2007 Honda Civic

NOTE: I WISH I HAD FOUND THIS SITE YEARS AGO. I COULD NOT GET PAST FORDS "BRICK WALL" TO SPEAK TO AN ENGINEER! 1. 1997 AEROSTAR - ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED DOWN QUICKLY TO PASS (2 LANE HIGHWAY). 2. NOW IN THE LEFT LANE, NOT FAR AHEAD OF PASSED THE CAR - I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER - HARD RIGHT OVER TO SOFT SHOULDER - AVOIDED AN ONCOMING HEAD ON COLLISION - L JUST MISSED THE CAR BEING PASSED BY INCHES AND STOPPED. THE CRIMPED END OF CABLE TO THE CARBURETOR HAD RELEASED FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. 3. I CLAMPED THE CABLE BACK ONTO THE PEDAL WITH VICE GRIPS. (DROVE TO DEALER). FORD REPLACED THE CABLE. THAT PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. (I DO NOT PRESS DOWN HARD EITHER!) *TR

MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IS FREQUENTLY SLUGGISH AND DOESN'T ACCELERATE AS RAPIDLY AS I WAS USED TO WHEN IT PERFORMED BETTER. NOW, WHEN I'M TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR MERGING INTO HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC I NEVER KNOW IF MY CAR WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY ENOUGH OR NOT. I'VE TAKEN IT TO HONDA MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY ALWAYS SAY IT'S FINE. MORE RECENTLY I REALIZED IT WAS BECAUSE IT WASN'T GETTING ITS PREVIOUS LEVEL OF BATTERY ASSIST BECAUSE THE BATTERY IS PERFORMING MUCH WORSE THAN IT USED TO. I RELUCTANTLY DID THE SOFTWARD UPDATE HONDA IS RECOMMENDING TO EXTEND BATTERY LIFE, BUT HAVE SINCE REALIZED IT IS PROBABLY MAKING THE ISSUE WORSE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ONE YEAR, OR SLIGHTLY MORE. I'VE TAKEN IT TO HONDA 5 TIMES. IT HAPPENS APPROXIMATELY ONCE OR TWICE PER DAY THAT I DON'T ACCELERATE WITH THE CAR'S FULL POWER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD AN IMA BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD NOT CHARGE IN HOT WEATHER. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN UPDATING THE SOFTWARE IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS JUST SOFTWARE UPDATES. THE VIN IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 45500. UPDATED 10/21/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/26/10

I HAVE A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY IS SUDDENLY DRAINED OF ITS CHARGE DURING HOT WEATHER WHEN I AM AT A STOP. THIS CAUSED ME TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC WITH LITERALLY NO ACCELERATION. THIS HAS LED ME TO ALMOST BEING CALLED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A COUPLE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I KNOW HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS HAPPENING AS THEY HAVE SENT OUT A NOTICE TO HAVE THE BATTERY SOFTWARE UPDATED SAYING THAT THE BATTERY IS BEING DRAINED AND DETERIORATING OVER TIME. I THINK THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY ARE NOT ADMITTING IT. HONDA HAS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO PROVIDE A FIX FOR THIS SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. *TR

MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WOULD LOSE ITS BATTERY CHARGE AND IT WOULD TAKE 2 TO 3 MILES OF DRIVING TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY. DURING THIS RECHARGING TIME THERE IS NO ASSIST FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO AID THE GAS ENGINE WHEN MORE POWER IS NEEDED SUCH AS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR MAKING A LEFT TURN WITH ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE BATTERY LOSING ITS CHARGE IS CALLED A RECALIBRATING. IT HAD HAPPENED TO ME ABOUT EVERY 5 TO 8 MILES OF DRIVING BUT IT IS RANDOM AND CAN HAPPEN AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME. THE BATTERY PACK IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AS IT IS DETERIORATING. EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD WARRANTY COVERAGE IN THE 3YR/36000 COVERAGE, HONDA REFUSED 5 TIMES TO REPLACE THE BATTERY.THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID SHOULD NOT BE SOLD WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING TO SO MANY OWNERS. YES, THE CAR OPERATES WITHOUT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST BUT WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING MORE POWER FOR THE MANEUVER YOU ARE GOING TO DO AND THE RECALIBRATING KICKS IT IN IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS! I USED THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AUTO LINE AND HAD MY PROBLEM ARBITRATED AND THE DECISION WAS MY CAR WAS A LEMON AND HONDA HAD TO REPURCHASE IT. THE ARBITRATOR RULED THE CAR A LEMON AND ONE REASON WAS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN ALL NORMAL DRIVING SITUATIONS! GET THIS CAR OFF THE ROAD. THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS MATTER. FOR THE FIRST COMPLAINT I DID NOT HAVE THE LEMON LAW DECISION BUT NOW I DO AND THIS CAR IS OFFICIALLY DECLARED A LEMON. *TR

2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID LOST ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST POWER IN MAY 2010 WHEN I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE TRAFFIC. TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED LOW POWER ASSIST AND (WITHOUT CONFERRING WITH ME) REPROGRAMMED THE POWER ASSIST SOFTWARE AND PRONOUNCED IT FIXED. ONE OR TWO DAYS AFTER THIS SERVICE CALL, I AGAIN NOTICED WEAK ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST ON ANOTHER HILL IN DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC. TOOK THE CAR TO HONDA AGAIN, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THEY COULD REPLICATE THE ANEMIC POWER CONDITION, BUT SAID THAT HONDA USA SAYS THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS INTENDED WITH THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATE, AND THAT THERE IS NO MORE TO BE DONE. I SAID THAT I HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE AUTOMOBILE, SINCE I CONSIDER IT A DRIVING HAZARD NOT TO BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE ADEQUATELY IN SOME DRIVING CONDITIONS. I SAID THAT I WANTED HONDA TO BUY BACK THE CAR, BUT THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT HONDA WOULDN'T DO THAT. I HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER CAR, BUT STILL OWN THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID; I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, SINCE I DON'T FEEL GOOD OFFERING IT TO ANYONE OTHER THAN HONDA FOR SALE. *TR

I WAS ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS I WENT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, AND THE CAR ONLY ACCELERATED AT ABOUT 1/4 OF ITS NORMAL PACE. I HAD TO LOOK DOWN TO MAKE SURE MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS. WHEN THIS ACCELERATION FAILURE OCCURRED, THE BATTERY SHOWED NO CHARGE, BUT IT HAD SHOWN ALMOST A FULL CHARGE WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR, JUST A FEW MINUTES EARLIER. MY CAR NOW CANNOT HOLD A CHARGE AT ALL. I PARK IT FULLY CHARGED, AND WHEN I START, IT SHOWS FULLY CHARGED. WITHIN THE FIRST MILE OF DRIVING, IT DROPS TO 1 OR NO BARS. IT THEN HAS TROUBLE ACCELERATING, AS THE CAR CANNOT PULL FROM THE IMA AND IT TRIES TO CHARGE THE IMA, INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING. THIS FAILURE IS NOW OCCURRING DAILY. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE TO WORK, AS I DON'T KNOW WHEN I CAN MERGE ONTO INTERSTATE AND IF THE CAR WILL FAIL. IT IS USUALLY FINE AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES OF DRIVING, BUT MY COMMUTE IS ONLY 12 MILES, SO I WOULD SAY THIS MAKES A VERY LARGE % OF MY COMMUTE DANGEROUS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT UPDATED SOFTWARE, BUT THIS HAS NOT IMPROVED THE SITUATION AT ALL. I AM KEEPING A JOURNAL OF THESE DAILY ACTIVITIES, AS THE IMA IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. MY GAS MILEAGE DROPPED 20% OVER THE PAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH I DO USE ETHANOL FREE GAS. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IMA, BUT HONDA SIMPLY GAVE ME THE BRUSH OFF EVERYTIME I EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT THIS WAS AN EARLY SIGN THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. *TR

MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IMA BATTERY IS DISCHARGING/RECALIBRATING RANDOMLY CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND FIND A PROBLEM SINCE THIS BEGAN OCCURRING FREQUENTLY AND WAS A NEW ISSUE WITH THE CAR. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. ON THIS DATE, THE IMA BATTERY DISCHARGED WHILE MAKING A LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION, POWER WAS DRAINED, A CAR ALMOST HIT ME BECAUSE MY CAR COULD NOT ACCELERATE FAST ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. GIVEN THAT THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN A RECALIBRATION/DISCHARGE WILL HAPPEN. IT HAS SINCE BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES. BECAUSE THERE IS NO ERROR CODE INDICATING THERE IS A PROBLEM THEY ARE REFUSING TO WORK ON IT EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS STILL 100% UNDER WARRANTY. MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE BATTERIES AND THE CAR POWER LOSS. THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THE IMA BATTERY REPLACED HAVE REPORTED THE CAR BACK TO NORMAL WORKING CONDITIONS. I SHOULD NOTE, THAT WHEN I FIRST GOT MY CAR THE DISCHARGE/RECALIBRATION WOULD HAPPEN ONCE EVERY SEVERAL MONTHS. THIS NUMBER HAS BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY AND NOW THE VEHICLE DOES THIS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A WEEK. IN FEBRUARY IT DID IT TWO TIMES A WEEK, AND ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO IT STARTED DOING IT ONCE A WEEK. THE MORE THIS OCCURS THE MORE I AM AT RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR SIMPLY DOES NOT HAVE POWER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE FROM NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS THE DRIVER CANNOT COMPENSATE. HONDA IS REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS AN ISSUE AND HAS BEEN COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE TO MY CONCERNS. *TR