2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

LIKE OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM WE NOTICED A NOISE FROM THE TIRES WHEN WE WERE ON A NEWLY PAVED ROAD ON AN EXTENDED TRIP. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE CUPPED AND THE CAR WOULD NEED AN ALIGNMENT. WE ENDED UP REPLACING ALL 4 TIRES WITH 20000 MILES ON THEM...A LOT SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I SAW THERE WAS A CORRECTION FOR 2008 CIVICS, BUT NOT FOR 2009. EITHER THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, OR WE WERE UNFORTUNATE TO PURCHASE A 2009 EARLY IN THE PRODUCTION RUN THAT WAS NOT CORRECTED. HONDA ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED....UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF

VEHICLE FAILS TO ACCELERATE AND SHUTS DOWN AS MOVING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BELIEVE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BATTERIES, ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THE BATTERIES FAIL TO DRIVE THE ELECTRIC MOTORS, THE GAS ENGINE DOES NOT ENGAGE AND FOR SOME REASON IT WILL SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DETECT A CODE OR DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED ON MANY SITES (INCLUDING THIS ONE). THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BATTERIES BUT HONDA DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE OUT THE BATTERIES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A FORCED RECALL BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT OR KILLED.

ENTERED THE VEHICLE, CLOSED THE DOOR, TURNED ON THE IGNITION, STARTED CONNECTING MY PHONE TO THE PHONE CHARGER AND THE SIDE AIRBAGS (CURTAIN AIRBAGS) DEPLOYED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NOR HAD ANY DAMAGE ON THE BODY. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY, GEICO AND THE VEHICLE IS BEING TOWED TO THE CLOSEST HONDA DEALER TO EXAMINE THE DATA EVENT RECORDER TO REVIEW THE COMPUTER FOR DEFECTS. ..UPDATED 12/11/14*BF UPDATED 06/2/2015 *JS...UPDATED 12/29/15 *BF HONDA FOUND THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT WAS CAUSED BY AN ANOMALY ON MICRO CHIP INSIDE THE SRS CONTROL UNIT, RESULTING IN A FALSE DETECTION OF IMPACT AND INCORRECT INSTRUCTION FOR DEPLOYMENT. THE ANOMALY ON THE MICRO CHIP HAD BECOME CONTAMINATED BY A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE DURING THE WAFER PRODUCTION PROCESS. THE CRASH SENSORS DID NOT HAVE ANY ANOMALIES. UPDATED 1/22/2015 *JS

AFTER HAVING THE 3RD IMA BATTERY INSTALLED IN MY HCH 2009, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THE REASON THAT THE BATTERIES WERE FAILING AND WOULD CONTINUE TO FAIL AT A RATE OF ABOUT EVERY 2-3 YEARS, WAS THAT I "WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR ENOUGH". I DRIVE MY CAR PLENTY--45000 MILES ON IT. AND I WAS NEVER TOLD WHEN I WAS BUYING THE CAR THAT I NEEDED TO DRIVE IT LIKE A TAXI CAB TO INSURE THE BATTERY'S LIFE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED ALL OF THE SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH A FAILING BATTERY, I.E. SLUGGISH OR NEARLY NO ACCELERATION (OFTEN IN CRITICAL TRAFFIC SITUATIONS), AS WELL AS POOR MPG. I DID NOT BUY THE HONDA HYBRID FOR ITS SUPERIOR GAS MILEAGE--IF I WANTED THE BEST I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A PRIUS. BUT I DID WANT TO INVEST IN HONDA AND THE CONTINUANCE OF DEPENDABILITY, SERVICE, AND PERFORMANCE (THIS IS MY 3RD HONDA). I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN HONDA OFFERED ME NOTHING MORE THAN THE USUAL CUSTOMER WHEN I TRIED TO TRADE IN AND REPURCHASE A 2015 NON-HYBRID CIVIC. I PAID A LOT EXTRA FOR THEIR 2009 HYBRID TECHNOLOGY, AS DID MANY OTHERS, WITH NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE PERFORMANCE THAT THEY PROMISED. *TR

ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2009 CIVIC HYBRID, IT BEGAN TO HAVE SERIOUS ACCELERATION ISSUES. THE PROBLEMS APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE TRACTION BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL, AND IT IS WORSE WHEN AMBIENT TEMPS ARE HIGH. THE FAULT IS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL UNPREDICTABLY FAIL TO ACCELERATE, AS THE TRACTION ENGINE REFUSES TO ASSIST, AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE AND CVT BARELY ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE UNTIL RPMS GET UP HIGHER. AFTER GETTING A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY, THE SITUATION WAS MUCH IMPROVED, BUT NOW AS THE VEHICLE AGES THE PROBLEM IS BACK, AND WORSE THAN EVER. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONFIDENTLY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, AS THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUSLY ERRATIC IN PERFORMANCE. *TR

CAR DIED AT 50MPH ON A STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD FOR NO REASON. DASHBOARD DISPLAY WENT BLANK AND POWER STEERING LOST. PUT CAR INTO NEUTRAL, RESTARTED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RECOVERED POWER STEERING AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THIS IS THE SECOND SIMILAR INCIDENT BUT THE FIRST AT HIGH SPEED. MECHANICS SAID THERE WAS A CORRODED BATTERY CABLE, THEN LATER INDICATED THAT IT JUST NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED, HOWEVER, THE BATTERY IS BRAND NEW AND THE CABLE WAS CHECKED AND THE CONNECTION WAS SECURE AND ENTIRELY FREE OF CORROSION JUST DAYS BEFORE. IN ADDITION, THE MPG CALCULATION DID NOT RESET AS IT DOES WHEN THE 12V BATTERY IS ACTUALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE CIRCUIT. *TR

AS WITH MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, THE VEHICLE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE IMA LIGHT CAME ON. IT HISTORICALLY FLICKERED ON AND OFF AND WE THOUGHT INITIALLY NOTHING OF IT. WE THEN DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT HONDA HAS IGNORED THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, & INSTEAD HAVE HAD THEIR DEALERSHIPS DECIDE ON WHETHER TO REPLACE OR NOT. INITIALLY THE DEALERSHIP TOLD MY WIFE & I THAT IT WOULD COST $4.5K+ TO REPLACE THE BATTERY, BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER A WARRANTABLE ITEM. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANYTHING HONDA WAS DOING TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE. AFTER I DID MY GENERAL ONLINE RESEARCH, THE DEALER MYSTERIOUSLY CAME BACK WITH THEIR OFFER TO PAY ALL BUT $450+ OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. BOTH MY WIFE AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE DEALER DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR FREE OR AT SUCH A GREAT DISCOUNT. AFTER FURTHER COMPLAINING AND KNOWING WE NEEDED A WORKING CAR, MY WIFE HAGGLED WITH THE DEALER DOWN TO $265 TO REPLACE A PART THAT WOULD HAVE COST $4.5K+. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WHOLE BATTERY REPLACEMENT SCREAMS 'FISHY', BUT WITH NO ACTION BY NHTSA TO ADDRESS A GROWING CHORUS OF PERSONS WHO OWN THE 2009 HYBRID, PEOPLE WILL ULTIMATELY PAY THE $4.5K IF THEY DON'T KNOW THAT HONDA MAY BE SILENTLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE, BUT LEAVING IT UP TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAND OUT THE SOLUTION AT THEIR WHIM. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED @ 100% BY HONDA INCLUDING LABOR. THIS IS/WAS A DEFECTIVE ITEM FROM THE 2009 MODEL THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED, BUT SADLY IT WONT BE UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT. I SAY HURT BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID, TO GET US TO PAY THE INITIAL $4.5K+, THAT IF WE DIDN'T REPLACE THE BATTERY THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN & ALL THINGS CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY WOULD ALSO FAIL AS WELL, INCLUDING STEERING AND BRAKING. THIS LEAVES 3 CHOICES: PAY THE 4500; BUY A NEW HONDA AND GET NOTHING FOR THE OLD ONE; LEAVE HONDA AND GET ANOTHER BRANDED CAR. ALL BAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED AS IT RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2012, I BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE IMA BATTERY FAILING ON MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID (2009). I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HONDA SHOP, AND THE BATTERY FAILED BECAUSE OF HIGH VOLTAGE AND DETERIORATION. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS TRIED FIRST. WITHIN 5 MILES, THE BATTERY FAILED AGAIN. THE CAR STOPPED USING THE HYBRID MOTOR, SO I HAD NO ASSIST WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. THE GAS ENGINE REVVED, BUT IT DID NOT MOVE THE CAR. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD WITH AN 85 HP ENGINE THAT WAS REVVING HIGH BUT GOING NOWHERE. I GOT LUCKY THAT I COULD GO INTO REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY, I TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP, BUT THE CAR AND BATTERY WERE ACTING FUNNY AGAIN. I WOULD GET A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE BATTERY TO CHARGE, THE WHITE LIGHTS WOULD INDICATE AN ASSIST, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE, AND IT WOULD REV HIGH BUT NOT GO FORWARD. THAT CAR AND ITS FLAWED BATTERY AND HORRIBLE SOFTWARE UPDATE COULD HAVE KILLED ME. THAT COMBINATION INDICATES A SERIOUS DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAW. IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO GET A NEW BATTERY, AND THAT NEW BATTERY IS THE THIRD FOR THIS CAR. *TR