NHTSA Complaint #10254417 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC

AFTER ABOUT 50,000 DRIVING MILES, BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2008, THE IMA (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST) ELECTRIC ASSIST MOTOR IN MY 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS BEEN ACTING ERRATICALLY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE IMA BATTERY THAT POWERS THE ASSIST MOTOR HAS BEEN UNPREDICTABLE. IT SOMETIMES WOULD FULLY DISCHARGE, AND THE CAR WOULD RUN ONLY 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. I HAVE SPOKEN TO BOTH DEALERSHIPS IN TOWN WHOM BOTH ?DUPLICATED? MY ISSUE BUT WERE UNAWARE OF HOW TO FIX IT. I HAVE STAYED IN CONTACT WITH AMERICAN HONDA DIRECTLY SINCE AUGUST AND TODAY WAS REINFORCED THE IDEA THAT MY CAR HAS ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER AND IS WORKING WITHIN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND MY BATTERY TESTS FINE. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT A BATTERY CAN TEST SPORADICALLY BASED ON VARIOUS REASONS. HE REFUSED TO GIVE ME ANY OTHER EXPLANATION, CONTACT INFORMATION, SUPERVISOR INFORMATION, ETC. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE PROBLEM WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHEN ACCELERATION IS NEEDED AND THE IMA WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE CAR WHEN UNASSISTED PROPERLY BY THE ELECTRIC POWER MOTOR ONLY PRODUCES SUB-100 HORSEPOWER AND DOES NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE WHEN NEEDED, ESPECIALLY IN SITUATIONS SUCH A MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY OR MAKING RIGHT HAND TURNS. *TR