2007 Honda Civic Hybrid

IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS I'VE HAD TWO INSTANCES WHERE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT A GREEN LIGHT AND HAD TO YIELD TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, WHEN THE NEXT ONCOMING VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE FAR ENOUGH AWAY AND AT A SAFE DISTANCE, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND MAKE THE TURN AND MY HYBRID SYSTEM A.K.A. HONDA'S IMA (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST) WOULD RANDOMLY FAIL TO ENGAGE, LEAVING ME WITH ALMOST NO ACCELERATION POWER. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING A LAWNMOWER. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPORTIONATELY ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE UPHILL IN DOWNTOWN TACOMA, WA AS IT STARTS ROLLING BACK EVEN WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A SB-10051509-6014 ISSUED FOR MY SPECIFIC MODEL, WHICH IN EFFECT EXTENDED THE WARRANTY AND MY VIN FELL UNDER THE SPECIFIED CRITERIA, IT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO A SALVAGE BRANDED TITLE (A FACT I DIDN'T NOT NOTICE UNTIL AFTER I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY). THIS ISN'T SIMPLY A WARRANTY ISSUE. THIS IS IN EFFECT A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION IN AN EMERGENCY. THE RISK IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED BY THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER MAKING THE LEFT TURN IS FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHICH IS COMING TOWARDS THE VEHICLE IN FULL SPEED. SHOULD A CHILD BE PRESENT IN THE REAR SEAT, IF THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE LEFT TURN AND VACATE THE INTERSECTION IN TIME, THE COLLISION COULD PROVE FATAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE HYBRID BATTERY PACK AND THE HIGH VOLTAGE WIRES ARE ALL CONNECTED RIGHT BEHIND THE REAR SEAT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IMA BATTERY FAILED, THE VEHICLE WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE, AND THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE IMA WARNING LIGHT FLASHED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT DIMMED. ONE MECHANIC PROVIDED TESTING AND A SECOND MECHANIC ALSO INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED THE FAILURES, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REPAIR SOLUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 72 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DEACTIVATE IT, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 100 MPH ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SPUN 360 DEGREES AND CRASHED INTO THE CONCRETE BARRIER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 08/12/16*LJ *CN

MY SON STARTED TO TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT, ACCELERATING NORMALLY. CAR RESPONDED BY ACCELERATING MASSIVELY --THE RPMS SHOT UP TO THE MAX (7) AND HE HEARD IT STUTTER AGAINST THE TOP OF THE DIAL. HE TRIED TO COMPLETE THE TURN, BUT SKIDDED INTO A POLE, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. CAR CONTINUED TO RACE FULL SPEED AS IT BOUNCED OVER A PARKING CURB BACK INTO THE LOT. FINALLY THE CAR STOPPED WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF. *TR

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

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

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

EVER SINCE HONDA DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON MY CAR'S ENGINE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE BATTERY, MY CAR HAS HAD INTERMITTENT ACCELERATIONS ISSUES. FOR EXAMPLE, LAST SUMMER, I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, MY CAR DIDN'T SEEM TO WANT TO "GO". I HAD TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL ABOUT 3 TIMES TO GET IT TO "ENGAGE" AND ACTUALLY MOVE. MANY TIMES THE CAR IS SLUGGISH TO START FROM A STOP, OR ACCELERATE, BUT IT DOES "GO", JUST NOT AS PROMPTLY AND QUICKLY AS IT SHOULD. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENTS OCCURRED LAST MONTH AND HAS PROMPTED THIS COMPLAINT. BOTH INVOLVED MERGING ONTO A FREEWAY. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE, WHICH I KNEW WOULD TURN EXIT ONLY A MILE OR SO DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WAS A TRUCK ON MY LEFT, FOLLOWED BY A LONG LINE OF SLOW MOVING CARS. SO I THOUGHT, SINCE THE TRUCK WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME, I WOULD SPEED UP A LITTLE BIT AND BIT AND GET IN FRONT OF IT. TO SPEED UP ONLY FAST ENOUGH TO PASS THIS TRUCK, MY CAR REVVED TO OVER 6000 RPM. IT JUST DIDN'T WANT TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY. I DID SAFELY MAKE THE LANE CHANGE IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK; THE WORST THING THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS CASE WAS GETTING OFF AT AN EXIT I DID NOT INTEND TO GET OFF AT. HOWEVER, THE NEXT DAY, I WAS MERGING ONTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC WITH A TYPICAL LANE LENGTH TO ALLOW MERGING. MY CAR DIDN'T WANT TO ACCELERATE ENOUGH TO SAFELY ACCOMPLISH THE MERGE. I HAD TO REV THE ENGINE UP TO OVER 5000 RPM JUST TO GET UP TO BARELY 45 MPH TO ACCOMPLISH THE MERGE. I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ACCELERATION ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RECEIVING A SOFTWARE UPDATE THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND TAKE LONGER TO ACCELERATE UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.