NHTSA Complaint #10593218 — 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

FLASHING IGNITION "IMMOBILIZER" LIGHT - SYSTEM CODE "C-1": WITH LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE, OR A DISCONNECTED OR "DEAD" BATTERY, VEHICLE CANNOT BE STARTED, EITHER BY "JUMP STARTING" OR REPLACING THE 12V CAR BATTERY. THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECT, IN ALL "J VIN" CIVIC HYBRIDS, ON THE MICU BOARD LOCATED IN THE UNDER-DASH FUSE RELAY BOX. DEFECT RESULTS IN THE ELECTRONIC KEY CODES BEING LOST WITH LOW OR NO 12V IGNITION SYSTEM VOLTAGE. THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER TO HAVE ALL KEYS (CAR COMES WITH 3 SETS OF KEYS) REPROGRAMMED TO THE IGNITION IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. ONLY A HONDA DEALER CAN PERFORM THIS OPERATION. BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT, VEHICLE OPERATOR AND ANY PASSENGERS CAN BE LEFT STRANDED AND IN AN UNSAFE POSITION. THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER, IF AVAILABLE, TO HAVE THE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM REPROGRAMMED. HONDA WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OTHER SERVICE PROVIDER TO PERFORM THIS OPERATION BECAUSE OF SECURITY AND VEHICLE THEFT CONCERNS. DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE IMMOBILIZER FAILURE, THIS CAN BE A LIFE THREATENING SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE VEHICLE OPERATOR, DEPENDING ON WHERE AND WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. IN ADDITION, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS REQUIRING THE VEHICLE BATTERY TO BE DISCONNECTED, WILL RESULT IN AN INOPERABLE VEHICLE AND REQUIRE THAT THE VEHICLE CAR KEYS BE REPROGRAMMED, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE PLANNED MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR AND THE KEY REPROGRAMMING WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE AT ONLY A HONDA DEALER.