2010 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Recalls, Complaints & Safety

2010 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REMEDY NOT AVAILABLE TO REPAIR RECALL NOTICE 16V-346. CONSUMER SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR RENTAL VEHICLE. *SMD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE. *SMD

THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL INDICATOR, THE PARKING BRAKE, THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM, AND THE AUDIO SYSTEM ARE MALFUNCTIONING. ON A ROAD TRIP IN JULY, THE AIR CONDITIONER (AC) STOPPED BLOWING OUT COLD AIR WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. HOWEVER, IF WE PUT IT ON AUTO OR FAN, WE WOULD GET COLD AIR AS THOUGH THE AC IS WORKING. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE RADIO TURNED ON BY ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT TURN IT ON OR DID I HIT A BUMP, WHICH COULD REASONABLY EXPLAIN IT COMING ON. THE RADIO WAS A ONE TIME EVENT. AND LASTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHT HAS BEEN RANDOMLY AND CONTINUOUSLY CAME ON AND OFF ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL WHILE I'M DRIVING AS THOUGH I HAD LEFT THE PARKING BRAKE ON. THIS USED TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN I'M MAKING A TURN OR ACCELERATING ON CITY STREETS, BUT LATELY, THE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON/OFF NO MATTER IF I'M TURNING OR GOING STRAIGHT OR ON A HIGHWAY OR CITY STREET. I PLAN ON BRINGING THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN A FEW WEEKS TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. P.S. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THIS CAR DO NOT ADEQUATELY WORK FAST ENOUGH IN HEAVY RAIN AS MY OTHER VEHICLES, MAKING VISIBILITY A REAL ISSUE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT SO I'M GUESSING IT'S THE CAR DESIGN AND NOT A DEFECT, BUT FYI WHILE I'M REPORTING ISSUES.

ON JUNE 5TH I WAS DRIVING IN MOTION ON VAN NESS AVE IN SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA AND SUDDENLY I WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELLERATE TO KEEP UP WITH THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN UNABLE TO CONTINUE. TRAFFIC WAS STOP-AND GO. PEOPLE SWERVED AROUND ME CAUSING ISSUE. I MANAGED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. I RESTARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY ACCELLERATE BRINGING IT INTO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP JUST 3 BLOCKS AWAY AT MARKET AND VAN NESS. THIS WAS SUNDAY. ON MONDAY THEY CALLED ME AND ASSURED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN "FIXED" DUE TO A SOFTWARE BUG. THEY SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND IT WILL BE FIXED WITH THIS UPDATE. THEY ALSO SAID MY BATTERY NEED REPLACING AND THEY CHARGED ME TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. IT SEEMED TO BE OK FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS - BUT THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN THIS PAST WEEKEND WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME. TURNING ON AND OFF THE CAR FIXED IT SUCH THAT I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE LAST 8 BLOCKS HOME. I'M NO LONGER FEELING SAFE TO DRIVE MY CAR

TAKATA RECALL - CAR WAS STRUCK DRIVERS SIDE DOOR, FRONT END, RIGHT REAR BUMPER, AND RIGHT FRONT RAN OVER BY TRASH TRUCK REAR AXLE AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED MY WIFE TO BE INJURED WITH AN ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM. WE WERE TRAVELING ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY ON THE RIGHT LANE. A 12 WHEELED TRASH TRUCK WAS IN THE LEFT LANE. WE WERE DOING 60 MPH AND THE TRASH TRUCK VEERED ACROSS THE CENTER LINE STRIKING THE CAR MIDWAY ON DRIVERS SIDE. THIS CAUSED CAR TO SPIN 180 DEGREES STRIKING IT IN FRONT. SPINNING CAR AGAIN 180 WITH RIGHT REAR OF CAR HITTING MEDIUM GUARD RAIL AND COMING TO A STOP. THE TRICK THEN RAN OVER THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF CAR. TAKATA RECALL.

Crash 1 injured

EVER SINCE NEW, THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS UNRELIABLE. IF THE HYBRID BATTERY CHARGE IS BELOW 1/2, WHICH IS OFTEN, THE BATTERY ASSIST DOES NOT COME ON WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE IS HEAVY TRAFFIC WHERE I LIVE AND I HAVE TO ENTER A DIVIDED ROADWAY FROM A SIDE ROAD. I OFTEN FIND MYSELF NEARLY HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM DOESN'T KICK IN. NOW THAT THE CAR IS OLDER, THE PROBLEM IS MUCH WORSE. IN THE PAST I COULD PREDICT WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS LIKELY NOT TO PROVIDE THE ACCELERATION ASSIST NEEDED TO SAFELY ENTER THE HIGHWAY AND WAIT FOR A LONGER BREAK IN TRAFFIC. NOW THE CHARGE INDICATOR WILL BE 100% ONE MINUTE AND SHOWING ONLY TWO BARS OUT OF ABOUT 12 THEN NEXT SECOND. I DON'T FEEL I CAN SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR ANY MORE. MY WIFE'S CAR IS A TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID AND IT ALWAYS HAS CONSISTENT ACCELERATION. HER 2006 VEHICLE RUNS JUST AS GOOD AS IT DID WHEN IT WAS NEW. CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS THAT 0.1 PERCENT OF TOYOTA PRIUSES 2010 YEAR MODEL NEED BATTERY REPLACEMENTS, BUT 32% OF HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS DO. CLEARLY THERE IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE CIVIC HYBRID. IF I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA OR A DOZEN OTHER STATES, MY BATTERY WARRANTY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO 150,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS. HERE IN MARYLAND, IT IS ONLY 8 YEARS OR 80,000 MILES. *TR

PURCHASED VEHICLE IN 2010. IN 2011 IMA/ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I AM NOT SURE OF THE MILEAGE AT THAT TIME. TOOK TO HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHECKED AND REPLACED HYBRID BATTERY. THEN THE END OF DECEMBER 2014 THE IMA/ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. HAD CODES RUN AND DID RECOMMENDED STEPS AND LIGHTS WENT OFF. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. AFTER HOLIDAYS (DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED WHEN LIGHTS CAME BACK ON) TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TO BRING BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK WHILE THEY DID RESEARCH REGARDING AN EXTENSION TO THE WARRANTY DUE TO THE ISSUES SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS EXCEED THE ORIGINAL 100K MILE WARRANTY (APPROX. 102.8K MILES AT THIS TIME). TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP TODAY (MONDAY 1/5/15) AND THEY CHECKED THE VEHICLE OUT AT THIS TIME AND CONFIRMED THE IMA BATTERIES NEED REPLACED AND THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THEM. THEY CHECKED FOR WARRANTY ON REPLACED BATTERIES AS WELL AND THE 3 YEAR EXPIRED NOVEMBER 2014. TRIED CALLING HONDA DIRECTLY AND THEY SAID MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED ON THE WARRANTY EXTENSION FROM 100K MILES TO 137K MILES THROUGH THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT I READ ABOUT ELSEWHERE. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS TSB THE LADY AT HONDA GOT A LITTLE RUDE WITH ME AND SAID THOSE ARE NOT FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE THAT THEY ARE ONLY SENT TO DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT SO THEY WOULD KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES AND ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED HONDA TO HELP ME WITH. IF THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE I WANT HONDA TO REPLACE THEIR FLAWED PRODUCT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT LASTING AS LONG AS THEY SAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO. IT DOESN'T EVEN LAST HALF AS LONG AS THEY SAY IT SHOULD. *TR

LIAR LIAR. MY MILEAGE HAS NEVER BEEN CLOSE TO WHAT THE STICKER SAID, UP TO 40 IN TOWN AND UP TO 50 ON HI WAY. THE MOST I EVER GOT IN TOWN OR EVER ON HI WAY IS 36 TO 38 MPG. I NOTICE YOU TELL MORE OF THE TRUTH ON STICKERS ON THE SHOW ROOM FLOOR NOW. ALSO HAD TO HAVE A BATTERY REPLACE IN THE FIRST YEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON MY BATTERY,S, I HOPE THAT WAS NOT A LIE! *TR

2010 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IMA POWER ASSIST SYSTEM FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS SHOWING ONLY 75 % OF THE IMA WAS BEING CHARGED. IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES OF OPERATION, THE IMA FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. HOWEVER, AFTER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME WITH THE A/C TURNED ON THE IMA BATTERY DROPPED FAIRLY RAPIDLY EVEN IF SPEED WAS MAINTAINED AND THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON FLAT TERRAIN. ALSO, WHEN THE CHARGED REACHED 50%, THE CHARGING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION DRAG ON THE ENGINE. ONE CHARGING LIGHT REMAINED ON AS THE BATTERY TRIED TO NOT DEPLETE. ANOTHER 5-10 MINUTES OF CONSISTENT DRIVING EITHER IN TOWN OR ON BACK ROADS, THE BATTERY WOULD CHARGE AT 25%. THE BATTERY DID CONTINUE TO RE-CHARGE AS THE HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE ALONG, BUT AT 25% THERE WAS NO IMA ASSIST, WHICH MAD ACCELERATION IN TRAFFIC OR GAINING SPEED TO MERGE ONTO THE INTERSTATE TRAFFIC HAZARDOUS. WITH NO IMA ASSIST, THE VEHICLE TOOK FAR TOO LONG TO REACH SPEED NECESSARY TO MERGE SAFELY. THE PROCESS FROM DISCHARGE TO RE-CHARGE FOR IMA USAGE COULD TAKE UP TO 45 MINUTES. WHEN THE A/C WAS NOT ON, THE IMA BATTERY DID NOT DEPLETE AND THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT APPEARED THAT WAS A DRAG COMING FROM THE A/C THAT CAUSED THE IMA TO DISCHARGE QUICKLY. FURTHERMORE, THERE WERE ISSUES WHEN THE BATTERY SHOWED ITSELF RE-CHARGING. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN THE BATTERY WAS AT 75% CHARGE, THE INDICATOR WOULD SHOW THE SYSTEM, RE-CHARGING WITHOUT CHANGING SPEED OR GRADE AND THE GREEN BAR WOULD GO OUT AND THE GRAY BAR WOULD COME ON, AND GO OFF. *JB

IT APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE A TREND OF PREMATURE IMA BATTERY FAILURES FOR THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. ON OUR BRAND NEW 2010 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH LESS THAN 952 MILES AND LESS THAN 4 MONTHS OF USE, THE IMA AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. IMA BATTERY - PREMATURE BATTERY MODULE DETERIORATION (CODE P0A7F.) WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF IMA AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE BATTERY MODULE WAS REPLACED BY THE HONDA DEALER. IMA AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME AGAIN IN OCTOBER 2013, LESS THAN 3 YEAR OF USE. TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND REPLACE THE BATTERY MODULE ON 10/31/2013. THE IMA CODE WAS THE SAME, P0A7F HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY DETERIORATION. THE MILEAGE WAS 46,084. TWO IMA BATTERY FAILURE IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS APPEARS TO BE EXCESSIVE. THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY ON IMA BATTERY MODULE IS 8 YEARS, 80,000 MILES (FOR OHIO) AS LISTED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL . FOR SOME STATES, IT IS 15 YEARS, 150,000 MILES. ALTHOUGH, BOTH BATTERIES WERE REPLACED UNDER ORIGINAL WARRANTY, IT APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE A TREND OF PREMATURE BATTERY FAILURES FOR THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY APPROPRIATE AGENCIES AND THE CAR COMPANY. SAFETY AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT THE BATTERY ASSIST, FUEL CONSUMPTION (MPG), REPLACEMENT COSTS OF BATTERIES AND TIME REQUIRED FOR THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS. THE WARRANTY INFO ON THE REPLACEMENT IS SKETCHY AND UNWRITTEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FRACTURED, CAUSING IT TO DROP AND BLOCK THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,900.

ON THE 7/28/2013 I WAS DRIVING NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF APP 70MPH IN MY 2010 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WHEN SUDDENLY EVERY DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE DIED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO FREEZE UP. THE RESULTING CHAIN OF EVENTS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO WRECK THE VEHICLE BUT I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM A CONTROLLED STOP AND EXIT THE FREEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUE ON. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP A FEW DAYS LATER AND HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A BAD CELL IN THE BATTERY WHICH IN TURN WAS CONFUSING THE VEHICLE COMPUTER RESULTING IN THE SHUTDOWN OF THE VEHICLE ENGINE. HAD THE FREEWAY NOT BEEN STRAIGHT AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT UNDOUBTEDLY THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED BEFORE THIS RESULTS IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. ONCE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED I HAD NO MORE ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN PREMATURELY. *TR

ABOUT JUNE 2013 MY TIRES STARTING LOSING AIR PRESSURE SLOWLY, ABOUT 5 TO 10 PSI A WEEK, CAUSING THE TPMS TO SHOW AND ALERT. I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I TOOK THE CAR FOR SERVICE 06/22/13 AND HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE TIRE AT THAT TIME IN CASE IT WAS A NAIL. THEY FOUND NOTHING, BUT SAID IT WAS CORROSION ON THE RIM. AFTERWARDS THE LEAKING CONTINUED, SO ON A HUNCH I SPRAYED THE TPMS VALVES WITH SOAP ON JULY 20 AND SAW THEY WERE ALL LEAKING AIR FROM THE THREADED CAP STEM WHERE IT SCREWS INTO THE METAL VALVE ON THE WHEEL. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON HONDAS AND WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER MANUFACTURERS ALSO. THE SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW LEAKS, LEAKS ITSELF ! *TR