TIRE WAS A LITTLE LOW. UPON PLACING THE AIR CHUCK ON THE VALVE STEM, THE VALVE STEM EXPLODED. POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND THE PERSON WHO WOULD BE ADDING AIR WAS LUCKILY AVOIDED. HONDA HAD IN JULY 09 (SAME MONTH WE PURCHASED THIS CAR) ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING USING ONLY A SHALLOW AIR CHUCK ON CIVICS AS THEY MIGHT EXPLODE. HONDA AND THE DEALERSHIP BOTH REFUSED TO REPAIR AT NO CHARGE. CLAIMING THAT THE MECHANIC WAS AT FAULT. NOTE THAT THE MECHANIC WHO WAS OPERATING THE PROPER AIR CHUCK AT MY REPAIR SHOP IS HONDA CERTIFIED AND ONLY USED A SHALLOW AIR CHUCK. HONDA HAS A PRINTED BROCHURE IN THEIR SHOW ROOM THAT EXPLICTLY STATES THAT A DRIVER MUST GO TO A DEALERSHIP OR ANYWHERE THAT AIR IS AVAILABLE AND FILL TO THE PROPER PRESSURE WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT COMES ON. MOST AIR FILL PLACES AT GAS STATIONS HAVE THE LONG HANDLE VERSION OF THE AIR CHUCK, WHICH IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED! NOT ONLY DID HONDA REFUSE TO REPAIR AT NO CHARGE, THEY ALSO CHARGED US FOR A FRONT END ANALYSIS. $175.00 BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART. MY WIFE REFUSED TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE OR TO GO ABOVE 50 MPH AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL OF A ROCK OR SOME OTHER OBJECT HITTING THE VALVE STEM. WE HAD MANY TRIPS WHERE WE HAD TO USE MY 1990 JEEP INSTEAD OF THE HONDA AT EXTRA EXPENSE. WE RECENTLY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET RID OF THE HONDA AND PURCHASED A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA LIMITED. WE WERE NOT WANTING TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO YEARS. THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE DAMAGE, AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO THE PERSON PUTTING AIR IN A TIRE IS TREMENDOUS. ALSO, WHAT ABOUT A BLOW OUT, AND THEN A WRECK. ALL FOR AN INEXPENSIVE PART. WE WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER HONDA IF THEY ARE SO BLATANTLY WILLING TO DISREGARD THEIR OWN FINDINGS. *TR