NHTSA Complaint #10405868 — 2003 HONDA CIVIC

ON MAY 31, 2011 I NEARLY DIED WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 BECAUSE ALL ELECTRIC/BATTERY POWER IN MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CEASED. THE CAR WENT FROM TRAVELING AT 70 MPH TO 0 MHP, WITH SCANT TIME FOR ME TO SAFELY RETREAT TO AN EMERGENCY HIGHWAY SHOULDER. THIS SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY LIFE THREATENING FOR ME AND ALL PERSONS TRAVELING NEAR ME ON INTERSTATE 95. TO AVOID A HIGHWAY COLLISION MARYLAND STATE TROOPERS ASSISTED WITH FLARES AND LIGHTS TO WARN AND REDIRECT TRAFFIC. I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND MY 2003(2004?) HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IS IN OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED AT O?DONNELL HONDA SERVICE CENTER IN CATONSVILLE MARYLAND (O?DONNELL HONDA) REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FAULT CODES: 1435-CHARGE/DISCHARGE BALANCE AND 1570- BATTERY MODULE INDIVIDUAL VOLTAGE INPUT. TO REPAIR MY CIVIC HYBRID, O?DONNELL HONDA SERVICE CENTER COMPLETELY REPLACED THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST BATTERY ASSEMBLY AND MOTOR CONTROL MODULE. A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF CIVIC HYBRID OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CORPORATION ABOUT IMA BATTERY PACK REPLACEMENTS, MCM REPLACEMENTS AND EXORBITANT REPLACEMENT COSTS WITH A TREND OF REPLACEMENTS BECOMING NECESSARY AFTER REACHING 100,000 MILES TRAVELED ON THE CAR. (SEE HTTP://CORPORATE.HONDA.COM/PRESS/ARTICLE.ASPX?ID=2003112038200, HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/2003-HCH-BATTERY-T1155.HTML , HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/2003-HCH-BATTERY-T1155.HTML , HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/CIVIC-HYBRID-BATTERY-IMA-PROBLEMS.HTML, HTTP://WWW.AMID.COM/WERD/HYBRID-WOE-IMA-BATTERY/ ). THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WAS EITHER MANUFACTURED OR DESIGNED WITH DANGEROUS DEFECTS IN THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST (IMA) BATTERY ASSEMBLY AND MOTOR CONTROL MODULE (MCM)AND. THESE CARS SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT MASS CONSUMER AND HIGHWAY SAFETY AWARENESS OF THIS CONDITION. I HAVE INCURRED OVER 1K IN REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I AM TERRIFIED THAT BATTERY FAILURE WILL OCCUR AGAIN. *TR