2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Complaints

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

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

1) VISORS CRACKED - DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT STAY UP. 2) HYBRID BATTERY LIGHT SHOWED IT FAILED - DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE CAR FALL 2011 AND SINCE THEN THE CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS WELL. I HAVE NOTICED LESSENED ABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHEN MERGING. 3) TWO OF THE DOORS FAIL TO LOCK WHEN THE CAR REACHES LOCKING SPEED. ONE OF THESE IS A BACK SEAT PASSENGER DOOR WHERE A CHILD SITS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, NOISY REAR TIRES WERE HEARD. I ALSO OBSERVED UNEVEN AND RAPID REAR TIRE WEAR. THIS PROMPTED ME TO GET IT CHECKED AT RUSSEL & SMITH HONDA AT 2900 SOUTH LOOP WEST HOUSTON, TX 77054 ON 02/23/2011. FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS DONE AFTER 2 REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. ON 08/02/2011, I OBSERVED THAT THE REAR TIRES CONTINUE TO HAVE ABNORMAL WEAR (22780 MILES), PROMPTING ME AGAIN TO GET IT INSPECTED AGAIN AT SAME DEALERSHIP. THE 19 POINT INSPECTION DONE FOUND THAT TIRES WERE OKAY, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS OBVIOUS UNEVEN WEAR. I TOOK A PHOTO OF THE TIRES FOR PROOF OF THIS. I TOOK THE CAR BACK ON 05/31/2012 TO THEM (33346 MILES) DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM, FEELING THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO KEEP DRIVING THIS CAR. I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE TWO REAR TIRES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE TO CORRECT THIS, IT WILL BE USELESS TO KEEP REPLACING THE TIRES. THIS IS THE REASON FOR FILING THIS COMPLAINT THAT HONDA HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE WEARING PREMATURELY AS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO PERFORMED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AS A TEMPORARY REMEDY. THE REPAIR HOWEVER FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,406.

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY THAT THE SYSTEM USES TO RUN THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE TO ASSIST THE GAS ENGINE WHEN ACCELERATING. AS THE BATTERY DETERIORATES, IT DOES NOT CHARGE AS WELL, HOLD A CHARGE AND THEREFORE DOES NOT ASSIST AS WELL TO ACCELERATE, CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION AT TIMES TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC OR ACCELERATE FROM A STAND STILL. *TR

IMA BATTERY IS DEFECTIVE, WEARS OUT EARLIER THAN DESIGNED, CAUSES DANGEROUSLY SLOW EPISODES OF BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE FROM A STAND STILL AND ACCELERATE TO MERGE WITH HIGHWAY SPEED TRAFFIC. GETS HORRIBLE FUEL MILEAGE, NO WHERE AS ADVERTISED, ESPECIALLY IN VERY HOT WEATHER. **03/01/2012 UPDATED BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE IMA BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER SUGGESTED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE UPDATE. WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. UPDATED 03/16/12 *TR