NHTSA Complaint #10672537 — 2010 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

EVER SINCE NEW, THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS UNRELIABLE. IF THE HYBRID BATTERY CHARGE IS BELOW 1/2, WHICH IS OFTEN, THE BATTERY ASSIST DOES NOT COME ON WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE IS HEAVY TRAFFIC WHERE I LIVE AND I HAVE TO ENTER A DIVIDED ROADWAY FROM A SIDE ROAD. I OFTEN FIND MYSELF NEARLY HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM DOESN'T KICK IN. NOW THAT THE CAR IS OLDER, THE PROBLEM IS MUCH WORSE. IN THE PAST I COULD PREDICT WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS LIKELY NOT TO PROVIDE THE ACCELERATION ASSIST NEEDED TO SAFELY ENTER THE HIGHWAY AND WAIT FOR A LONGER BREAK IN TRAFFIC. NOW THE CHARGE INDICATOR WILL BE 100% ONE MINUTE AND SHOWING ONLY TWO BARS OUT OF ABOUT 12 THEN NEXT SECOND. I DON'T FEEL I CAN SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR ANY MORE. MY WIFE'S CAR IS A TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID AND IT ALWAYS HAS CONSISTENT ACCELERATION. HER 2006 VEHICLE RUNS JUST AS GOOD AS IT DID WHEN IT WAS NEW. CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS THAT 0.1 PERCENT OF TOYOTA PRIUSES 2010 YEAR MODEL NEED BATTERY REPLACEMENTS, BUT 32% OF HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS DO. CLEARLY THERE IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE CIVIC HYBRID. IF I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA OR A DOZEN OTHER STATES, MY BATTERY WARRANTY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO 150,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS. HERE IN MARYLAND, IT IS ONLY 8 YEARS OR 80,000 MILES. *TR