2008 Honda Civic

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

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 HONDA CIVIC 2008 GETS STUCK ON GEAR. I STOP AND THEN IT WILL SWITCH GEARS BUT IT WILL NOT REV PAST 2RPM WHICH CAN MAKE ME CRASH. HONDA HAS NOT MADE A RECALL FOR THIS BUT THEY SHOULD AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ON 8THCIVIC FORUMS AND OTHER PLACES. SO BASICALLY THE CAR BUCKS FORWARD AND THE TRANSMISSION JERKS HARD AND SO IT WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL YOU HAVE TO TURN THE CAR ON OR OFF. IMAGINE IM ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT HAPPENS. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR WHEELS BEND INWARD AND IS CAUSING THE CONTACTS REAR TIRES TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. THE CONTACT HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR TIRES THREE TIMES WHILE THE FRONT TIRES LOOK BRAND NEW. THE DEALER STATED THAT EVERYTHING ON THE REAR AXLE NEEDS TO BE LOOSENED UP AND BENT BACK TO ITS CORRECT FORMATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40000.RL

CURRENTLY I HAVE 32,277 MILES AND DON'T DRIVE IT, IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I TAKE A BUS :) 1# TRANS LOCKED AT 60MPH ON HWY AND CAUSED ALMOST A FATAL CRASH! AT 23,000 MILES. CAR WAS ABLE TO DRIVE UP TO 15MPG HAVING APPX. 6000RPMS. CAR LEFT AT DEALERSHIP AND ONLY PCM SOFTWARE WAS UPD. NO LOCKUPS ARE OCCURRING, BUT TRANS IS WEAVING, HARSH START/STOP OFTEN!/UNEXPECTED SHUTDOWN. DEALERSHIP FOUND SERVICE BULLETIN #08-014 (HARSH ENGAGEMENT), UPD. THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND SYMPTOMS ARE MUCH WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY. LOWER MPG ( 25-28 ), MUCH WORSE PERFORMANCE, UNEXPECTED BATTERY DISCHARGE, WEAVING, LOW ACCEL. DEALER DUPLICATED PROBLEMS, BUT SAID "IT'S OK" AND PROBLEMS IS UNTOUCHED. SINCE THEY UPDATED THE SYSTEM, THE HYBRID OPTION IS NOT KICKING IN AS BEFORE. PREV. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY ONLY ON HYBRID, NOW I CAN'T. NO ACTIONS ARE TAKEN TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. ONCE THEY CHANGED THE IMA BATT PACK, BUT THIS DID NOT HELP AND I SEE NOT A DIFFERENCE. COMPLAINED AGAIN, AND ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE. BRAKES ARE MALFUNCTIONING. BRAKE FLUID IS MISSING, DEALER SAID "[XXX], IT'S A MYSTERY". DEPENDING ON OUTSIDE TEMP, BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL AND CAR TEMP BREAKS WORK DIFF! OCCASIONALLY WHILE SLOWING DOWN, THE BATTERY LEVEL REACHES FULL AND YOU MUST PRESS THE PEDAL AS HARD AS YOU CAN TO STOP. THIS HAS CAUSED SMALL CRASHES AND ONCE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, OR I PRESSED TOO LIGHTLY ( COLD OUTSIDE WITH FULL BATTERY ) AND UNFORTUNATELY I COULDN'T STOP ON TIME AND RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN. SHE IS BADLY INJURED AND SUING MY INSURANCE COMPANY! DEALER REC. TO "CHANGE CAR, BETTER TO BUY NOT A HONDA AND DON'T BOTHER THEM IF NOTHING IS BROKEN." POLICE REPORT READY TO PRESENT. THESE ARE ONLY THE MAJOR ISSUES I'M HAVING. I WOULD NEED MUCH MORE SPACE TO WRITE 20 PGS ESSAY. MINOR ISSUES: - SUPER FAST TIRE WEAR ( AFTER 20,000 ) AND NOW AGAIN AT 32,000 - NOT WORKING CLIMATE CTRL SYSTEM - CHECK ENGINE, IMA LIGHT, BRAKE SYSTEM AND AIRBAG LIGHTS ON. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

PROBLEM HAPPENED WHEN CAR IS DOWN SHIFTING WHEN COMING TO A STOP. EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHEN STOPPING AT OUR STOP SIGN THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO DOWN SHIFT THEN THE MOTOR BEGINS TO REV UP TO 4000 RPMS WITH NOTHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY 4 TIMES IN THE 2 YRS WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR AND I WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE TROUBLE TO THE HONDA REPAIR MAN. *TR