2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Complaints

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 HONDA CIVIC AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE WERE IN TRAFFIC, ON THE FREEWAY, SLOWING DOWN DUE TO CARS STOPPED IN FRONT OF US. WHEN TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING AGAIN SHE ATTEMPTED TO SPEED UP, BUT THE CAR LOST POWER. SHE PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR FURTHER AND FURTHER UNTIL IT WAS FLOORED, BUT THE CAR HAD LITTLE TO NO POWER. THE CAR BARELY MADE IT ACROSS TWO LANES TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. WE BARELY MADE IT OFF THE FREEWAY TO A PARKING AREA. THE CAR COULD REACH SPEEDS OF ONLY 5-10 MPH EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. THERE WERE STILL TWO BARS INDICATING BATTERY POWER FOR THE IMA ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I LOST POWER WITH THIS CAR, BUT THE MOST DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT WAS DURING RUSH HOUR ON THE FREEWAY WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC. THE PREVIOUS TIME I LOST POWER I WAS TRYING TO GO UP A HILL AND THE CAR FAILED TO PROCEED AND I HAD TO BACK THE CAR DOWN THE HILL AND PARK IT. *TR

AFTER HAVING THE IMA BATTERY REPLACED ON MY 2007 CIVIC HYBRID AND GETTING THE SOFTWARE UPDATED, MY CAR HAS NO ACCELERATION AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS WITH NO ACCELERATION ISSUES AND NOW THE ENGINE REVS VERY HIGH IN ORDER TO PROVIDE EVEN LIMITED ACCELERATION POWER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY DEALER THAT THE CAR CHECKS OUT FINE AND AFTER CALLING HONDA WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, WHEN THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF POSTS ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IMA BATTERIES AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE. OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED THEY RECEIVED SIMILAR RESPONSES FROM HONDA WHEN REPORTING SUCH ISSUES, SO SOMETHING IS CLEARLY NOT RIGHT HERE. *TR

ON SEPT 15, '12, I WAS TAKING MY SON AND HIS FRIEND OVER TO HIS COACH'S HOUSE FOR A FOOTBALL PARTY. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE UP THE COACH'S DRIVEWAY BUT AT APPROXIMATELY THE HALFWAY POINT, MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID STOPPED MOVING FORWARD ALTHOUGH THE ACCELERATOR WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. I HAD THE TWO NINE YEAR OLD KIDS EXIT THE VEHICLE BUT IT STILL DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. I SLOWLY BACKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE UP THE DRIVEWAY AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH A RUNNING START. AGAIN, MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID DID NOT MAKE IT UP THE DRIVEWAY. I ESTIMATE THE DRIVEWAY TO BE AT A 30% ANGLE, NOT STEEP BUT DEFINITELY NOT FLAT. AGAIN I SLOWLY BACKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER HAVING THE CARS BEHIND ME MOVE OUT OF MY WAY. I PARKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY AND WALKED UP THE HILL, NOT SOMETHING YOU EXPECT TO DO WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR A VEHICLE. ON OCTOBER 3, 2012, I HAD A CERTIFIED HONDA DEALERSHIP EXAMINE THE CAR AS I SUSPECTED THE IMA BATTERY WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER STATED I DID NEED A NEW 12 VOLT BATTERY AND I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT WHILE THE IMA BATTERY IS NOT GIVING OUT FULL POWER IT IS AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT HONDA REFUSES TO REPLACE ANY IMA BATTERY UNLESS IT COMPLETELY FAILS AND THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL CIVIC HYBRIDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THE ACCELERATION AND LOSS OF POWER BECOMES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ON THE HIGHWAYS AND HILLS. I HAVE THREE YOUNG KIDS AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THEM IN THE CAR. I HAVE ALL SERVICE DOCUMENTATION AND AM WILLING TO LET INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE AND DRIVE MY VEHICLE. ALSO, I CAN PROVIDE THE ADDRESS OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT UP. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS THIS LOSS OF POWER CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY. *TR

THE HYBRID BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT IS CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATING. THIS IS AFTER THE VARIOUS SOFTWARE UPDATES. I HAVE ALSO SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN MPG BY MORE THAN 20% THIS IS SINCE THE SOFTWARE UPDATES AND THE IMA SYSTEM NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I HAVE REVIEWED THE 49 OTHER COMPLAINTS SHOWING IN THE NHTSA SYSTEM AND ALL BUT 3 REFER TO THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHICH I'M ENCOUNTERING. THE OTHER INTERESTING FACT IS THAT UNLESS THE IMA LIGHT COMES ON HONDA APPEARS TO BE REFUSING TO TAKE ACTION. IT IS CURIOUS THAT IN A NUMBER OF THE CASES THE LIGHT CAME ON HONDA DID THEIR SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THEN THE LIGHT DOESN'T SEEM TO COME ON ANY LONGER EVEN THOUGH INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO REPORT THE SAME ISSUES, JUST NO LIGHT, COINCIDENCE I THINK NOT, ITS AMAZING WHAT A FEW TWEAKS IN SOFTWARE CODE CAN ACCOMPLISH TO REDUCE HONDA'S LIABILITY AN KEEP THE IMA SYSTEM LIGHT FROM COMING ON. IT IS MY HOPE THAT SOMEONE AT NHTSA WILL ACTUALLY READ THESE COMPLAINTS AND FOLLOW UP. IT IS ALSO MY HOPE THAT SOMETHING WILL GET DONE BY NHTSA BEFORE ALL OF OUR WARRANTIES OF 8 YEARS OR 80,000 MILES EXPIRE AND HONDA SAYS THAT A REPLACE BATTERY IS OUR COST NOT THEIRS BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAG THIS OUT. THEY HAVE DESIGNED A BAD SYSTEM AND THEY ARE TAKING ACTIONS TO AVOID HAVING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE, BATTERY, AND IMA LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL HYBRID POWER BUT DID NOT STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS UPDATED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,000.

I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN DECEMBER 2007 AND WAS INITIALLY PLEASED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, APPARENTLY DUE TO A SOFTWARE UPDATE INSTALLED BY HONDA ON AUGUST 2010 (SEE SERVICE BULLETIN 10-034). HONDA STATES THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS INTENDED TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE HYBRID BATTERY BUT IS SILENT ABOUT THE OBVIOUS ADVERSE IMPACT ON GAS MILEAGE, POWER, AND EMISSIONS. THE HYBRID INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) ASSIST IS OPERATING ERRATICALLY SUCH THAT WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE (E.G., WHEN MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE OR PASSING ON A HIGHWAY) THE CAR MAY HAVE THE EXPECTED RESPONSE OR A VERY LIMITED RESPONSE FROM THE UNASSISTED 1.3 LITER ENGINE. JUST LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE ONE TIME THE IMA DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSIST AND I WAS CONCERNED DUE TO THE FAST APPROACHING TRAFFIC. I NEVER KNOW WHETHER THE CAR WILL HAVE THE EXPECTED ACCELERATION. THE IMA BEHAVIOR CAN VARY FROM MINUTE TO MINUTE WHILE DRIVING EVEN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. HAS DOT AND NHTSA STUDIED A 2007 CIVIC HYBRID AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS APPLIED? *TR .. UPDATED 08-27-12 *BF UPDATED 08/27/12 UPDATED 10/02/12

THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2007 IS SUDDENLY UNABLE TO ACCELERATE APPROPRIATELY. THIS FAULT IS MOST DANGEROUS WHEN ACCELERATING TO START GOING AFTER RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. IT IS ALSO NOTICEABLE WHEN ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATION PERFORMANCE OF THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID DECLINED PRECIPITOUSLY AND DANGEROUSLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER HONDA REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE IMA BATTERY AND CONCURRENT NEW SOFTWARE (AT THE HONDA DEALER) IN MARCH. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR HIGHWAY OR CITY DRIVING. IT DECELERATES WHEN YOU NEED POWER, MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO MERGE IN HIGH SPEED OR HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING, ACCELERATION IS EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS SEVERE BLIND SPOTS. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED LONG DELAYS IN THE ENGINE RESTARTING AFTER PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM A DEAD STOP AT LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS. I HAVE NEARLY BEEN HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC -- PLANNING FOR ADEQUATE GAPS IN TRAFFIC IS A CHALLENGE AND VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER VEHICLES I DRIVE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH OVER 37 YEARS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND AN EXCELLENT DRIVING RECORD. I HAVE OWNED 4 HONDAS AND THIS SO-CALLED HYBRID HAS BEEN AN ENGINEERING DISASTER. *TR

I BOUGHT MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IN MARCH OF 2007. THE CAR WORKED FINE FOR SEVERAL YEARS UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES IN, MY HYBRID BATTERY STARTED TO RANDOMLY DRAIN AND RECHARGE. THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURANCES HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE POINT THAT I CAN EXPECT IT TO DRAIN AND RECHARGE ABOUT 1 TO 2 TIMES A DAY. THE WHOLE DRAIN/RECHARGE PROCESS TAKES ABOUT 7 TO 10 MINUTES, AND WITH A 20 MINUTE COMMUTE EACH WAY, I AM SPENDING ABOUT HALF OF THE TIME DRIVING WITHOUT THE ASSIST OF THE BATTERY. THE IMPACT IS AS FOLLOWS: 1) LOWER MPG 2) SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED PERFORMANCE TO THE POIN THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO ACCELERATE. THIS CAR WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THE ASSIST OF THE BATTERY. IT IS TOO SLOW. EVEN WITH THE BATTERY ASSIST, IT IS ALREADY ONE OF THE SLOWEST CARS ON THE ROAD, WITHOUT IT IT BECOMES DANGEROUS. THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE I HAD TO MERGE AND ACCELERATE HARD, AND THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE. THE GUY BEHIND ME HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER NOT TO CRASH INTO MY CAR. I NOW HAVE 55,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES. THEY RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE, BUT SAID THAT UNLESS SOMETHING COMES UP ON THE DISPLAY (WARNINGS, ERRORS, ALERTS), THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I AM REPORTING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I WANT HONDA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DESIGN DEFECT THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

MY CIVIC HYBRID BATTERY HAS BEEN DECLINING IN POWER FOR ABOUT THE LAST 2 YEARS, MOST LIKELY DUE TO A FAILING HYBRID BATTERY THAT HONDA REFUSES TO REPLACE. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, MY HYBRID BATTER WILL FAIL TO PROVIDE ANY ASSIST DURING ACCELERATIONS. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK AS THE SYSTEM SUDDENLY NOTICES THE BATTERY HAS NO CHARGE (IT INSTANTLY GOES FROM ABOUT 1/2 THE BARS OF CHARGE TO JUST 1). THIS HAS HAPPENED AT A CRITICAL MOMENT WHEN I NEED POWER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I NEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. ONE NORMALLY EXPECTS A CONSISTENT AMOUNT OF POWER WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, AND IMAGINE WHAT HARM CAN OCCUR IF SUDDENLY A SUBSTANTIALLY LESS MOUNT OF POWER IS DELIVERED WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER. *TR