2006 Honda Civic

2006 HONDA CIVIC HAD 35,000 CHECKUP ON AUG 23,2010 - ON SEPT 30 THE CAR REFUSED TO START AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING - OCT 1 LOCAL DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE BATTERY NEED REPLACING AT A COST OF $1040, INCLUDING TOWING. I WAS TOLD THAT NO THE BATTERY PROBLEM SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND ON 8/23 AND THAT IT COULD HAPPEN OVERNIGHT - THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHEN YOUR CAR WILL DIE! THE BATTERY IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SO NOTHING SHOWS UP ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY UNTIL THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED! THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE FOR REPLACING A BATTERY COSTING $79 - $135 IS RELATED TO THE COST OF REPLACING THE NECESSARY HARNESS WHICH IS BURNED THROUGH BY THE BATTERY ACID. I THINK THIS "DESIGN FLAW" - SO IDENTIFIED, AS ABOVE INFORMATION WAS, BY THE LOCAL SERVICE CONSULTANT - NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED AND OWNERS WARNED. IF THERE IS NO WAY TO IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL THEN HOW AM I TO TRUST THE CAR EVEN WHEN THE HARNESS AND BATTERY ARE REPLACED? *TR

HONDA HAS PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON MY 2006 CIVIC HYBRID. THE RESULTS ARE TANTAMOUNT TO HAVING REPLACED MY CAR WITH ANOTHER THAT HAS MARKEDLY INFERIOR RESPONSE, PERFORMANCE, AND GAS MILEAGE: * ABOUT 10 MPG DECREASE SINCE THE 8/4/2010 IMA SOFTWARE UPDATE * RARE IVA ASSIST ON STARTING FROM 0, RESULTING IN A NOTICEABLE LAG BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND MOVEMENT FROM A STOPPED POSITION - THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. * RESPONSIVENESS OF ACCELERATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS INCONSISTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE - SINCE THIS AFFECTS DRIVER REACTION AND RESPONSIVENESS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOTE: THE SOFTWARE UPDATE RENDERS THE ELECTRIC MOTOR PRACTICALLY MOOT. SINCE IN MY CASE THE BATTERY DROPS ITS CHARGE RADICALLY OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD IF NOT USED, THE UPDATE APPEARS TO BE DOING LITTLE MORE THAN PREVENTING AN ALREADY COMPROMISED BATTERY FROM FAILING. *TR

2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID -- THIS VEHICLE RELIES ON BATTERY ASSISTANCE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 20+ HORSEPOWER BUT IS NOW SEVERELY COMPROMISED BY BATTERY DEGRADATION THAT HONDA IS TRYING TO COVER UP WITH A "SOFTWARE UPDATE" THAT ONLY DECREASES VEHICLE'S DEPENDENCE ON THE BATTERY THUS ENSURES LESS HORSEPOWER THAN ADVERTISED. THE CAR HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE INABILITY TO RELY ON IT RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED, SUDDEN LOSSES OF POWER, DYING BATTERY, AND MORE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF AN UNKNOWN MANUFACTURERS RECALL PERTAINING TO AN ENGINE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HOWEVER FOLLOWING REPAIRS, THE HYBRID BATTERY BECAME NON-FUNCTIONAL AND WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT POOR GAS MILEAGE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SLUGGISHLY ACCELERATE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AN ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

GREAT CAR FOR THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. STARTED LOSING HYBRID BATTERY POWER AND HYBRID ASSIST AROUND 8.09 POWER AND MILEAGE SUFFER MULTIPLE TRIP TO DEALER AND SEVERAL SOFTWARE PATCHES INSTALLED. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO LOSE BATTERY AT WORST POSSIBLE TIME AND SUDDENLY START AT STOPLIGHTS THIS IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO WORK AND SCHOOL BY HERSELF IN THE RIDESHARE LINE. SHE NO LONGER DRIVES THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I FEAR FOR HER SAFETY ON BUSY CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS. HYBRID BATTERY FINALLY REPLACED BY HONDA AFTER CONSULTING AN ATTORNEY AND MENTIONING ALL THE FOLKS ON THE NHTSA SITE HAVING THE SAME CONCERN. SUDDEN STARTS AT STOPS NO LONGER THERE BUT STILL HAS A TOTAL LACK OF POWER ON ACCELERATION DUE TO NEW SOFTWARE PACKAGE DESIGNED TO SAVE THE BATTERY RECEIVED NEW RECALL LETTER FOR HYBRID SYSTEM THAT STATES IT WILL FURTHER REDUCE HYBRID USAGE, THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING TO HAVE THAT PATCH INSTALLED THIS CAR IS USELESS TO MY FAMILY NOW AND RECENTLY TRIED TO TRADE IT IN, DEALERSHIP DO NOT WANT IT DUE TO THE RISING CONCERN WITH CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, LOUSY MILEAGE, ETC I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THIS VEHICLE AND EVEN PROVIDE IT TO YOU TO DRIVE AND TEST. THIS PROBLEM IS AMPLIFIED IN WARM WEATHER AND WHEN THE A/C IS ON. THIS CAR DID NOT DO THIS IN THE FIRST TO YEARS OF SERVICE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

1. HONDA CIVIC HYBRID BATTERY LOSES POWER, DOES NOT PERFORM IDLE STOPS THAT RECHARGE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST BATTERY, INABILITY TO ACCELERATE ON FREEWAY ONRAMPS OR WHEN DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCES NECESSITATE ACCELERATION, DECREASED GAS MILEAGE. 2. AT 34,347 MILES BEGAN NOTICING IMA BATTERY DOESN'T LAST LONG AND MAKES ACCELERATION DIFFICULT. AT 62, 430 MILES I AM CONCERNED FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. CAR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE EVEN ON STREETS. AT 69,388 PROBLEMS CONTINUE WITH A NOTICEABLE DIP IN GAS MILEAGE. AT 90,747 MILES IMA BATTERY SENSOR INDICATES A PROBLEM. BATTERY NOT WORKING PROPERLY. 3. PER HONDA AT EACH SERVICE ONLY SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. NO PARTS REPLACED. THEREFORE, BATTERY IS STILL ONLY CHARGES UP TO HALFWAY. THE BATTERY ISN'T CONSISTENTLY DEAD TO START WITH BUT IT DOES DIE DOWN AGAIN WITH DRIVING. *TR

HONDA CIVIC 2006 SEDAN 4 DOOR. APPROX. 40,000 MILES ON THE CAR (FAILURE OCCURRED AS SOON AS ODOMETER WENT PASS 40,000 MILES). CAN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT PRESSING THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE BUTTON. BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. CONTACTED HONDA AND REP THERE SAID THE ISSUE COULD BE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. REP SAID HONDA HAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL OF 07V402000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH) SO TAKE CAR TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR SERVICING. MECHANIC REP SAYS THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY RECALL, BUT IN THE 07V402000 SPECIFICALLY INCLUDES 2006 CIVIC SEDANS. MAIN ISSUE I HAVE IS THAT HONDA FAILED TO NOTIFY ME ABOUT THIS SAFETY RECALL. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND MY CAR IS REGISTERED WITH HONDA. LAST TIME HONDA SENT ME A POSTCARD ABOUT THE SAFETY RECALL 07V399000 SO I GOT IT FIXED IMMEDIATELY, WHICH PROBABLY SAVED MY LIFE SINCE MY WHEEL WAS ON THE VERGE OF FALLING OFF! *TR