2008 Honda Civic

ON JANUARY 23, 2010, I WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, ON HIGHWAY 111, IN INDIAN WELLS, CA. ROADS WERE WET THAT DAY. I RECALL MY VEHICLE HYDRO-PLANING AND SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL. THAT IS THE LAST I RECALL, AS I BELIEVE I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS, I AWOKE MINUTES LATER TO FIND MYSELF STILL IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, TO FIND MY BACK SEAT ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I MANAGED TO FREE MYSELF FROM MY SEAT BELT AND GET OUT THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. AS MANAGED TO GET ON MY FEET I WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE JUST IN TIME FOR IT TO EXPLODE.. O MY NEXT CONCERN IS AS DOING SOME RESEARCH AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I CAME ACROSS SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION REGARDING A RECALL ON THAT TYPE OF VEHICLE. I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE IN JUNE 2008, AND RECALL LETTERS WERE SENT OUT ON OCTOBER 2008. I NEVER RECEIVED SUCH A LETTER. I AM CONCERNED TO WHAT CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE AND EXPLODE. I CONTACTED A HONDA MTG. COMPANY, AND SPOKE TO A CASE MANAGER AND OPENED A CLAIM. ON MARCH 31, 2010, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM HIM, AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON SUCH VEHICLE. MY PERSONAL OPINION, HE CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION BASED ON A LIST OF VIN NUMBERS., NO INVESTIGATION WAS DONE AS FAR AS CHECKING THE VEHICLE OR TAKING THE TIME TO FIND OUT IF MY VEHICLE WAS JUST ONE THAT WAS BYPASSED AND NOT PUT ON THE VIN LIST. I PERSONALLY DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY PUT MUCH EFFORT IN FINDING OUT WHY MY VEHICLE EXPLODED. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A BALANCE, MEDICAL BILLS, AND NO VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP ME IN THIS MATTER, FOR I FEEL THIS MATTER WAS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT HAS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SPEED CONTROL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE GOING UP HILL THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SAID THE VEHICLE DID STOP, BUT WHEN THE DRIVER STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE SPEED OFF FROM THE LIGHT EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER LIGHTLY PRESSED ON THE GAS . THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6008.

I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC. I WAS PULLING INTO THE CHURCH PARKING LOT AND TURNED TO PARK IN THE GRASS NEXT TO ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN I LOST THE STEERING AND THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE ABOUT 10 FT IN FRONT OF ME. I THOUGHT THE GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK BUT THE ADJUSTOR WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. I NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL-I WAS BRAKING AND GOING LESS THAN 10 MI/HR AT THE TIME. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO LEAP FORWARD AND ACCELERATE. I HAVE HAD NO OTHER INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE PUT AROUND 35,000 MILES ON THE CAR MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. *TR

LIKE IN COMPLAINT #10225955, MY 2008 CIVIC 4-DR EX-L SPORADICALLY REFUSES TO STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SO FAR, AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, IN DIFFERENT WEATHER, WITH AND WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I WILL LIGHTLY PUSH THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND THEN PUSH SLIGHTLY HARDER ONCE I'VE REACHED THE CROSSWALK/INTERSECTION TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR WILL LUNGE FORWARD ONCE OR TWICE. IT'S LIKE THE BRAKE IS ON BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE, AND IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. I'VE BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER ONCE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL DOWNSHIFTING OF GEARS WHILE COMING TO A STOP--BUT THAT SHOULD NOT CAUSE THE CAR TO ACTUALLY JOLT FORWARD, STOP, AND THEN JOLT FORWARD AGAIN, WITH MY FOOT SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME. (I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I WONDERED IF I WAS PRESSING THE GAS BY MISTAKE. I WASN'T.) I'M BRINGING IT INTO THE DEALER AGAIN, BUT AM NOT HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

1. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN LEFT ON A BUSY 6 LANE FARM TO MARKET ROAD. WHEN THERE WAS AN OPENING IN TRAFFIC I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR MOVED OUT INTO THE TRAFFIC LANES, BUT WITH GREATLY REDUCED ACCELERATION. MY HYBRID HAD LOST THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST NEEDED TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY. I WAS ALMOST BROADSIDED BY A SPEEDING SUV BECAUSE I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY. 2. THIS LOSS OF ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST OR INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) STARTED OFF HAPPENING ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. NOW IT IS HAPPENING A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK. THERE IS NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL WARNING LIGHT THAT THIS LOSS HAS OCCURRED. THE ONLY EVIDENCE IS THE LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND THE BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL WILL DROP FROM "NORMAL" (6 OR 7 BARS) TO ONE OR TWO "BARS" ON THE BATTERY CHARGE DISPLAY. THIS UNEXPECTED LOSS OF NORMAL ACCELERATION CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MERGING INTO BUSY TRAFFIC. IT IS ONLY AFTER THE DRIVER COMMITS THAT THEY DISCOVER THEY CANNOT ACCELERATE "NORMALLY" 3. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES AND OPENED A CASE AT AMERICAN HONDA. THEIR POSITION IS THAT SINCE THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS LOSS OF ACCELERATION IS DUE TO A PROGRAMMED FUNCTION IN THEIR IMA SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PERIODICALLY RESET THE STATE OF CHARGE FOR THE BATTERY PACK TO A MINIMAL VALUE TO ELIMINATE ACCUMULATED ERRORS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ASSIST IS DISABLED AND THE SYSTEM USES THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY PACK. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS "RESET" OCCURS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME; WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND THE DRIVER NEEDS THE HIGH TORQUE/LOW RPM ELECTRIC MOTOR TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ACCELERATION. IN MY OPINION, THIS UNANNOUNCED RESET FUNCTION AT A STOP IS A DESIGN FLAW AND MAKES THIS VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO OPERATE. *TR

DEC 18, 2007 DRIVING 2008 HONDA CIVIC LX APPROX 73 MPH ON INTERSTATE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. PASSENGER UNBUCKLED SEAT BELT TO REACH FOR ITEM IN BACK SEAT. SEAT BELT DISCONNECT BEEP SOUND, AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN ACCELERATING UNTIL CRUISE CONTROL MANUALLY CANCELED AS RESULT. AFTER PASSENGER REBUCKLED, WE ATTEMPTED TO REPLICATE FOLLOWING SAME STEPS--WITH SAME RESULTS. THEREAFTER, TRIED TO REPLICATE TWO OR THREE TIMES, BUT UNABLE TO REPLICATE--I.E., NO ACCELERATION. *TR

MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC SI DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE KEEPS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED. THIS HAS CAUSED TWO NEAR CRASHES IN THE FIRST WEEK THAT I OWNED THE VEHICLE. I NOW KEEP THE CAR PARKED IN THE GARAGE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. HONDA HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FOR THE THOUSANDS OF CIVIC SI OWNERS. THE HONDA CIVIC SI'S SHOULD BE RECALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR