NHTSA Complaint #10980827 — 2007 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS I'VE HAD TWO INSTANCES WHERE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT A GREEN LIGHT AND HAD TO YIELD TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, WHEN THE NEXT ONCOMING VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE FAR ENOUGH AWAY AND AT A SAFE DISTANCE, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND MAKE THE TURN AND MY HYBRID SYSTEM A.K.A. HONDA'S IMA (INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST) WOULD RANDOMLY FAIL TO ENGAGE, LEAVING ME WITH ALMOST NO ACCELERATION POWER. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING A LAWNMOWER. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPORTIONATELY ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE UPHILL IN DOWNTOWN TACOMA, WA AS IT STARTS ROLLING BACK EVEN WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A SB-10051509-6014 ISSUED FOR MY SPECIFIC MODEL, WHICH IN EFFECT EXTENDED THE WARRANTY AND MY VIN FELL UNDER THE SPECIFIED CRITERIA, IT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO A SALVAGE BRANDED TITLE (A FACT I DIDN'T NOT NOTICE UNTIL AFTER I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY). THIS ISN'T SIMPLY A WARRANTY ISSUE. THIS IS IN EFFECT A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION IN AN EMERGENCY. THE RISK IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED BY THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER MAKING THE LEFT TURN IS FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHICH IS COMING TOWARDS THE VEHICLE IN FULL SPEED. SHOULD A CHILD BE PRESENT IN THE REAR SEAT, IF THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE LEFT TURN AND VACATE THE INTERSECTION IN TIME, THE COLLISION COULD PROVE FATAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE HYBRID BATTERY PACK AND THE HIGH VOLTAGE WIRES ARE ALL CONNECTED RIGHT BEHIND THE REAR SEAT.