NHTSA Complaint #10465281 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

MY WIFE WAS HEADED HOME FROM WORK (APPROXIMATELY 5 PM) WHEN SHE HAD TO STOP IN TRAFFIC ON A FAIRLY STEEP HILL, WITH AN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AT, OR NEAR, 100 DEGREES. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO RESUME FORWARD SHE PRESSED THE GAS ON HER 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID AND THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER CAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE, SHE SWITCHED TO THE LOWEST RANGE, STILL THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. AS A RESULT, SHE HAD TO WAVE CARS BEHIND HER AROUND WHILE ALL SHE COULD DO WAS HOLD THE BRAKES UNTIL SHE COULD MANAGE TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THIS HILL TO SAFETY. SHE THEN CHANGED ROUTES THAT HAD SUBSTANTIALLY MORE CONGESTION, BUT SMALLER HILLS. HILLS ARE A WAY OF LIFE IN THE ATLANTA METRO AREA, SO ARE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN JULY. SHE HAS MENTIONED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS TERRIBLE ACCELERATION ON SOME LESSER HILLS IN HOT WEATHER OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING AS DANGEROUS AS THIS INCIDENT.THIS MALADY HAS BEEN REPORTED A MINIMUM OF 2-3 TIMES TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP SHE PURCHASED IT FROM, HERITAGE HONDA, ROME, GA. I WOULDN'T ALLOW HER TO USE IT UNTIL HONDA SORTED OUT THE MALFUNCTION. WELL, I SPENT THE DAY THERE, THEY DID COMPUTER ANALYSIS, TECHNICIAN INTERFACED WITH HONDA TECH LINE, EVEN SENT A "SNAPSHOT" OF THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER DATA WHEN IT ACTUALLY RECREATED THE SAME CONDITION FOR THE MECHANIC ON A STEEP HILL. NONE-THE-LESS, I LEFT THERE HOPEFUL THAT HONDA WOULD RESOLVE OUR DILEMMA. AFTER A DAY AND A HALF OF WAITING FOR SOME FEEDBACK, I WAS FINALLY INFORMED THE CAR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. APPARENTLY, THE HYBRID BATTERIES REACHED A HIGH TEMPERATURE, WHICH FOR "SAFETY REASONS" DISABLED THE CIRCUITRY THAT "ASSISTS" THE CAR VIA THE "HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR" WHICH IN TURN LEAVES THE CAR COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE UNDERSIZED GASOLINE ENGINE. IN THIS CASE, NOT NEAR ENOUGH POWER TO MOVE HER CAR. HONDA SAYS IT'S OK TO DRIVE! WE NEED HELP, PLEASE HELP US! *TR