NHTSA Complaint #10507075 — 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

AS WITH MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, THE VEHICLE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE IMA LIGHT CAME ON. IT HISTORICALLY FLICKERED ON AND OFF AND WE THOUGHT INITIALLY NOTHING OF IT. WE THEN DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT HONDA HAS IGNORED THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, & INSTEAD HAVE HAD THEIR DEALERSHIPS DECIDE ON WHETHER TO REPLACE OR NOT. INITIALLY THE DEALERSHIP TOLD MY WIFE & I THAT IT WOULD COST $4.5K+ TO REPLACE THE BATTERY, BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER A WARRANTABLE ITEM. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANYTHING HONDA WAS DOING TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE. AFTER I DID MY GENERAL ONLINE RESEARCH, THE DEALER MYSTERIOUSLY CAME BACK WITH THEIR OFFER TO PAY ALL BUT $450+ OF THE COST TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. BOTH MY WIFE AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE DEALER DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR FREE OR AT SUCH A GREAT DISCOUNT. AFTER FURTHER COMPLAINING AND KNOWING WE NEEDED A WORKING CAR, MY WIFE HAGGLED WITH THE DEALER DOWN TO $265 TO REPLACE A PART THAT WOULD HAVE COST $4.5K+. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WHOLE BATTERY REPLACEMENT SCREAMS 'FISHY', BUT WITH NO ACTION BY NHTSA TO ADDRESS A GROWING CHORUS OF PERSONS WHO OWN THE 2009 HYBRID, PEOPLE WILL ULTIMATELY PAY THE $4.5K IF THEY DON'T KNOW THAT HONDA MAY BE SILENTLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE, BUT LEAVING IT UP TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAND OUT THE SOLUTION AT THEIR WHIM. THIS SHOULD BE COVERED @ 100% BY HONDA INCLUDING LABOR. THIS IS/WAS A DEFECTIVE ITEM FROM THE 2009 MODEL THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED, BUT SADLY IT WONT BE UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT. I SAY HURT BECAUSE THE DEALER SAID, TO GET US TO PAY THE INITIAL $4.5K+, THAT IF WE DIDN'T REPLACE THE BATTERY THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN & ALL THINGS CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY WOULD ALSO FAIL AS WELL, INCLUDING STEERING AND BRAKING. THIS LEAVES 3 CHOICES: PAY THE 4500; BUY A NEW HONDA AND GET NOTHING FOR THE OLD ONE; LEAVE HONDA AND GET ANOTHER BRANDED CAR. ALL BAD. *TR