2009 Honda Civic Hybrid Electrical System Problems

AFTER HAVING THE 3RD IMA BATTERY INSTALLED IN MY HCH 2009, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THE REASON THAT THE BATTERIES WERE FAILING AND WOULD CONTINUE TO FAIL AT A RATE OF ABOUT EVERY 2-3 YEARS, WAS THAT I "WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR ENOUGH". I DRIVE MY CAR PLENTY--45000 MILES ON IT. AND I WAS NEVER TOLD WHEN I WAS BUYING THE CAR THAT I NEEDED TO DRIVE IT LIKE A TAXI CAB TO INSURE THE BATTERY'S LIFE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED ALL OF THE SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH A FAILING BATTERY, I.E. SLUGGISH OR NEARLY NO ACCELERATION (OFTEN IN CRITICAL TRAFFIC SITUATIONS), AS WELL AS POOR MPG. I DID NOT BUY THE HONDA HYBRID FOR ITS SUPERIOR GAS MILEAGE--IF I WANTED THE BEST I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT A PRIUS. BUT I DID WANT TO INVEST IN HONDA AND THE CONTINUANCE OF DEPENDABILITY, SERVICE, AND PERFORMANCE (THIS IS MY 3RD HONDA). I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN HONDA OFFERED ME NOTHING MORE THAN THE USUAL CUSTOMER WHEN I TRIED TO TRADE IN AND REPURCHASE A 2015 NON-HYBRID CIVIC. I PAID A LOT EXTRA FOR THEIR 2009 HYBRID TECHNOLOGY, AS DID MANY OTHERS, WITH NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE PERFORMANCE THAT THEY PROMISED. *TR

CAR DIED AT 50MPH ON A STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD FOR NO REASON. DASHBOARD DISPLAY WENT BLANK AND POWER STEERING LOST. PUT CAR INTO NEUTRAL, RESTARTED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RECOVERED POWER STEERING AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THIS IS THE SECOND SIMILAR INCIDENT BUT THE FIRST AT HIGH SPEED. MECHANICS SAID THERE WAS A CORRODED BATTERY CABLE, THEN LATER INDICATED THAT IT JUST NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED, HOWEVER, THE BATTERY IS BRAND NEW AND THE CABLE WAS CHECKED AND THE CONNECTION WAS SECURE AND ENTIRELY FREE OF CORROSION JUST DAYS BEFORE. IN ADDITION, THE MPG CALCULATION DID NOT RESET AS IT DOES WHEN THE 12V BATTERY IS ACTUALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE CIRCUIT. *TR

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

AT THE END OF OCTOBER 2012, I BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE IMA BATTERY FAILING ON MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID (2009). I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HONDA SHOP, AND THE BATTERY FAILED BECAUSE OF HIGH VOLTAGE AND DETERIORATION. THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS TRIED FIRST. WITHIN 5 MILES, THE BATTERY FAILED AGAIN. THE CAR STOPPED USING THE HYBRID MOTOR, SO I HAD NO ASSIST WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. THE GAS ENGINE REVVED, BUT IT DID NOT MOVE THE CAR. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD WITH AN 85 HP ENGINE THAT WAS REVVING HIGH BUT GOING NOWHERE. I GOT LUCKY THAT I COULD GO INTO REVERSE. THE NEXT DAY, I TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP, BUT THE CAR AND BATTERY WERE ACTING FUNNY AGAIN. I WOULD GET A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE BATTERY TO CHARGE, THE WHITE LIGHTS WOULD INDICATE AN ASSIST, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE, AND IT WOULD REV HIGH BUT NOT GO FORWARD. THAT CAR AND ITS FLAWED BATTERY AND HORRIBLE SOFTWARE UPDATE COULD HAVE KILLED ME. THAT COMBINATION INDICATES A SERIOUS DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FLAW. IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO GET A NEW BATTERY, AND THAT NEW BATTERY IS THE THIRD FOR THIS CAR. *TR

IMA BATTERY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON SEPTEMBER 24TH 2012 @ 4:15P CST. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 74 DEGREES AND PARTLY SUNNY. *TR

1) VISORS CRACKED - DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT STAY UP. 2) HYBRID BATTERY LIGHT SHOWED IT FAILED - DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE CAR FALL 2011 AND SINCE THEN THE CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS WELL. I HAVE NOTICED LESSENED ABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHEN MERGING. 3) TWO OF THE DOORS FAIL TO LOCK WHEN THE CAR REACHES LOCKING SPEED. ONE OF THESE IS A BACK SEAT PASSENGER DOOR WHERE A CHILD SITS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED AS IT RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.