2006 Honda Civic

SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST THE ACCELERATION IN MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE THE EXTRA BURST OF SPEED WHEN NEEDED, MAKING ME UNCOMFORTABLE IN TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS SITUATION HAPPENS AS I AM LEAVING MY SUBDIVISION I FEEL HELPLESS IN A SITUATION OF WHICH I HAVE LITTLE CONTROL. WHEN I NEED TO MAKE TURN FROM MY SUBDIVISION FROM A STOP, I NEED TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE TO 45 MPH UPHILL. MUCH OF THE TIME THERE IS TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM THE LEFT WHICH I AM UNABLE SEE TO UNTIL THEY ARE ON THE CREST OF THAT HILL, APPROX. 150' AWAY. AS YOU CAN SEE, I DEPEND ON THE HYBRID SYSTEM WORKING PROPERLY FOR THAT EXTRA BURST OF SPEED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I NOTICE THE IMA BATTERY CHARGE INDICATOR SHOWING THE BATTERY IS IN A DEPLETED STATE. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS OCCURS SO RAPIDLY WHEN 99% OF THE TIME IT IS JUST FINE. I WAS RELIEVED THAT HONDA MOTOR CO. WAS PROACTIVE IN NOTIFYING ME OF A SOFTWARE PATCH TO ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE IMA SYSTEM OF WHICH I HAD IMMEDIATELY INSTALLED. WHAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE NOTICED SINCE THE SOFTWARE PATCH WAS INSTALLED IS THE ENGINE REVS UP HIGHER DURING ACCELERATION THEN THERE IS A MOMENTARY HESITATION BEFORE THE IMA SYSTEM ASSISTED THE ENGINE TO GET UP TO SPEED. ALSO SINCE THE PATCH WAS INSTALLED, THE IMA BATTERY LEVEL INDICATOR IS AT OR NEAR FULL CHARGE. I HAVE NOTICED AN APPARENT DECREASE IN FUEL EFFICIENCY, BUT I AM STILL COMPILING DATA TO MAKE AN EXACT DETERMINATION OF THE EXTENT OF THAT PROBLEM. *TR

2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, QUIT WHILE DRIVING. LOST ALL POWER, HAD NO LIGHTS, BRAKE, TURN, 4 WAYS ETC. LUCKILY THE CAR QUIT ON A SIDE STREET HAD IT BEEN ON AN BUSY ROAD OR INTERSTATE THE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN DISABLED WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO WARN CARS COMING UP FROM BEHIND. CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THE DC TO DC CONVERTER HAD SHORTED INTERNALLY. *TR

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID--2006. IMA ASSIST ABNORMALITIES FOLLOWING MOST RECENT HONDA REPAIR CAMPAIGN. MY 2006 CIVIC HYBRID WAS GIVEN A SOFTWARE UPDATE BY HONDA ON 8/5/2010 FOLLOWING A CAMPAIGN INITIATED BY HONDA TO ADDRESS LOSS OF POWER AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO IMA HYBRID BATTERY DETERIORATION AND FAILURE. PRIOR TO THE UPDATE THE VEHICLE WOULD OFTEN LOSE BATTERY CHARGE SUDDENLY, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AND AT ONE POINT STRANDING ME IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN JULY, 2010. THE MOST RECENT UPDATE (I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FROM HONDA IN OVER THE 4.25 YRS OF OWNERSHIP) HAS NOT FIXED THE ISSUE OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER FROM TRANSIENT BATTERY FAILURES THAT OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, OFTEN WHEN ACCELERATING UP STEEP INCLINES OR ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION TO THE ONGOING ISSUES, THE HYBRID BATTERY NOW FAILS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ASSISTANCE WHEN ACCELERATING, MERGING INTO HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC, ETC. AND EXPERIENCES WIDE FLUCTUATIONS IN CHARGE, JUMPING FROM 1/3 CHARGE TO COMPLETELY FULL WITH SUDDEN DROPS OF A SIMILAR FASHION. THESE FLUCTUATIONS CONTINUE TO OCCUR REGARDLESS OF DRIVING CONDITIONS, AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, ACCESSORY OR A/C USE OR OTHER EXTENUATING FACTORS AND OCCUR MULTIPLE TIMES PER WEEK, AND MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY ON OCCASION (6 BATTERY FAILURES IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE SINCE THE UPDATE). I HAVE EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 1 NEAR-MISS ACCIDENT IN THE LAST 30 DAYS DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND HONDA'S MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THE FAILURES FROM A SOFTWARE PERSPECTIVE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. *TR

I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM HONDA THAT MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO STOP PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURE. HAD UPDATE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER A HYBRID CAR. IT BASICALLY RUNS OFF THE ENGINE. THE ONLY TIME THE INTEGRATE MOTOR ASSIST UNIT WORKS IS WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST MOVING FROM A STOP, AND EVEN THEN IT IS RELATIVELY USELESS. THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY WAS EXCELLENT. MOTOR ASSIST WORKED GREAT. HONDA ISSUED RECALL UPDATE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS FOR EARLY BATTERY FAILURE. THEY HAVE SHUT OFF THE HYBRID SYSTEM IN ORDER TO STOP BATTERY FAILURE WHICH WOULD HAVE COST THEM OVER $2000 PER CAR TO REPLACE. THEY HAVE NOT EXTENDED THE WARRANTIES OF EXISTING OWNERS LIKE MYSELF WHO HAVE 60,000 MILES. THE BATTERY WILL NOW LAST TO THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD BECAUSE IT NO LONGER NEEDS TO WORK. ACCORDING TO THE DASHBOARD, THE CAR IS CONSTANTLY CHARGING THE BATTERY, EVEN WHEN I PUSH THE PEDAL TO GET ONTO A HIGHWAY. THIS IS NOT THE HYBRID CAR I PURCHASED AND USED FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS. IT IS BASICALLY A GAS ENGINE WITH 40 HP. THE CAR HIT OVER 6500 RPM TO GET UP A HILL WITH ONE PASSENGER, AND THE MOTOR ASSIST DIDN'T TURN ON..BUT THE POWER BARS STAYED AT THE MIDDLE RANGE AND HONDA SAYS IT SHOULD. HOW DOES A VEHICLE REDUCE IMA ASSIST WHEN HITTING THE GAS? WHAT IS ALL THIS RESERVE BATTERY FOR? PROBABLY TO KEEP THE FLASHING LIGHTS WORKING WHEN SOMEONE HITS ME IN THE BACK THINKING I AM ACTUALLY MOVING. THIS UPDATE IS NOT SAFE. *TR

MY HONDA HYBRID 2006 LOOSES ALL ITS INDICATORS WHEN THE WEATHER IS EITHER HOT OR COLD; I LOOSE AIR CONDITIONING, AND SPEED INDICATOR; IMA SYSTEM AND CHECK ENGINE ALARMS GOES OFF. CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES BY HONDA DEALER; COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. AFTER RECENT RECALL AND SOFTWARE UPDATE INSTALLED YESTERDAY, THE CAR COULD BARELY START AT A LIGHT (RPM UP TO 6000, DRIVE ENGAGED, BARELY ANY MOVE FORWARD), AND NOT EVEN AN ALARM LIGHT ON ANYMORE; THIS REPRESENTS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE HER KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70000.

I OWN A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE IMA SYSTEM AND SINCE THAT TIME THE ACCELERATION OF MY CAR HAS DRAMATICALLY (AND PERHAPS DANGEROUSLY) DECREASED. HONDA CLAIMS IT WAS DONE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE LIFE OF THE BATTERY HOWEVER AT NO TIME DID THEY SAY IT WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR. THE GAS MILEAGE HAS ALSO SUFFERED BADLY. PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND I WAS GETTING EXCELLENT MILEAGE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID THAT I PURCHASED NEW IN CALIFORNIA IN JULY, 2006. I'M HAVING A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM (IMA AS HONDA CALLS IT), BUT HONDA KEEPS TELLING ME ITS NORMAL BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FAULT CODE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT LAST YEAR I STARTED TO NOTICE THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS HAVING INCREASING TROUBLE HOLDING A CHARGE AND ACCURATELY REPORTING IT'S CHARGE CONDITION. THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOM IS THAT I'LL START DRIVING WITH THE CHARGE BEING REPORTED AT 70% FULL OR SO, AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE CHARGE DROPS TO 0 AND THE CAR BEGINS TO AGGRESSIVELY RECHARGE THE BATTERY. THIS AGGRESSIVE RECHARGING TAKES ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES AFTER WHICH IS REPORTS IT IS FULL. BUT HERE'S WHERE THE DANGER LIES, IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF MINUTES, THERE IS NO ASSIST AVAILABLE FROM THE HYBRID BATTERY. WHEN STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE CAR IS EXTREMELY SLUGGISH AND SLOW. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CASES WHERE I HAVE BEEN PULLING ACROSS AN INTERSECTION WITH CROSS TRAFFIC THAT DOESN'T STOP AND THE CAR, WITHOUT WARNING, HAD SLIPPED INTO THIS RECHARGE STATE AND NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT - THE ONCOMING CARS HAD TO BRAKE AS I MOVED SLOWLY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. MY HONDA DEALER AND HONDA OF AMERICA WILL NOT LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM UNLESS THERE IS A FAULT CODE. I KNOW THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD ALMOST THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CIVICS. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HONDA REPLACE THEM HYBRID BATTERY AND THEIR PROBLEMS HAVE GONE AWAY. I AM INCREDIBLE UPSET THAT I HAVE TO PUT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AT RISK EACH TIME I DRIVE THIS CAR - IT IS A DAILY PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. I HOPE YOU OBSERVE WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM FELLOW OWNERS WHICH IS THAT THERE IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM THAT HONDA IS TRYING TO IGNORE BECAUSE THE SOLUTION IS VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IMA BATTERY (NOT THE REGULAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BUT THE INTEGRATED MOTOR) WILL NOT RETAIN CHARGE. WHEN DRIVING BEGINS, THE MOTOR ASSIST BATTERY QUICKLY (WITHIN 5 MILES) WILL DROP TO ZERO CHARGE LEAVING THE CAR WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ACCELERATION POWER. AT TIMES IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE BATTERY IS DEPLETED UNTIL IT IS NECESSARY TO PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR TO AVOID A PROBLEM ON THE ROAD. AT THAT POINT, THE BATTERY REFUSES TO RESPOND. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE NEEDED TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND. HONDA HAS LOOKED AT MY CAR AND HAS DECIDED THAT "WITHOUT THE IMA LIGHT COMING ON, THERE IS NO WAY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM," THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ALMOST EVERY DAY I DRIVE THE CAR (DOCUMENTED EVERY DAY FOR 2 MONTHS.) I HAVE NEARLY BEEN HIT 3 TIMES, ONCE WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. HONDA REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT "SOFTWARE UPDATES" AND REFUSES TO "THROW PARTS" (DIRECT HONDA QUOTE) AT THE PROBLEM. *TR