NHTSA Complaint #10363799 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM AMERICAN HONDA CORP. STATING THAT I NEEDED TO GET A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON MY 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IMA BATTERY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND SINCE THE UPDATE HAS BEEN INSTALLED THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY. THE FAILURE TO ACCELERATE HAPPENS EVERYTIME I ENTER THE FREEWAY. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE IS THAT CARS BEHIND COME UP ON ME VERY FAST AND I HAVE NO POWER TO GET IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. IT HAS LITTLE ACCELERATION TO MATCH TRAFFIC FLOW. IT SEEMS THE CAR IS MOSTLY OPERATING ON THE SMALL ENGINE AND HAS LITTLE ASSIST FROM THE BATTERY,SINCE THE UPDATE HAS BEEN INSTALLED.I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE UPDATE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING REGARDING MY CONCERNS. I FEEL THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. AS WELL ,HONDA SAID THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THE WARRANTY ON THE BATTERY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE CHANGED HOW THE BATTERY OPERATES SINCE THEY HAVE INSTALLED THE UPDATE. I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER TELLING HONDA TO RECALL THIS CAR AND MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. I WANT MY CAR TO RUN THE WAY IT DID BEFORE THE SOFTWARE WAS INSTALLED. A SIDE COMPLAINT IS THAT THE GOOD GAS MILEAGE I GOT ON A TANK OF GAS AS DROPPED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THE UPDATE.. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON TAKING ON THIS COMPLAINT.. P.S. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT. I FILED THIS COMPLAINT SO THAT THERE IS NONE IN THE FUTURE. THE INCIDENT DATE OF AUGUST 11,2010 IS THE DATE THE NEW SOFTWARE WAS INSTALLED IN MY CAR. *TR