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.

ERRACTIC POWER ON STARTING FROM A STOP. THE IMA SYSTEM SAYS IT HAS ASSIST POWER BUT THE CAR STARTS MOVING "VERY" SLOWLY AND THEN DRAINS THE IMA LIGHTS DOWN TO NOTHING. THE CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE SLOWLY FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE GASOLINE ENGINE STARTS TO TO TAKE EFFECT AND GETTING UP TO SPEED, VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. AT OTHER TIMES THE IMS INDICATOR IS ERRATIC ON THE DASH BUT THE SYSTEM IS OKAY. THE LIGHTS WILL BE FULL UP AND SUDDENLY DROP TO NOTHING AND A FEW MINUTES LATER IT'S FULL AGAIN. I HAD JOE MORGAN HONDA CHECK IT OUT AND THEY EVEN ROAD TESTED IT WITH INSTRUMENTS ATTACHED AND IT CHECKED OUT OKAY (QUOTE FROM TYLER THE SERVICE REP. OF JOE MORGAN - 10-13-2015). ALL EXPERIENCES WERE ON FLAT GROUND DRY PAVEMENT AND GOOD CONDITIONS. THERE WERE CONDITIONS WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE SLOW ACCELERATION ON A GRADE (SMALL LIKE 5-15% MAYBE) AND THE RESULTS WERE EVEN WORSE.

HAD IMA FAILURE (2009) WHERE VEHICLE WOULDN'T EXCEED 20 MPH. PARKED VEHICLE, REQUIRED JUMPSTART & BUT WAS TOWED HOME ~25 MILES. JUMPED CAR AGAIN W/ NO IMA; DROVE 2 LOS GATOS HONDA. IMA TROUBLE FIXED; EXPLANATION NOT SPECIFIC. UNBEKNOWNST 2 ME, OTHER DRIVERS HAD SAME TROUBLE & HONDA WAS (HEARSAY) AWARE OF IT. NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 4 DRIVER WINDOW (FIXED SAME VISIT) OR RECALL 4 REAR SUSP. (FOUND OUT ABOUT 3-YR OLD RECALL BY A BLOG BACK IN FEBRUARY 2012). HONDA PERFORMED BATTERY "FIX" THAT WAS 2 MAKE CAR BETTER, IT HASN'T. CAR HAS REFUSED 2 AUTO-STOP & HAS GAS ENGINE POWER (SIGNIFICANTLY < THE GAS ONLY HC) ONLY 4 MANY MONTHS AS CHARGING/DISCHARGING OF IMA BATTERY HAS BEEN ERRATIC. EVERY DAY STATE-OF-CHARGE (SOC) GOES 2 TWO BARS W/IN A 1/2MILE = NO AUTO-STOP OR IMA ASSIST GETTING ON2 FREEWAY. AFTER 3-4MILES, IMA BACK 2 7-8 BARS & WILL BE BACK DOWN 2 < 4 BARS & NO IMA ASSIST AGAIN ONCE OR TWICE MORE ON REMAINDER OF DRIVE HOME. THIS NEVER HAPPENED PRE "FIX", NEVER! HAVE 2 TEENAGERS WHO DRIVE CAR ON OCCASION & ALSO MY WIFE & 8 & 3 YEAR OLD CHILDREN WHO RIDE IN CAR ALSO. W/O AMPLE POWER, CAN B HAZRDOUS 4 THESE DRIVERS & PASSENGERS. CAR ISN'T AS RELIABLE & EFFICIENT AS PRIOR 2 "FIX". I'M WORRIED I HAVE 2 WAIT 4 A TOTAL FAILURE 2 HAVE IT REPLACED. THAT'S THE ULTIMATE DANGER! HONDA WON'T RETURN CAR 2 PRE "FIX" CONDITION, SAID A PERMANENT SOFTWARE FIX. NO PASSING POWER IN MIDDLE OF COMMUTE (30 MILES EACH WAY) CAN B DISCONCERTING. "FIX" MADE CAR UNSAFE DEPENDING ON BATTERY SOC & SHOULD HAVE R2'D BATTERY PACK NOT DO WORKAROUND LEAVING POTENTIAL 4 MISHAP OR WORSE. READING ABOUT CLASS ACTION THAT HONDA MADE ME AWARE OF, I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS CONCERN & HONDA SHOULDN'T B ALLOWED 2 STATE CAR IS SAFE BCUZ THEY'RE AWARE THEIR "FIX" WAS A BAND-AID 2 GET OWNER OUT OF WARRANTY PERIOD. HONDA IS REFUSING 2 REPLACE BATTERY UNTIL THERE IS A COMPLETE, ABSOLUTE FAILURE. THAT'S NOT SAFE! *TR

HONDA ASKED ME TO APPLY THE CIVIC HYBRID BATTERY PACK SOFTWARE UPGRADE PATCH SOMETIME END OF 2010.AFTER APPLYING THE PATCH THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR WENT DOWN FROM 45-49MPG TO 35-40MPG AND ALSO REDUCED ACCELERATION FROM A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN - CAR JUST DRAGS TO GET ACCELERATED. COMPLAINED TO HONDA DEALER MANY TIMES AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME ITS THE WAY IM DRIVING AND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE ALSO JOINED THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UN-ACCEPTABLE TO GIVE FALSE INFORMATION TO THE CUSTOMER WHILE SELLING THE PRODUCT AND I FEEL CHEATED. *TR

THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE VOLTAGE CONVERTER THAT RELAYS POWER FROM THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) SYSTEM TO THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO FAIL. .A CVT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE GEARS, SO THE SYSTEM USES ELECTRONICS TO DIRECT THE TRANSMISSION TO UP- OR DOWNSHIFT IN SPECIFIC WAYS WHEN A DRIVER HITS A PADDLE.BATTERY LOSES CHARGE SUDDENLY AND POWER IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOST TO THE POINT WHERE ACCELERATION IS NOT POSSIBLE. THIS HAS CREATED SEVERAL UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION IN HIGHWAY AND EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCES, AS I CAN NOT GET IN SAFELY OR MAINTAIN SAFE SPEED DURING DRIVING. THIS INCIDENT HAS REPEATED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. BATTERY INDICATOR DROPS TO ZERO BAR OR ONE BAR AND POWER IS LOST SIGNIFICANTLY. SLUGGISH TO POOR ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY IN HIGHWAY MERGE SITUATIONS PLACING OWNER IS DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. WHEN BATTERY CHARGED AT LEAST 50%, ACCELERATION IS ACCEPTABLE AS THE IMA ASSIST IN ACCELERATION.THE VEHICLE'S HYBRID IMA SYSTEM (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST) HAS BEEN STEADILY DETERIORATING THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM MUST RECHARGE SO FREQUENTLY THAT BATTERY ASSIST IS AVAILABLE LESS THAN HALF THE TIME. WHEN ASSIST IS UNAVAILABLE, ACCELERATION IS DANGEROUSLY LOW, MAKING COMMON DRIVING SITUATIONS SUCH AS LEFT TURNS, FREEWAY ONRAMPS, AND MERGING INTO TRAFFIC UNPREDICTABLE AND QUITE HAZARDOUS. HONDA'S ONLY RESPONSE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF INEFFECTIVE SOFTWARE UPDATES. HONDA WILL NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY UNLESS A WARNING LIGHT APPEARS. YET EVEN THE CURRENT SEVERELY DEGRADED PERFORMANCE OF THE BATTERY DOES NOT TRIGGER THAT WARNING LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL NEAR MISS SITUATIONS WHEN ACCELERATION WAS SO SLUGGISH THAT I WAS NEARLY UNABLE TO EVADE A DANGEROUS TRAFFIC SITUATION. *TR

WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO A BUSY 55 MPH HIGHWAY FROM A SIDE STREET, MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ELECTRICAL PROPULSION FROM THE HYBRID MOTOR. THE HYBRID BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE INDICATOR WAS AT 6 OUT OF 8 BARS OF BATTERY LEVEL WHILE WAITING AT THE STOP SIGN, BUT WHEN THE DEMAND FOR ELECTRICAL ASSIST WAS GIVEN, THE BATTERY LEVEL IMMEDIATELY DROPPED TO 2 OUT OF 8 BARS AND PROVIDED LITTLE OR NO HYBRID MOTOR ASSIST. MY VEHICLE STRUGGLED TO ACCELERATE UP TO SPEED OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR (WIDE OPEN THROTTLE). LUCKILY, THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE PUTTING MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS AT RISK LIKE THIS. THIS VEHICLE WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO OPERATE SOLELY ON THE GASOLINE ENGINE, AS IT IS UNDER-POWERED BY DESIGN AND DEPENDENT ON ASSISTANCE FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. THE CAR HAS SINCE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THE BATTERY LEVEL HAS UNPREDICTABLY DROPPED AND LACKED HYBRID ELECTRIC ASSIST. MY MAIN SAFETY CONCERN ARISES NOT ONLY FROM THIS LACK OF PROPULSION FROM THE DESIGNED MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS, BUT IN THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF TO WHAT MAGNITUDE THE ACCELERATION IS AFFECTED. USUALLY THE VEHICLE OPERATES CORRECTLY AND IS ABLE TO PROVIDE AT LEAST SOME ELECTRIC ASSIST, AS PREDICTED AND INTENDED. HOWEVER, IT IS THE RARE AND UNPREDICTABLE OCCASION THAT IT DOES NOT THAT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

THIS VEHICLE RECEIVED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE BATTERIES. THIS UPDATE INCREASED THE DANGER OF THIS VEHICLE MORE THAN IT HAD WHEN IT WAS NEW. THE GREATEST HAZARD IS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS UNPREDICTABLE AMOUNTS OF POWER. I HAD AN INCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO CROSS A BUSY STREET ON AN INCLINE WITH A LIMITED VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NORMALLY, THE VEHICLE SUPPLIES SUFFICIENT POWER TO CROSS TRAFFIC BUT THIS TIME THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH AND THE CAR SEEMED TO CRAWL WHILE TRAFFIC WAS BEARING DOWN UPON ME. THANKFULLY, THE ALERT ONCOMING DRIVER AVOIDED HITTING ME. AS FOR GAS MILEAGE, THE VEHICLE NEVER CAME CLOSE TO THE EPA MILEAGE OF 51 MPG, THE UPDATE DROPPED THE MILEAGE DOWN TO AROUND 35 MPG. *TR

BATTERY LOSES CHARGE SUDDENLY AND POWER IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOST TO THE POINT WHERE ACCELERATION IS NOT POSSIBLE. THIS HAS CREATED SEVERAL UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION IN HIGHWAY AND EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCES, AS I CAN NOT GET IN SAFELY OR MAINTAIN SAFE SPEED DURING DRIVING. THIS INCIDENT HAS REPEATED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. BATTERY INDICATOR DROPS TO ZERO BAR OR ONE BAR AND POWER IS LOST SIGNIFICANTLY. *TR