NHTSA Complaint #10442326 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I WON'T EVEN GO INTO THE RIDICULOUS 49/51 MPG WINDOW STICKER THAT IS A BLATANT LIE BUT THAT DOES PLAY INTO MY COMPLAINT AS YOU WILL SEE. HONDA, AFTER RECEIVING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BATTERY PACK AND HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT, HAS THIS BRAINSTORM TO REFLASH OR REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER/BATTERY PACK AS PART OF A RECALL THIS PAST YEAR. THIS WAS DONE AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE. PRIOR TO THAT TIME MY SOLE COMPLAINT WITH MY CAR WAS THAT THE MPG AVERAGED ABOUT 35MPG PERIOD. SINCE THIS LAST RECALL AND REPROGRAM NOT ONLY HAS MY FUEL ECONOMY GONE DOWN BUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR IS ESSENTIALLY UNSAFE FROM A STOPPED POSITION. LET'S FACE IT, THE CAR NEVER WAS A NASCAR BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IT WAS NOT A GOLF CAR EITHER. NOW WHEN STARTING OUT FROM A STOPPED POSITION, WHETHER AT A STOP LIGHT OR ANYWHERE AND WHETHER THE MOTOR HAS SHUT OFF OR NOT, THE HYBRID IS SO BOGGED DOWN THAT I HONESTLY BELIEVE MY GOLF CAR ACCELERATES BETTER AND MORE QUICKLY. LET'S SET THIS STRAIGHT TOO. I'M 41 AND NOT TRYING TO DRAG RACE I'M MERELY TRYING TO DRIVE THE CAR IN A NORMAL SAFE MANNER. AT TIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS GOING TO LITERALLY DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN OR INTERSECTION WHICH CAN BE A BAD THING ONCE YOU COMMIT TO A TURN AND THERE'S A 53 FOOT 100,000LBS OF FUN COMING IN YOUR DIRECTION. HONDA HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH IGNORING MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE HYDROPLANING OF THIS VEHICLE, THE RIDICULOUSLY LOW FUEL ECONOMY, AND NOW THEY WILL LIKELY DO THE SAME WITH THEIR ATTEMPT AT MAKING THEIR BATTERY LAST LONGER WHICH HAS MADE THE VEHICLE LESS SAFE FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND KIDS. THIS "RECALL" WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A BATTERY LIFE EXTENDER TO PROTECT HONDA'S WALLET. HOW ABOUT REPLACING EVERYONE'S BATTERY ONCE FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR? THAT'D MAKE SENSE TO ME...YOU KNOW...THE GUY THAT SHELLED OUT 24,000.00 FOR YOUR CAR EXPECTING TO RECEIVE MID TO UPPER 40'S IN FUEL ECONOMY. FIX IT. *TR