NHTSA Complaint #10350332 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IS EXPERIENCING AN ISSUE WHERE THE HYBRID BATTERY LOSES CHARGE OVERNIGHT, CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE UNPREDICTABLY WHILE DRIVING. IN SOME CASES, THE DISPLAY SHOWS THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY HAS ENOUGH CHARGE TO ASSIST IN ACCELERATION, BUT THE CAR REACTS EXTREMELY SLOW WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. YESTERDAY WHEN SHIFTING FROM A LANE OF STOPPED TRAFFIC TO A LANE OF MOVING TRAFFIC, THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO USE BATTERY TO ASSIST IN ACCELERATION, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WHEN I ENTERED THE LANE, THE NEXT CAR BEHIND ME WAS 30-40 YARDS BACK, BUT I DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ACCELERATION TO MATCH THE SPEED IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THANKFULLY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO AVOID A COLLISION. DUE TO THE EXTREME LACK OF ACCELERATION FROM A STOP IN THESE SITUATIONS, AND THE UNPREDICTABILITY AS TO WHEN IT WILL OCCUR, THIS TO ME IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CAR NOW. I TOOK THE CAR TO A HONDA DEALER, AND THEY APPLIED THE LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE. AFTER THE UPDATE, I HAD THEM TEST-DRIVE THE CAR, BUT THEY WERE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE TO FIX THE ISSUE. *TR