NHTSA Complaint #10268515 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I HAVE OWNED MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID FOR ABOUT 21MONTHS. I STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE IMA (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST, HYBRID BATTERIES) LAST SUMMER (2008) AND CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES TO DATE (MAY 2009). THE IMA BATTERY THAT POWERS THE ASSIST MOTOR HAS BEEN UNPREDICTABLE AND HAS HAD DEGRADED PERFORMANCE FOR THE PAST YEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO BE UNDERPOWERED AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE IMA SYSTEM ROUTINELY FULLY DISCHARGES (ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS IN ARIZONA) AND LEAVES THE CAR ONLY TO RUN 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. MY WIFE DRIVES 3 KIDS TO SCHOOL (35 MILES ON WAY) ON A DAILY BASIS AND IS CONCERNED FOR THE KIDS AND HER SAFETY ON THE HIGHWAY. THE BATTERIES ALSO ARE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT. DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT THE REAR PASSENGERS (MY KIDS) ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING THAT THE SEAT IS WARM AND THAT IS EXCESSIVELY HOT IN THE BACK SEAT SINCE THE PROBLEM FIRST WAS OBSERVED IN LAST SUMMER 2008, I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT HONDA DEALERSHIPS. THEY ALL STATE THAT THIS IS 'NORMAL' OPERATION AND UNLESS THE SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. THE SERVICE LIGHT THEY ARE REFERRING TO IS THE P1433 BATTERY DEGRADED CODE THAT STATES TO REPLACE THE BATTERIES. IT SEEMS ODD THAT THEY WAIT UNTIL THE BATTERIES ARE TOTALLY FAILED AND DEPLETED BEFORE THEY WILL CHANGE THEM. I NOTICED THAT HONDA DOES HAVE A TSB OUT COVERING EXCESSIVE HEAT AND THAT IT CAN SEVERELY DAMAGE THE IMA BATTERIES. THIS STATES THAT IF THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 150 DEGREES F THAT THE BATTERIES CAN BE DAMAGED OR FAIL. I KNOW THAT HEAT SOAKING THE CAR FOR 8-10 HOURS IN THE FULL SUN AT 110+ DEGREES (SHADE TEMP) CAN EASILY HEAT THE IMA BATTERIES TO VERY CLOSE TO 150 DEGREES. I AM HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE AND KIDS THAT SHE DRIVES AND OTHERS THAT MAY BE EFFECTED. *TR