2006 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

THE SUN VISORS ON MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC EX HAVE BEEN BREAKING ROUTINELY ABOUT ONCE A YEAR. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR REPAIR AND THEY SIMPLY REPLACE THE BROKEN VISOR. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT REDESIGNED THE FAULTY VISOR DESIGN AND THEY WILL CONTINUE BREAKING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, AS THE VISORS BREAK AND HANG OFF BLOCKING THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO CLEARLY SEE THE ROAD. *TR

HONDA HYBRID RECALL (SUMMER 2010) TO UPDATE SOFTWARE TO ADDRESS BATTERY PROBLEMS HAS RESULTED IN MAJOR DEGRADATION IN WHAT LITTLE POWER EXISTED IN GETTING UP HILLS. CAR 'FREEZES' AND STRUGGLES TO GET UP HILLS. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING IN STREET OF SAN FRANCISCO. RECENTLY STRUGGLED TO GO UP A HIGHWAY ONRAMP AT 25-30MPH - NO LOAD IN CAR OTHER THAN ME. NOT UNTIL 15+SECONDS ON THE FLATS COULD I SLOWLY MANAGE TO GET TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN THE FEW MONTHS SINCE THE NOTICE, THERE ARE MANY ACCOUNTS ON THE WEB OF OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING SAME POWER PROBLEMS. I KNOW I BOUGHT A CAR WITH HARDLY ANY POWER BUT THIS IS DANGEROUS. HONDA TECHNICIAN DROVE IT WITH ME AND SAW THE PROBLEM. ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE AND I GOT A CALL BACK THAT THIS IS 'NORMAL' AS A RESULT OF THE SOFTWARE RECALL UPDATE. *TR

THE PLASTIC PIECES INSIDE THE SUNVISORS HAVE SNAPPED AND ARE NOW HANGING DOWN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS IN MY FACE. I HAVE A 2006 HONDA CIVIC SI AND HAVE READ A PLETHORA OF COMPLAINTS FROM MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM; SOME HAVE REPLACED THEIR VISORS SEVERAL TIMES (OUT OF POCKET). THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A DESIGN FLAW, WHICH IS WIDE-SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I LIVE IN OHIO AND THE SUMMERS ARE QUITE WARM, BUT NOT AS HOT AS ARIZONA; MANY COMPLAINTS I'VE READ ARE FELT TO BE HEAT-RELATED. HOWEVER, NO MATTER WHERE IN THE COUNTRY ONE LIVES, IT CAN EASILY BE OVER 110 DEGREES IN A CLOSED CAR, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED WHEN DESIGNING THESE VISORS. *TR

SINCE MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID RECEIVED THE BATTERY SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPGRADE IN LATE 2010, THE CAR HAS HAD GREATLY REDUCED AVAILABLE POWER AND ACCELERATION. THE FUEL EFFICIENCY HAS REDUCED BY ~10 MPG, WHICH IS INFURIATING, BUT THERE IS A LARGER SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED BATTERY POWER AVAILABLE FOR ACCELERATION. INTERMITTENTLY, BUT REPEATEDLY, WHEN ACCELERATING, ESPECIALLY FROM A STOP TO TURN LEFT THROUGH A GAP IN TRAFFIC OR TO MERGE ON A FREEWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE RAMP, A DANGEROUS SITUATION HAS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE ENGINE-BATTERY COMBINATION DOES NOT SUPPLY ADEQUATE POWER AND ACCELERATION. I WAS NEARLY SIDE-SWIPED THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE BATTERY UPDATE WHEN I WAS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE AT THE UTTER LACK OF POWER AS I TRIED TO TURN INTO TRAFFIC. MY HONDA DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE MY COMPLAINTS AND REQUESTS TO REVERT THE SOFTWARE TO THE OLD VERSION, WITH WHICH MY CAR WORKED FINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN 5/8/2009 ON INTERSTATE 205 IN CALIFORNIA. MY ENGINE BEGAN MAKING LOUD METALLIC CLANKING SOUNDS AND THEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE LIQUID FLOWING UNDER THE CAR. MY CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE QUICKLY AND I FORCED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE I WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE THE METALLIC SOUND GOT LOUDER AND THE SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOD. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD LEAKED COOLANT AND HAD CAUSED THE BLOCK TO CRACK. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE I FOUND OUT ABOUT TSB 08-044 A PROBLEM WHICH THE ENGINE BLOCK CRACKS AND COOLANT LEAKS FROM IT CAUSING OVERHEATING, AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE ABOUT IT. HE WAS ORIGINALLY WANTING TO REPAIR IT FOR ME BUT WAS OVERULLED BY HIS REGIONAL MANAGER WHO SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WENT ON TO SEND COMPLAINTS HIGHER UP THE CHAIN AT HONDA BUT CONTINUED TO BE TOLD I WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME AND THAT IT WOULD END UP COSTING ME OVER $5000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I THEN ENDED UP HAVING TO GO TO A PRIVATE GARAGE AND ENDED UP SPENDING $2,878.53 IN 7/2009 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, PLUS $432.96 FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR ME TO DRIVE. I HAD RECENTLY CHECKED BACK TO SEE IF THEY HAD UPDATED THE TSB TO A RECALL BUT MORE OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, SO I WANTED TO ISSUE THIS TO SEE IF CAN BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL NOTICE, I TOOK MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IN TO "UPDATE THE SOFTWARE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE BATTERY." UNFORTUNATELY, MY CAR NO LONGER DRIVES LIKE A HYBRID: THE MOTOR DOES NOT STOP, EVEN IF I AM STOPPED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, WHEREAS, BEFORE, IT STOPPED EVERY TIME THE CAR DID. THE BATTERY DOES NOT ASSIST NEARLY AS OFTEN, AND THE GAS MILEAGE HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. I CALLED THE DEALER, FREEWAY HONDA IN TUSTIN, AND REQUESTED THAT THEY REINSTALL THE OLD SOFTWARE, BUT THEY REFUSED. I PURCHASED THE CAR LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE EXCELLENT MILEAGE: I WOULD NEVER HAVE CHOSEN TO BASICALLY TURN IT INTO A REGULAR, NON-HYBRID, CIVIC, WHICH IS WHAT THE SOFTWARE DID. THE HONDA CASE # IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A 2006 HONDA CIVIC EX 4 DOOR. BOTH SUN VISORS HAVE FAILED AND FALL INTO THE FIELD OF VISION, MAKING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS. HONDA AS OF YET HAS NOT CALLED A RECALL. MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THIS ISSUE. HONDA CLAIMS THAT THIS IS "COSMETIC" AND DOES NOT COVER THIS UNDER ITS EXTENDED PLAN. *TR

2006 HONDA CIVIC HAD 35,000 CHECKUP ON AUG 23,2010 - ON SEPT 30 THE CAR REFUSED TO START AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING - OCT 1 LOCAL DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE BATTERY NEED REPLACING AT A COST OF $1040, INCLUDING TOWING. I WAS TOLD THAT NO THE BATTERY PROBLEM SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND ON 8/23 AND THAT IT COULD HAPPEN OVERNIGHT - THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHEN YOUR CAR WILL DIE! THE BATTERY IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SO NOTHING SHOWS UP ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY UNTIL THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED! THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE FOR REPLACING A BATTERY COSTING $79 - $135 IS RELATED TO THE COST OF REPLACING THE NECESSARY HARNESS WHICH IS BURNED THROUGH BY THE BATTERY ACID. I THINK THIS "DESIGN FLAW" - SO IDENTIFIED, AS ABOVE INFORMATION WAS, BY THE LOCAL SERVICE CONSULTANT - NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED AND OWNERS WARNED. IF THERE IS NO WAY TO IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL THEN HOW AM I TO TRUST THE CAR EVEN WHEN THE HARNESS AND BATTERY ARE REPLACED? *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR SPLIT OPEN IN AREA OF STRONG METAL SPRINGS ALLOWING VISOR TO DROP DOWN BLOCKING FIELD OF VIEW WHEN DRIVING. DEALER SAYS 2006 HONDA CIVIC IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I WILL NEED TO BUY REPLACEMENT. *TR

HONDA USA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING THE EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR DUE TO DEFECTIVE OR POORLY DESIGNED REAR CAMBER ARMS TSB08-001. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM (TIRES WEARING PREMATURELY AND VEHICLE OWNERS BEING UNAWARE AS IT WAS NEVER A RECALL). I HAVE EVEN WITNESSED A DEALER HONDA HOFFMAN OF WEST SIMSBURY TELL A CUSTOMER THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY THE REAR TIRES ON THEIR CIVIC WERE WEARING OUT SO RAPIDLY AFTER PERFORMING THIS EXACT TSB ON MY VEHICLE. I CAN ONLY GUESS THEY MAKE MORE MONEY SELLING TIRES VERSUS REPLACING THE REAR CAMBER ARMS VIA THE TSB. *TR