NHTSA Complaint #10315084 — 2004 HONDA CIVIC

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, 2004 1) AT SERVICE CHECKUP WAS TOLD THAT BATTERY (NORMAL BATTERY, NOT HYBRID CELLS) WAS A LITTLE LOW IN CHARGE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED SOON. I DECIDED TO WAIT AND GET A BATTERY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER THERE WAS A SUDDEN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION AFFECTING ALL CAR FUNCTIONS. LIGHTS ON DASH WOULD GO OUT AND INTERMITTENTLY WORK OR FLASH ALL LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY (ALONG WITH RADIO, HEATER, ETC), POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER, THEN WOULD COME ON FOR A SECOND OR TWO, CAUSING THE CAR TO SWERVE. BRAKES WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE NOT WORKING I PUSHED THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD WITH ONLY MINIMAL SLOWING - IT FELT LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK MECHANISM WAS ENGAGED. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH 2 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP, SO I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE DEALERSHIP. ONCE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AT 20 MPH FOR THE 2 MILES. 2) ONE TIME WHEN BATTERY RAN OUT OF CHARGE. 3) I GOT TO THE DEALER - THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY WORKED AS NORMAL. THE DEALER WAS SKEPTICAL THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SERIOUS AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE WHERE TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA. WHEN I HAVE ASKED ABOUT THIS THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT SOMETHING ELSE MUST HAVE CAUSED IT AND DIAGNOSTICS WOULD BE REQUIRED. BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN, AND 70,000 MILE CHECKUP DID NOT SHOW ANY PROBLEMS. IT APPEARS THAT THE BATTERY IS SOMEHOW LINKED WITH THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM, SUCH THAT LOOSING BATTERY POWER DOES NOT JUST KEEP THE CAR FROM STARTING, BUT SHORTS OUT ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, THEN PERHAPS COMES BACK ON AS A SMALL AMOUNT OF CHARGE IS REPLACED TO THE BATTERY? I ADDED AN AFTERMARKET STEREO, ALL REST OF ELECTRICAL IS HONDA. IF NO OTHER COMPLAINTS EXIST PERHAPS THIS IS THE CAUSE, THOUGH IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY. *TR