2007 Honda Civic

IT COULD BE SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY, AND I COULD BE DEAD, TOO. BUT HONDA DOESN'T GIVE ME A GOOD RESPONSE FOR THIS CASE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR 35 MONTHS AGO, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 68,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR SERVICED SINCE PURCHASE BY HONDA OF DECATUR AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY WITH A TYPE B SERVICE. THE DEALER PERSONNEL DIDN'T MENTION ANY MAINTENANCE ISSUES WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN AFTER THIS SERVICE. ON FEBRUARY 9, 2010 I NOTICE AN UNUSUAL SWEET SMELL AS I DROVE MY CAR TO THE AIRPORT. BECAUSE I WAS TRAVELING ON BUSINESS, I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR AND PICK IT UP ON FEBRUARY 11TH. SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING ON FEBRUARY 11, 2010 THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING AND SOME SMOKE CAME OUT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALER IN HUNTSVILLE, AL WHICH WAS THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. AFTER THE CAR WAS EXAMINED I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER'S SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THERE IS A CRACK IN ENGINE BLOCK. AT THIS TIME THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A CAUSE FOR THIS CRACK. AS I EXPLAINED ABOVE THE CAR WAS RECENTLY SERVICED AND THE ANTI-FREEZE SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED FREEZE DAMAGE. THE DEALER HAS ESTIMATED THE REPAIR WILL COST $3,500-$3,700 AND BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE THEY INDICATE THAT HONDA OF HUNTSVILLE WILL NOT ABLE TO SUBMIT A WARRANTY CLAIM ON MY BEHALF. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY STREET. I WAS WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO A BUSINESS. WHEN I WENT TO TURN, THE CAR WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND HAD WHAT APPEARED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ACCELERATION THAN NORMAL. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE CAR'S COMPUTER RECALIBRATING THE BATTERY. THIS RECALIBRATING STARTED HAPPENING AFTER A SOFTWARE UPDATE. IT HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS AND THERE IS NO WARNING. WHEN IT HAPPENS THE COMPUTER ARTIFICIALLY LOWER THE CHARGE STATE FORCING THE CAR TO GO INTO REGENERATION STATE TO FULLY CHARGE THE BATTERS. EVEN THOUGH THE BATTER IS NOT REALLY EMPTY, SINCE THE COMPUTER SET THE BATTERY LEVEL TO BE EMPTY, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IS NO LONGER USED. THERE SHOULD BE A WARNING TONE OR SOMETHING TO INDICATE THAT THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA DID THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE TO MAKE THE BATTERIES SEEM TO LAST LONGER, BUT IT'S REALLY LESS SAFE! IT'S ALSO CAUSED MY MILEAGE TO GO DOWN BY ABOUT 10% BUT I REALIZE THAT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

2007 HONDA CIVIC EX SEDAN: UPON A TRIP (60 MILES) HOME FROM THE CLEVELAND AIRPORT 1-26-10, I SMELLED COOLANT BURNING AND A SUDDEN CLOUD OF STEAM FROM UNDER THE HOOD. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT, THE DETERMINED CAUSE WAS THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD CRACKED ALLOWING COOLANT TO BE SPRAYED ONTO THE MANIFOLD CAUSING THE BURNING SMELL AND CLOUDS OF STEAM. WHILE HONDA CANNOT PROVIDE A REASONING BEHIND THIS FAILURE, IT APPEARS OR WOULD SEEM TO BE A CASTING ISSUE FOR THE 2006-07 MODELS. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 35K MILES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE AND HONDA DECLINED ALL EFFORTS TO ASSIST WITH THIS PROBLEM. I AM HEARING AND SEEING NUMEROUS ISSUES EXACTLY IDENTICAL TO MINE WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR OTHERS AND HONDA IS CLAIMING THERE IS "NO" PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES. THE CAR HAS BEEN DEALER MAINTAINED AND HAS ALL HIGHWAY MILES DUE TO MY JOB. NOT SURE HOW MANY COMPLAINTS IT TAKES TO ISSUE A RECALL BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 CIVIC ENGINE CASTINGS. THIS OVERHEATING COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A FIRE OR SERIOUS INJURY SHOULD A DRIVER NOT UNDERSTAND THE INDICANT AT HAND. I DO KNOW THERE IS A TSB REGARDING THIS PROBLEM #08-044. *TR

ON THURS. OCT. 1 I DROVE TO WORK IN MY '07' HONDA CIVIC EX 4-DR WITH 48,900 MILES(APPROX) AND I STARTED HEARING A NOISE. THE CAR KEPT RUNNING PRETTY WELL THOUGH SO I CONTINUED THE 22 MILES TO MY OFFICE. WHEN I GOT THERE I WAS SMELLING BURNING RUBBER AND IT WAS MAKING QUITE A RACKET. I CALLED ROUSH HONDA IN WESTERVILLE, OHIO AND BROUGHT IT IN THAT AFTERNOON. I HAD TO RUN ON BACK ROADS INSTEAD OF THE FREEWAY BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THAT IT WOULDN'T MAKE IT - I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD IT TOWED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WATER PUMP PULLEY BROKE, RUINED THE WATER PUMP, TENSIONER AND BELT ETC. I HAVE A DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY THROUGH 100,000 MILES BUT NOT A PART OF THE DRIVE TRAIN! I HAD AN OVERALL WARRANTY BUT I AM ABOUT 900 TO 1,000 MILES PAST. IT WILL COST $500.00 PLUS TO FIX. I GOT ON THE INTERNET AND THEN ON YOUR SITE AND I FIND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 08=039 (NHTSA # 10026791) ON BOLTS COMING LOOSE ON WATER PUMP PULLEYS AND DOING DAMAGE. I EVEN ASKED THE ROUSH SERVICE MAN WHEN HE CALLED TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IF THESE DO THIS A LOT. HE SAID THAT THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT HE HAD EVER HEARD OF. DO YOU BELIEVE HIM? I SURE DON'T! WHAT CAN I DO? I AM GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF AUTO MAKERS BUILDING JUNK AND THEN NOT STANDING BEHIND IT. I BOUGHT CHRYSLERS FOR 30 YEARS AND GOT SICK OF THEIR GAMES AND SWITCHED TO HONDA TO GET AWAY FROM IT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY PLAY THEM TOO. NOW ADMITTEDLY, NO INJURY OR PHYSICAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED, BUT I AM SURE GLAD THAT THE PUMP DIDN'T FAIL COMPLETELY ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. *TR

2007 HONDA CIVIC LX BECAME COMPLETELY DISABLED WHILE DRIVING. ON THE ROAD, THE CAR STOPPED WITHOUT PRIOR ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER SERVICEMAN REPORTS A BOLT WAS SEVERED POSSIBLY FACTORY ERROR. DAMAGES INCURRED WERE BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, ROCKER ARM BOLT BROKEN, BROKEN HEAD AND MAJOR LEAKAGE. SERVICEMAN REPORTS ALL PARTS REPLACED, HOWEVER VEHICLE NO LONGER WORKS AT FULL CAPACITY. ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MAKES GRINDING NOISE. ADDITIONAL NOISES FROM REAR SUSPENSION ALSO. VEHICLE RETURNED FOR SERVICE 2X'S SINCE INCIDENT WITHOUT SUCCESS. CURRENT PROBLEMS, (NOISE AND SLUGGISHNESS) OCCUR AFTER VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR. CUSTOMER REQUESTED OLD PARTS AT TIME OF SERVICE, BUT WERE NOT GIVEN. SERVICEMAN STATED PARTS WERE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY FOR INSPECTION. *TR

I HAVE OWNED MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID FOR ABOUT 21MONTHS. I STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE IMA (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST, HYBRID BATTERIES) LAST SUMMER (2008) AND CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES TO DATE (MAY 2009). THE IMA BATTERY THAT POWERS THE ASSIST MOTOR HAS BEEN UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS HAD DEGRADED PERFORMANCE FOR THE PAST YEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO BE UNDERPOWERED AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE IMA SYSTEM ROUTINELY FULLY DISCHARGES (ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IN ARIZONA) AND LEAVES THE CAR ONLY TO RUN ON THE UNDERPOWERED 1.3 L GAS ENGINE. THE CAR IS VERY SLUGGISH, CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES WHEN ACCELERATION IS NEEDED IN CITY OR INTERSTATE DRIVING. MY WIFE DRIVES 3 KIDS TO SCHOOL (35 MILES ON WAY) ON A DAILY BASIS AND IS CONCERNED FOR THE KIDS AND HER SAFETY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE BATTERIES ALSO ARE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT. DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT THE REAR PASSENGERS (MY KIDS) ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING THAT THE SEAT IS WARM AND THAT IS EXCESSIVELY HOT IN THE BACK SEAT SINCE THE PROBLEM FIRST WAS OBSERVED IN LAST SUMMER 2008, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT HONDA DEALERSHIPS. THEY ALL STATE THAT THIS IS 'NORMAL' OPERATION AND UNLESS THE SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. THE SERVICE LIGHT THEY ARE REFERRING TO IS THE P1433 BATTERY DEGRADED CODE THAT STATES TO REPLACE THE BATTERIES. IT SEEMS ODD THAT THEY WAIT UNTIL THE BATTERIES ARE TOTALLY FAILED AND DEPLETED BEFORE THEY WILL CHANGE THEM. I NOTICED THAT HONDA DOES HAVE A TSB OUT COVERING EXCESSIVE HEAT AND THAT IT CAN SEVERELY DAMAGE THE IMA BATTERIES. THIS STATES THAT IF THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 150 DEGREES F THAT THE BATTERIES CAN BE DAMAGED OR FAIL. I KNOW THAT HEAT SOAKING THE CAR FOR 8-10 HOURS IN THE FULL SUN AT 110+ DEGREES (SHADE TEMP) CAN EASILY HEAT THE IMA BATTERIES TO VERY CLOSE TO 150 DEGREES. I AM HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND KIDS THAT SHE DRIVES AND OTHERS THAT MAY BE EFFECTED. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 HONDA CIVIC. I HAVE REPLACED 4 SETS OF TIRES ON THIS CAR DUE TO THE BACK TIRES WEARING FLAT. HONDA REPORTED IT WAS A REAR END PROBLEM AND REPLACED PARTS. THE CAR STILL MAKES TOO MUCH ROAD NOISE. NO TIRES WERE REPLACED BY HONDA FOR THIS PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, MY ENGINE BLOCK IS NOW CRACKED, AND IT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BLOCK IS BEING REPLACED BY HONDA WITH ONLY A 12,000 MILE WARRANTY OR ONE YEAR. *TR