NHTSA Complaint #10358172 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC

HONDA HAS PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON MY 2006 CIVIC HYBRID. THE RESULTS ARE TANTAMOUNT TO HAVING REPLACED MY CAR WITH ANOTHER THAT HAS MARKEDLY INFERIOR RESPONSE, PERFORMANCE, AND GAS MILEAGE: * ABOUT 10 MPG DECREASE SINCE THE 8/4/2010 IMA SOFTWARE UPDATE * RARE IVA ASSIST ON STARTING FROM 0, RESULTING IN A NOTICEABLE LAG BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND MOVEMENT FROM A STOPPED POSITION - THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. * RESPONSIVENESS OF ACCELERATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS INCONSISTENT AND UNPREDICTABLE - SINCE THIS AFFECTS DRIVER REACTION AND RESPONSIVENESS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOTE: THE SOFTWARE UPDATE RENDERS THE ELECTRIC MOTOR PRACTICALLY MOOT. SINCE IN MY CASE THE BATTERY DROPS ITS CHARGE RADICALLY OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD IF NOT USED, THE UPDATE APPEARS TO BE DOING LITTLE MORE THAN PREVENTING AN ALREADY COMPROMISED BATTERY FROM FAILING. *TR