2008 Honda Civic

HAVE A 08 CIVIC HYBRID WITH 89K MILES. GOT THE RECENT BATTERY SOFTWARE UPGRADE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. HAVE HAD A SUDDEN DROP IN BATTERY CHARGE DOWN TO ONE OR TWO BARS, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE UPGRADE. RECOVERY USUALLY FAIRLY QUICK, DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, 72 MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN DASH WENT DARK AND ENGINE STOPPED. NO WARNINGS OR LIGHTS BEFOREHAND. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY. HAPPENED TWICE MORE OVER THE NEXT 30 MINUTES. THESE TIMES PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED AS I COASTED. TANK ABOUT 1/3 FULL WITH SHELL GAS. FILLED THE TANK WITH OFF BRAND GAS AND DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY OK. TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER. THEY CHECKED ENGINE (NO CODES) AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NOTHING FOUND. HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR EVERY WEEKEND FOR 400 MILE ROUND TRIP. CONCERNED ABOUT UPCOMING WEEKEND. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID SINCE IT WAS BRAND NEW, NEVER A PROBLEM. IN JULY I RECEIVED A LETTER EXPLAINING A SOFTWARE UPGRADE THAT WAS TO HELP THE LIVE OF MY IMA BATTERY. SINCE THIS "UPGRADE" MY IMA MOTOR DOES NOT ASSIST ALL THE TIME. SPECIFICALLY WHEN GOING UP HILLS AND WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A FREEWAY/HIGHWAY IT WILL NOT KICK IN. I WOULD GUESS 20% OF THE TIME IT DOES NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO DARRYL WALTRIP HONDA IN FRANKLIN, TN. THEY SAW THE PROBLEM AND AGREED IT WAS A PROBLEM BUT THEN AFTER TALKING WITH "CORPORATE" HAVE DECIDED IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. I'M NERVOUS THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER ACCELERATION IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAVE NOW READ NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

IN AUGUST 2010 I TOOK MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A PURPORTED SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE BATTERY SYSTEM WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME UNTIL AFTERWARDS. IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING THE DEALER, I NOTICED A PROFOUND REDUCTION IN POWER AND ACCELERATION. ON THE FREEWAY PORTION OF THE DRIVE HOME, I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED TWICE AS I DROVE IN THE SLOW LANE UP A MINOR GRADE WHERE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR (WITH THE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED IN THE PASSING GEAR)-- PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAD DRIVEN MY VEHICLE FOR ITS PRIOR 20 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP UP THAT SAME GRADE AT 70MPH. ADDITIONALLY, PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAD NEVER EVEN UTILIZED THE "S" GEAR ON MY TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE HONDA'S SOFTWARE UPDATE MY CAR HAS BECOME A SEVERELY UNDERPOWERED ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I AM REDUCED TO DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE ON THE FREEWAY WITH VEHICLES FLASHING ME AS THEY APPROACH A 40-45 MPH VEHICLE AT 60-70 MPH FROM BEHIND. I HAVE CALLED THE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AT SEVERAL LOCAL DEALERS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, AND GET A UNIVERSAL RESPONSE- "WAIT FOR YOUR SYSTEM TO ADJUST TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE" OR "YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR DRIVING". WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN? I DROVE THE VEHICLE FINE FOR 20 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE AND NOW IT DRIVES LIKE A 20 YEAR OLD 4 CYLINDER ENGINE WITH 2 BAD PISTONS. THE DECREASED POWER AND ACCELERATION ARE A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT IN THE MAKING. I AM FEARFUL OF BEING REAR ENDED. THIS IS AN EVERY DAY PROBLEM THAT WAS CAUSED BY THIS "SOFTWARE UPDATE" AND I SUSPECT THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO EVERY 2006-2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID THAT GOES TO THE DEALER FOR THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE. AN ADDITIONAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ALLEGED "SOFTWARE UPDATE" IS A PROFOUND DROP IN GAS MILEAGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 37 COMBINED MPG PRIOR TO "UPDATE" TO 29-30 POST "UPDATE". I HAVE NEVER LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH ANY ORGANIZATION BEFORE, BUT LIKE I'VE PREVIOUSLY STATED, THIS "UPDATE" IS A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. *TR

WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HONDA STATING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SOFTWARE STATING THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS NEEDED TO BE DONE ON THE CAR TO HELP THE BATTERY LIFE OF THE CAR. SO WE BROUGHT IT IN TO BE SERVICED AND EVER SINCE, WE'VE LOST POWER TO THE CAR, AND LOST MPG THAT USED TO BE APPROX. 38 MPG TO NOW 29 MPG, THE SAME AS OUR '99 CIVIC COUP DX, THAT IS NOT A HYBRID. MY WIFE, WHILE GOING ONTO THE FREEWAY WAS ALMOST HIT, WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE. MY WIFE IS NOW HATES DRIVING THE CAR SHE USED TO LOVE. WE LIVE IN A HILLY AREA. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE UP A HILL WE DRIVE EVERYDAY, IF THE BATTERY CHARGE IS 4 BLOCKS OR LOWER, IT DOESN'T EVEN ASSIST. IT'S ALL THE GAS ENGINE. THE BATTERY RARELY KICKS IN SO THAT DEFEATS THE HYBRID THEORY AND JUST ADDS MORE POLLUTION THAT HONDA PURPORTS THAT IT DOESN'T. TO PUT IT STRAIGHT, THIS IS NOT THE CAR I BOUGHT AND HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH THE EXPERIENCE. I'VE BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO HONDA TO TRY TO GET THE SOFTWARE ISSUE RESOLVED. THEY STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, ENGINE OR BATTERY THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE. WHEN ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION FOR THE LOSS OF POWER AND MPG, THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD TRY A HIGHER OCTANE OF GAS OR A DIFFERENT BRAND. I HAVE ALWAYS USED THE HIGHEST OCTANE GAS FROM DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES BEFORE THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. SO THAT ISN'T THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REFUSED TO SAY THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THEIR "SOFTWARE UPGRADE". I HAVE PRETTY MUCH WASTED $26,000+ ON PURCHASING THIS CAR. ALL I CAN SAY IS THIS IS SHAME ON ANOTHER BIG COMPANY, TRYING TO SAVE $$ BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR OWN LOYAL CUSTOMERS. THANK YOU HONDA! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOSE ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE BATTERY SOFTWARE WAS UPGRADED UNDER THE A VOLUNTARY MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE FOLLOWING THE REPAIR AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. SHE RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER TELLING HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A SOFTWARE UPGRADE. UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN SHE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS LESS POWERFUL THAN BEFORE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED AND WAS NOT NOTICEABLE WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT ON A STEEP INCLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO EXHIBITING LESS GAS MILEAGE. IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT HAVE NO REMEDY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,700.

WE OWN A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE IMA BATTERY FREQUENTLY IN HOT WEATHER GOES DOWN TO NOTHING, AND CAR HAS DIFFICULTY. RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE FROM HONDA REGARDING UPDATE TO COMPUTER SOFTWARE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN, I ASKED SPECIFICALLY IF THIS WOULD DECREASE THE GAS MILEAGE, AS THE IMA BATTERY ASSIST WOULD NOT COME ON AS FREQUENT. I WAS TOLD, "NO, GAS MILEAGE SHOULD BE THE SAME" WELL, THE GAS MILEAGE HAS DECREASED APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MILES PER GALLON. THE IMA BATTERY ASSIST DOES NOT COME ON, AND MAKES ACCELERATION FOR PASSING AND MERGING ONTO FREEWAY DIFFICULT. IF POSSIBLE, WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE OLD SOFTWARE RE-INSTALLED. I BELIEVE HONDA DID THIS UPDATE ON THE SOFTWARE, AS THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT WANTING TO REPLACE ANYMORE BATTERIES AT $3,000.00 A POP. THE PERFORMANCE IS LACKING, AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE ARE CONSIDERING TRADING THE VEHICLE IN. HONDA NEEDS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO TURN INTO A TOYOTA DEBACLE. *TR

2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH 24,000 MILES WITH HYBRID BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION THAT IS, AT TIMES, A REAL ISSUE. BATTERY DOESN'T HOLD CHARGE VERY LONG AND VERY ADVERSELY AFFECTS ACCELERATION. PROBLEM IS VERY REPETITIVE AND VERY ADVERSELY AFFECTS ACCELERATION. HONDA'S RECALL SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS APPLIED WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS BUT BATTERY IS STILL NOT HOLDING A CHARGE AND ACCELERATION DEGRADATION AND SAFETY REMAINS AN INCREASING CONCERN. HONDA SHOULD REPLACE THESE DEGRADED BATTERIES BUT WON'T TAKE ANY ACTION UNTIL AN IMA LIGHT COMES ON - AT WHICH TIME, THE BATTERY WOULD BE ALMOST FULLY DEGRADED. BATTERY DEGRADATIONS HAPPENS VERY OFTEN - EVEN AFTER THE RECENT HONDA SOFTWARE UPDATE AND MANY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID OWNERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE ISSUE. *TR

MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID'S IMA BATTERY IS DISCHARGING FULLY AND NOT RECHARGING ITSELF. THIS OCCURS OFTEN IN MY HOT CITY. IT MAKES IT A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO MERGE LANES. WHEN THE BATTERY FAILS TO ASSIST THE MOTOR, ACCELERATION IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE, MAKING IT A MAJOR SAFETY COMPLAINT. THIS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED IN THE PRESS. THE FAILURE OCCURS ANYTIME IN HEAT. SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED, AND IT DIDN'T HELP THE BATTERY TO CHARGE. MAX BATTERY CAPACITY MAY HAVE DECLINED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. *TR