NHTSA Complaint #10230988 — 2003 HONDA CIVIC

2003 CIVIC HYBRID- 80K MILES. BOUGHT IN 2006 WITH 60K MILES. THE VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THERE IS ABOUT A 5-8 SECOND DELAY IN PRESSING THE GAS AND THE CAR GOING, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST BE REAR ENDED A FEW TIMES. THE VEHICLE ALSO SLOWS DOWN EXTREMELY RAPIDLY WHEN THE FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL. EVEN WITH NO PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BREAK PEDAL. TO ORDINARY (NOT HYBRID) CARS, IT SEEMS LIKE I AM PRESSING MY BRAKE, THEY JUST SEE ME SLOWING DOWN, BUT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS TO WARN THEM, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN TWO REALLY BAD CAR ACCIDENTS THAT WERE AVOIDED BY MERE INCHES WHEN: ON THE HIGHWAY I HAVE TAKEN MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO SLOW MY VEHICLE, BUT I DID NOT NEED THE BREAKS SINCE THE CAR SLOWED DOWN SO FAST ON IT'S OWN. I THREW ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND TAPPED THE BRAKE TO SIGNAL TO CARS BEHIND ME WHO WERE MOVING MUCH FASTER STILL. I THINK THAT HONDA SHOULD PUT IN SMALLER LIGHTS OR A DIFFERENT SAFETY LIGHT WHEN YOU REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR ON THE CIVIC HYBRIDS, TO AVOID REAR-ENDING ACCIDENTS DUE TO RAPID DECREASE IN SPEED WITH NO USAGE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. HISTORY OF PROBLEM: DURING TEST DRIVE VEHICLE MADE SLIGHT SHUDDER NOISE AND HESITATION BEFORE STARTING TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A NORMAL NOISE FOR HYBRIDS. I FOOLISHLY BELIEVED HIM. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SHUDDERING WAS WORSE AND I KNEW THAT IT WASN'T A NORMAL NOISE FOR ANY TRANSMISSION TO BE MAKING AT 60,000 MILES! OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES TO "FIX" THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS ONLY PATCHED UP AND THE SHUDDERING COMES BACK A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR IT, YET THEIR DEALERSHIPS TRY TO PUT OFF FIXING THE PROBLEM UNTIL SOMEONE'S WARRANTY IS ALMOST OVER, OR OVER. HONDA NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAULTY VEHICLE. A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE AT THE VERY LEAST, TO FIX THE CARS DRIVING AROUND WITH BAD TRANSMISSIONS. *TR