NHTSA Complaint #10344114 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I DRIVE A 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CAR IS BARELY 3 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 36,000 MILES. IN JUNE WHILE STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP ON A HILL AND DRIVING IN GENTLY ROLLING HILLS THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST WOULD OFTEN FAIL TO ENGAGE TO PROVIDE THE EXTRA POWER NEEDED TO CLIMB THE HILL. THE ENGINE REVVED TO 3000 - 3500 RPM BUT HAD NO POWER. WHEN STARTING FROM THE DEAD STOP THE CAR COULD NOT HOLD IT'S POSITION ON THE HILL. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE BUT THEY APPLIED TWO SOFTWARE UPDATES TO THE COMPUTER THAT MIGHT HELP. THEY ALSO CONTACTED THE HONDA TECHLINE. HONDA TOLD MY DEALER THAT GIVEN THE AGE OF THE BATTERY (3 YEARS) AND WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHES 100 DEGREES (THERE WAS A COINCIDENTAL HEAT WAVE IN THE EAST) THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION. ON THE SPECIFIC DAY THIS PROBLEM STARTED TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE EIGHTIES. THE DEALER SPENT TWO WEEKS TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND A THIRD WEEK ARGUING WITH HONDA THAT THE CAR DID NOT RUN RIGHT. AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY OPENED AN 'INVESTIGATION'. THEY TOOK MY STATEMENT AND CONTACTED THE DEALER. THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE CAR IS OPERATING PERFECTLY NORMALLY. THIS TIME THEY SAID THAT GIVEN THE AGE OF THE BATTERY, IF YOU USE THE IMA TOO MUCH THE IMA BATTERY MAY OVERHEAT AND SHUT DOWN. THAT IS HONDA'S OFFICIAL POSITION AND THEY REFUSE TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF THIS PROBLEM ARE OBVIOUS. FORTUNATELY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. MY WIFE DRIVES A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH OVER 100,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS A TOTAL REDESIGN OF THE CIVIC IN 2006. PERHAPS THE HONDA ENGINEERS OUTSMARTED THEMSELVES AND INTRODUCED A DESIGN FLAW. OR, PERHAPS THERE IS A DEFECTIVE BATTERY THAT HONDA DOES NOT WANT TO PAY TO REPLACE. *TR