2009 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

SEVERE AND RECURRENT PULLING OF MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID REQUIRING THREE (3) SETS OF NEW TIRES IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AND 16,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE PULLING RESULTS IN AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING MYSELF AND/OR MY WIFE WITH CHILD. HONDA HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT OF THE PULLING PROBLEM. EFFORTS HAVE INVOLVED CREATING A FORMAL CASE WITH AMERICAN HONDA. IN ADDITION TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP, BOTH THE DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER AND CASE MANAGER SUPERVISOR HAVE BEEN CONSULTED. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE WRITTEN TWO (2) LETTERS DIRECTLY TO MR. TETSUO IWAMURA, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AMERICAN HONDA NOTIFYING HIM OF MY CONCERNS. I AM REALLY IN NEED OF ANY SUPPORT NHTSA CAN PROVIDE IN RESOLVING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. PRESENTLY, I DRIVE IN EXCESS OF ONE-HUNDRED (100) MILES DAILY. AND, MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WITH THE INTENT OF HER USING THIS AS THE FAMILY VEHICLE IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE. THIS PULLING IS VERY UNSAFE AND AT THIS POINT I WOULD NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO SELL IT. HONDA IS STONEWALLING ME. WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. THE LETTERS I HAVE WRITTEN TO MR. IWAMURA, WHICH I AM WILLING TO PROVIDE NHTSA COPIES, SAY IT ALL.

I PURCHASED A 2009 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN AND IT START TO SHAKE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I HAVE ADVISED HONDA OF THIS AND ALSO THE DEALER. I ADVISED THEM THAT IT CANT BE THE TIRES SINCE IT HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE NEW. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIRES THAT ARE WORN I ADVISED THEM IT CANT CAUSE IT HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS NEW.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WITH NO POWER RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED SLIGHT BACK PAIN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER A WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 10,000.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT FIVE MILES PER HOUR IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA. NO IMPACT HAPPENED, NO POTHOLE WAS HIT. THE HONDA PLACE WHERE I LEASE THE CAR IS BLAMING IT ON A 4 INCH SQUARE PIECE OF ASPHALT STUCK SOMEWHERE UNDER THE CAR. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPOLYED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS FILED A CLAIM AND WILL EXAMINE THE CAR.

WHEN HITTING A SMALL POTHOLE, OR EVEN A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD, AND THE BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD SEVERAL FEET, AND THE BRAKES SEEMS WEAK. *TR

I HAVE OWNED A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID SINCE 12/8/08 AND HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM. ON OCTOBER 5, 2009, AS I WAS ENTERING AN ON-RAMP IN ARLINGTON, VA, THE IMA SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE REGULAR INTERNAL COMBUSTIBLE ENGINE (ICE) REVVED TO OVER 4500 RPM TO PROVIDE POWER ON THE ON-RAMP DUE TO THERE BEING NO IMA ASSISTANCE. WITHOUT THE HYBRID POWER ASSIST, I WAS NEARLY HIT BY OTHER TRAFFIC. AT THAT TIME, THE IMA WARNING LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO OURISMAN AND THEY SPENT SEVERAL DAYS GETTING A NEW IMA BATTERY SYSTEM ORDERED AND INSTALLED, CLAIMING THERE WAS A BAD CELL IN THE 10-MONTH OLD IMA BATTERY. IN NOV AND DEC 09, I DISCOVERED THE CAR BATTERY DEAD TWICE IN THE GARAGE. ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 13, 2010, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (BATTERY AND HYBRID DRIVE) FAILED ON A BUSY STREET OFF OF MILITARY RD, NW. THE CAR WAS BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY INTO THE ROAD WHEN IT COMPLETELY DIED. AS THERE WAS NO POWER FOR HAZARD LIGHTS, I PERSONALLY DIRECTED TRAFFIC AROUND THE DEAD CAR UNTIL I COULD GET A JUMP. AFTER A BATTERY JUMP, I TRIED TO CHARGE THE BATTERY FOR A TIME, BUT WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, THE CAR DIED AGAIN AND I HAD TO GET A SECOND JUMP. 15 MINUTES LATER, I DISCONNECTED THE CABLES AND DROVE TO OURISMAN HONDA IN BETHESDA, MD. ON THE WAY, THE VEHICLE ALMOST DIED TWICE BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO OURISMAN HONDA. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT A WEEK LATER ON FEBRUARY 23, 2010, THE CAR DIED AGAIN AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET IT TO OURISMAN HONDA FOR SERVICE AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, THEY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS BEING WITH THE RELAY NEAR THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE CAR STILL ACTS STRANGELY AND THEY HYBRID ASSIST DOES NOT WORK AS WELL AS IT USED TO. ACCELERATION IS NOT NORMAL, THE HYBRID ASSIST DOES NOT COME ON AT NORMAL TIMES, AND THERE ARE INCIDENTS OF ACCELERATION AND ENGINE REVVING WHEN I RELEASE THE GAS TO BRAKE BEFORE A STOP SIGN. *TR

I DRIVE A 2009 HONDA CIVIC LX 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TWO PROBLEMS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY ARE COMPLETELY NORMAL, AND I KNOW THEY ARE NOT NORMAL. PROBLEM 1: TRANSMISSION: WHEN COMING TO A STOP, USUALLY UNDER 10MPH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD INTO FIRST GEAR. SO HARD THAT IT SHIFTS HARD AND I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR WANTS TO LAUNCH ME A LITTLE FURTHER.TWICE NOW I HAVE ALMOST HIT SOMEBODY BECAUSE WHEN IT SHIFTS HARD INTO FIRST IT WANTS TO KEEP GOING, I HAVE TO SOMETIMES PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO MAKE SURE I DON'T HIT ANYBODY. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT WHEN IT DOES IT SCARES ME. SECOND PROBLEM: BRAKES: THE BRAKES IN THIS CAR ARE HORRIBLE EVEN WITH MY FOOT COMPLETELY DOWN THE CAR STILL HAS A HARD TIME SLOWING DOWN AND AGAIN I SEEM TO HAVE TO RELY ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO HELP ME STOP. I HAVE A 4 YEAR OLD SON I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE IT WAS RATED SAFE, BUT I'M TERRIFIED TO TAKE HIM ANYWHERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN STOP OR NOT. I TALK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY BOTH PROBLEMS ARE COMPLETELY NORMAL. ITS BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 5500 MILES ON IT SO I KNOW THIS ISN'T NORMAL. *TR

I PURCHASED MY HONDA CIVIC ON 12/31/08. ON OR AROUND THE BEGINNING OF MAY 2009, I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AT 9532 MILES. ON MAY 22, 2009 AT 9595 MILES, I HAD THEM COMPUTER BALANCED AND ROTATED AGAIN. THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE THAT WAS OCCURRING WHENEVER I TRIED TO STOP. HAD A TIRE REPLACED DUE TO UNSUCCESSFUL REPAIR OF FLAT (AT 10,515 MILES). AT 11,016 MILES, I WAS BACK AT HONDA AGAIN. HAD TO HAVE A SECOND TIRE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD WEAR AND WARPING. BOTH OF THESE TIRES HAD INITIALLY BEEN ON THE REAR AXLE OF THE CAR WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED. IN JULY OF 2009, AT 14652 MILES, I HAD TIRES ROTATED AGAIN. TWO NEW FRONT TIRES WENT TO BACK AXLE. ON 12/22/09, WENT TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED AGAIN DUE TO ROUGH RIDING (MILEAGE 25148). HAD TO HAVE TWO NEW TIRES (REPLACED BY HONDA) REPLACED AGAIN. TIRES WERE ON THE REAR AXLE, AND WERE WORN COMPLETELY SMOOTH AFTER ONLY ~14,500 MILES. AGAIN, ON FEBRUARY 23, 2010, WENT TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED AGAIN (MILEAGE 29834). BACK TWO TIRES WERE WORN COMPLETELY SMOOTH AGAIN. GOODYEAR TIRE COMPANY PUT THIS QUOTE ON MY RECEIPT, "NO ROTATION DUE TO TIRE WEAR IN THE REAR. REAR TIRES ARE AT 2/32." ON FEBRUARY 25, I TOOK THE HONDA CIVIC TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALER (ROUND ROCK, TX ~ 58 MILES AWAY). HAD CALLED AHEAD AND MADE APPOINTMENT, TELLING THE SERVICE MANAGER WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE CALLED ME AT 12:45 AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD PUT THE CAR ON THE ALIGNMENT RACK AND THE CAR WAS NOT OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND THAT THIS WAS JUST NATURAL TREAD WEAR DUE TO MY "DRIVING". AFTER GETTING HOME THIS EVENING, I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE BRIDGESTONE TURANZA EL400 TIRES ONLINE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING. I FIND IT QUITE ODD THAT HONDA SAYS NO ONE ELSE HAS COMPLAINED, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS POSTED ONLINE ABOUT THESE SAME TIRES. I FIND THEM TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE TO DRIVE UNDER 55 MPH IF IT IS RAINING. IF I DO NOT, MY CAR HYDROPLANES ALL OVER THE ROAD. THIS IS A HAZARD. *TR

TL *THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. THERE WAS PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH PARTIAL PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION OCCURRED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE IDENTICAL FAILURES OCCURRED ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC IS A DANGEROUS CAR TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER POINTING OUT THE DANGEROUS SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. A TEST DRIVE THERE CONFIRMED THE EXPERIENCE. THE MECHANIC SUBSEQUENTLY 'ADJUSTED THE COMPUTER' TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT HELP. THUS THIS LETTER. HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS. AT IDLE, OR VERY LITTLE GAS, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES SPEEDS UP SOME 200 RPM TO 400 RPM AND HOLDS IT FOR A SECOND OR A FEW BEFORE DROPPING BACK TO IDLE RPM, WHATEVER THE IDLE RPM MAY HAVE BEEN. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE STATIONARY OR MOVING, GOING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE, COLD OR HOT. I AM TALKING ABOUT A SITUATION WITH THE RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL OR ON NO PEDAL, HANDS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL, AIR-CONDITIONING OFF. I KNOW THAT THE RPM CHANGE COULD BE CAUSED BY THE AIR-CONDITIONING ENGAGING FOR COOLING OR FOR DEFOGGING/DEFROSTING AND/OR FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP ENGAGING. BUT THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT A CAUSE WHICH MAKES THE CHANGE IN RPM NOT ONLY ANNOYING BUT ALSO DANGEROUS AS THERE IS NO WAY ONE COULD GET 'USED' TO THE IDIOSYNCRASY. I SHOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THESE 'ENGAGEMENTS' SHOULD NOT CAUSE AN APPRECIABLE RPM CHANGE IN ANY CAR, AND MOST OF MY CARS I OWNED WERE INDEED FREE OF THIS. THE 2009 CIVIC NOT ONLY REACTS TO THOSE ENGAGEMENTS BUT ALSO CHANGES RPM ENTIRELY ON ITS OWN. AND IT IS ALSO INCONSISTENT, AS THE 'EXTRA PULL' OF THE ENGINE MAY OR MAY OCCUR ON EVERY DRIVE. THE RANDOM RPM INCREASE IS DANGEROUS IN THE SENSE THAT WITH THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE LIGHTLY, THE CAR MOVES BEFORE I CAN CATCH UP AND PRESS HARDER. THE RPM AND THE CAR SPEED CHANGE HAPPENS ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS IN AN IDLE MOTION SUCH AS DRIVING ACROSS A PARKING LOT. YOU CAN FEEL IT ACCELERATING FOR NO REASON ONLY TO SLAG BACK A FEW YARDS LATER. IT OCCURS EVEN DURING OR AT THE END OF THE TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF THE GARAGE. A BAD NEWS FOR THE REAR WALL. *TR