NHTSA Complaint #10349472 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS HAD TWO BASIC PROBLEMS. ONE, IT SIMPLY DOESN'T DELIVER THE MILEAGE PROMISED ON THE CAR STICKER AND THAT MILEAGE KEEPS DROPPING. THE SECOND ITEM WHICH I HAD NOT THOUGHT WAS RELATED AND WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE, SEVERAL TIMES AFTER LONG TRIPS ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I APPROACHED A HILL OR WAS GOING UP ONE, THE CAR WOULD STALL OUT OR REFUSE TO MOVE, DESPITE PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR WHILE THE ENGINE WAS ON AND IN DRIVE GEAR. SEVERAL TIMES IT WOULD START ROLLING BACK DOWN THE HILL OR WOULD IMPEDE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. ONCE THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE, IT WOULD RESUME WORKING PROPERLY, SO I NEVER REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER AS I COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. IN THIS MORNING'S LA TIMES COVER STORY ABOUT HONDA BEING UNDER STATE SCRUTINY FOR THE GAS MILEAGE PROBLEM, SEVERAL PEOPLE INTERVIEWED RELATED A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO MINE. THAT'S WHEN THE "AHA" TOOK PLACE THAT MAYBE MY CAR'S PROBLEMS WERE RELATED. LUCKILY I DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES OR CRASHES DUE TO THIS ISSUE, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR GREAT DAMAGE IS THERE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO FORWARD THE INVESTIGATION. THANKS. *TR