2007 Honda Civic Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V106000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

I WAS IN THE FIFTH HOUR OF A SIX HOUR LONG ROAD TRIP (WARM DAY, A/C ON, IPHONE PLUGGED INTO CONSOLE FOR AN AUDIO BOOK), WHEN I HIT STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. SHORTLY AFTER THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC BEGAN, MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID STOPPED BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE. TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME WOULD MOVE, MY CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND NORMALLY, BUT ONLY VERY, VERY SLOWLY GATHER SPEED -- VERY TRICKY AND DANGEROUS WHEN THE TRAFFIC IS STOP AND GO. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS CAR HAS DONE THIS, TWICE IN THE SAME SITUATION (LONG CAR DRIVE, WARM/HOT DAY, VERY BAD STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL USE, A/C ON AND DVD'S OR SOMETHING PLUGGED IN.) WHEN YOU ARE ON THE FREEWAY, CROSSING A BRIDGE -- AS I WAS IN BOTH CASES (GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE ON MEMORIAL DAY AND BAY BRIDGE YESTERDAY, START OF SPRING BREAK) -- IT IS SCARY AND DANGEROUS TO NOT HAVE YOUR CAR RESPOND OR BE ABLE TO MOVE / ACCELERATE. YESTERDAY, TO SEE IF IT WOULD HELP, I TOOK A CHANCE AND TURNED THE ENGINE ON AND OFF AGAIN, IN THE MIDDLE OF 7 LANES OF STOPPED BRIDGE TRAFFIC, AND THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING FAIRLY NORMALLY, WELL ENOUGH TO GET OVER THE BRIDGE. SECOND TIME, A FEW MONTHS AGO, MY CAR SIMPLY WOULDN'T BUDGE ON THE STEEP HILL I DRIVE UP EVERY DAY AFTER A CAR CAME TO A FULL STOP IN FRONT OF US, MY HONDA COULD BARELY GET UP THE HILL, THEN WOULDN'T ACCELERATE NORMALLY ON THE FLAT BLOCK TO MY HOUSE, WHEN I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO HONDA NEXT DAY, THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. AFTER THE FIRST MEMORIAL DAY BRIDGE INCIDENT THEY SAID MY CAR NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE, WHICH THEY SAID THEY PROVIDED, AND THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE NOW. I ONLY HAVE 42,000 MILES ON MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHEN I TALK TO THE HONDA DEALER/MECHANIC THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A SIMILAR CASE TO THIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VOLTAGE CONVERTER THAT RELAYS POWER FROM THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) SYSTEM TO THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V106000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUSE BETWEEN THE IMA BATTERY AND THE 12 VOLT BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT DISCLOSE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2007 HAS A RECALL AND HONDA WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALL AND KEEPS TELLING ME THAT NO IT DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON IT, I AM MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT I AM READING. THIS PARTICULAR PERSON KEEPS TELLING ME HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL HONDA SAYS TO DO IT AND THEY ARE NOT TELLING HIM TO DO THIS.MY IMA LIGHT CAME ON AND I NEED THIS FIXED. I DON'T HAVE THE 5-6 THOUSAND TO FIX IT MYSELF. THANK YOU. *TR

AFTER HAVING THE IMA BATTERY REPLACED ON MY 2007 CIVIC HYBRID AND GETTING THE SOFTWARE UPDATED, MY CAR HAS NO ACCELERATION AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS WITH NO ACCELERATION ISSUES AND NOW THE ENGINE REVS VERY HIGH IN ORDER TO PROVIDE EVEN LIMITED ACCELERATION POWER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY DEALER THAT THE CAR CHECKS OUT FINE AND AFTER CALLING HONDA WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, WHEN THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF POSTS ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IMA BATTERIES AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE. OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED THEY RECEIVED SIMILAR RESPONSES FROM HONDA WHEN REPORTING SUCH ISSUES, SO SOMETHING IS CLEARLY NOT RIGHT HERE. *TR

ON SEPT 15, '12, I WAS TAKING MY SON AND HIS FRIEND OVER TO HIS COACH'S HOUSE FOR A FOOTBALL PARTY. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE UP THE COACH'S DRIVEWAY BUT AT APPROXIMATELY THE HALFWAY POINT, MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID STOPPED MOVING FORWARD ALTHOUGH THE ACCELERATOR WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. I HAD THE TWO NINE YEAR OLD KIDS EXIT THE VEHICLE BUT IT STILL DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. I SLOWLY BACKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE UP THE DRIVEWAY AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH A RUNNING START. AGAIN, MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID DID NOT MAKE IT UP THE DRIVEWAY. I ESTIMATE THE DRIVEWAY TO BE AT A 30% ANGLE, NOT STEEP BUT DEFINITELY NOT FLAT. AGAIN I SLOWLY BACKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER HAVING THE CARS BEHIND ME MOVE OUT OF MY WAY. I PARKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY AND WALKED UP THE HILL, NOT SOMETHING YOU EXPECT TO DO WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR A VEHICLE. ON OCTOBER 3, 2012, I HAD A CERTIFIED HONDA DEALERSHIP EXAMINE THE CAR AS I SUSPECTED THE IMA BATTERY WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER STATED I DID NEED A NEW 12 VOLT BATTERY AND I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT WHILE THE IMA BATTERY IS NOT GIVING OUT FULL POWER IT IS AT AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT HONDA REFUSES TO REPLACE ANY IMA BATTERY UNLESS IT COMPLETELY FAILS AND THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL CIVIC HYBRIDS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THE ACCELERATION AND LOSS OF POWER BECOMES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ON THE HIGHWAYS AND HILLS. I HAVE THREE YOUNG KIDS AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH THEM IN THE CAR. I HAVE ALL SERVICE DOCUMENTATION AND AM WILLING TO LET INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE AND DRIVE MY VEHICLE. ALSO, I CAN PROVIDE THE ADDRESS OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT UP. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS THIS LOSS OF POWER CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY. *TR

THE HYBRID BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT IS CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATING. THIS IS AFTER THE VARIOUS SOFTWARE UPDATES. I HAVE ALSO SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN MPG BY MORE THAN 20% THIS IS SINCE THE SOFTWARE UPDATES AND THE IMA SYSTEM NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. I HAVE REVIEWED THE 49 OTHER COMPLAINTS SHOWING IN THE NHTSA SYSTEM AND ALL BUT 3 REFER TO THE SAME OR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHICH I'M ENCOUNTERING. THE OTHER INTERESTING FACT IS THAT UNLESS THE IMA LIGHT COMES ON HONDA APPEARS TO BE REFUSING TO TAKE ACTION. IT IS CURIOUS THAT IN A NUMBER OF THE CASES THE LIGHT CAME ON HONDA DID THEIR SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THEN THE LIGHT DOESN'T SEEM TO COME ON ANY LONGER EVEN THOUGH INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO REPORT THE SAME ISSUES, JUST NO LIGHT, COINCIDENCE I THINK NOT, ITS AMAZING WHAT A FEW TWEAKS IN SOFTWARE CODE CAN ACCOMPLISH TO REDUCE HONDA'S LIABILITY AN KEEP THE IMA SYSTEM LIGHT FROM COMING ON. IT IS MY HOPE THAT SOMEONE AT NHTSA WILL ACTUALLY READ THESE COMPLAINTS AND FOLLOW UP. IT IS ALSO MY HOPE THAT SOMETHING WILL GET DONE BY NHTSA BEFORE ALL OF OUR WARRANTIES OF 8 YEARS OR 80,000 MILES EXPIRE AND HONDA SAYS THAT A REPLACE BATTERY IS OUR COST NOT THEIRS BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO DRAG THIS OUT. THEY HAVE DESIGNED A BAD SYSTEM AND THEY ARE TAKING ACTIONS TO AVOID HAVING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!! *TR

I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN DECEMBER 2007 AND WAS INITIALLY PLEASED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, APPARENTLY DUE TO A SOFTWARE UPDATE INSTALLED BY HONDA ON AUGUST 2010 (SEE SERVICE BULLETIN 10-034). HONDA STATES THAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS INTENDED TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE HYBRID BATTERY BUT IS SILENT ABOUT THE OBVIOUS ADVERSE IMPACT ON GAS MILEAGE, POWER, AND EMISSIONS. THE HYBRID INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) ASSIST IS OPERATING ERRATICALLY SUCH THAT WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE (E.G., WHEN MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE OR PASSING ON A HIGHWAY) THE CAR MAY HAVE THE EXPECTED RESPONSE OR A VERY LIMITED RESPONSE FROM THE UNASSISTED 1.3 LITER ENGINE. JUST LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS MERGING ONTO AN INTERSTATE ONE TIME THE IMA DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSIST AND I WAS CONCERNED DUE TO THE FAST APPROACHING TRAFFIC. I NEVER KNOW WHETHER THE CAR WILL HAVE THE EXPECTED ACCELERATION. THE IMA BEHAVIOR CAN VARY FROM MINUTE TO MINUTE WHILE DRIVING EVEN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. HAS DOT AND NHTSA STUDIED A 2007 CIVIC HYBRID AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS APPLIED? *TR .. UPDATED 08-27-12 *BF UPDATED 08/27/12 UPDATED 10/02/12

THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2007 IS SUDDENLY UNABLE TO ACCELERATE APPROPRIATELY. THIS FAULT IS MOST DANGEROUS WHEN ACCELERATING TO START GOING AFTER RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. IT IS ALSO NOTICEABLE WHEN ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATION PERFORMANCE OF THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID DECLINED PRECIPITOUSLY AND DANGEROUSLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER HONDA REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE IMA BATTERY AND CONCURRENT NEW SOFTWARE (AT THE HONDA DEALER) IN MARCH. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR HIGHWAY OR CITY DRIVING. IT DECELERATES WHEN YOU NEED POWER, MAKING IT VERY DANGEROUS TO MERGE IN HIGH SPEED OR HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING, ACCELERATION IS EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS SEVERE BLIND SPOTS. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED LONG DELAYS IN THE ENGINE RESTARTING AFTER PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM A DEAD STOP AT LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS. I HAVE NEARLY BEEN HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC -- PLANNING FOR ADEQUATE GAPS IN TRAFFIC IS A CHALLENGE AND VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER VEHICLES I DRIVE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH OVER 37 YEARS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND AN EXCELLENT DRIVING RECORD. I HAVE OWNED 4 HONDAS AND THIS SO-CALLED HYBRID HAS BEEN AN ENGINEERING DISASTER. *TR