NHTSA Complaint #10340929 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I WAS ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS I WENT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, AND THE CAR ONLY ACCELERATED AT ABOUT 1/4 OF ITS NORMAL PACE. I HAD TO LOOK DOWN TO MAKE SURE MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS. WHEN THIS ACCELERATION FAILURE OCCURRED, THE BATTERY SHOWED NO CHARGE, BUT IT HAD SHOWN ALMOST A FULL CHARGE WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR, JUST A FEW MINUTES EARLIER. MY CAR NOW CANNOT HOLD A CHARGE AT ALL. I PARK IT FULLY CHARGED, AND WHEN I START, IT SHOWS FULLY CHARGED. WITHIN THE FIRST MILE OF DRIVING, IT DROPS TO 1 OR NO BARS. IT THEN HAS TROUBLE ACCELERATING, AS THE CAR CANNOT PULL FROM THE IMA AND IT TRIES TO CHARGE THE IMA, INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING. THIS FAILURE IS NOW OCCURRING DAILY. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE TO WORK, AS I DON'T KNOW WHEN I CAN MERGE ONTO INTERSTATE AND IF THE CAR WILL FAIL. IT IS USUALLY FINE AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES OF DRIVING, BUT MY COMMUTE IS ONLY 12 MILES, SO I WOULD SAY THIS MAKES A VERY LARGE % OF MY COMMUTE DANGEROUS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT UPDATED SOFTWARE, BUT THIS HAS NOT IMPROVED THE SITUATION AT ALL. I AM KEEPING A JOURNAL OF THESE DAILY ACTIVITIES, AS THE IMA IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. MY GAS MILEAGE DROPPED 20% OVER THE PAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH I DO USE ETHANOL FREE GAS. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IMA, BUT HONDA SIMPLY GAVE ME THE BRUSH OFF EVERYTIME I EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT THIS WAS AN EARLY SIGN THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. *TR