Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||||
| SB-12-002 | 01/12/2012 | 10043248 | Honda: on some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing alternators, installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station. *pe | 03/06/2012 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||||
| SB-12-077 | 12/21/2012 | 10051509 | Honda: warranty coverage has been extended on some vehicles for the ima battery module. models 2003-2008 civic hybrids. *pe | 03/08/2013 | |
| SB-12-048 | 10/05/2012 | SB-12-048-B | 10045879 | Honda: information on replacement and removal of junction board from old ima battery and new battery mounted before battery is installed. models 2003-11 civic hybrid, 2011-12 cr-z, 2000-06 insight, 2010-12 insight. *pe updated | 09/19/2012 |
| SB-12-048 | 09/21/2012 | SB-12-048-A | 10045879 | Honda: information on replacement and removal of junction board from old ima battery and new battery mounted before battery is installed. models 2003-11 civic hybrid, 2011-12 cr-z, 2000-06 insight, 2010-12 insight. *pe updated | 09/19/2012 |
| SB-12-048 | 09/05/2012 | 10045879 | Honda: information on replacement and removal of junction board from old ima battery and new battery mounted before battery is installed. models 2003-11 civic hybrid, 2011-12 cr-z, 2000-06 insight, 2010-12 insight. *pe | 09/19/2012 | |
| SB-10-061 | 03/25/2011 | 10040487 | Honda: hybrid vehicle battery exchange information. *rm | 08/31/2011 | |
| SB-10-061 | 03/25/2011 | 10040487 | Ready | 08/31/2011 | |
| SB-10-034 | 12/01/2010 | 10037712 | Honda service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. the battery may pre-maturely fail and it is a software problem. *rm | 06/03/2011 | |
| SB-10-034 | 12/01/2010 | 10037712 | Ready | 06/03/2011 | |
| SB-08-062 | 08/06/2008 | 10026884 | Honda: hybrid batteries can be affected and damaged by excessively high temperatures. *pe | 01/05/2009 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| SB-10-034 | 12/01/2010 | 10037712 | Honda service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. the battery may pre-maturely fail and it is a software problem. *rm | 06/03/2011 | |
| SB-10-034 | 12/01/2010 | 10037712 | Ready | 06/03/2011 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||||
| SB-12-002 | 01/12/2012 | 10043248 | Honda: on some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing alternators, installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station. *pe | 03/06/2012 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 11/20/2011 | 38000 | 1 | |
| On or around 11/20/2011, the control panel on my 2008 honda civic hybrid lost all power while driving on ih-10 w in houston, tx. as a result, i had no information about my speed, fuel level, rpm, etc. i believe this problem was related to my hybrid battery as it had to be replaced shortly thereafter. currently, i am having trouble with the replacement hybrid battery and honda is refusing to remedy the problem under the warranty. i am writing to the nhtsa implore it to take a closer look at issues with honda's hybrid batteries. it is well known that these batteries are failing at a high rate and there are several class action lawsuits concerning the performance of these batteries. this problem is well known to honda and something needs to be done as it is putting peoples' lives at risk. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2011 | 38000 | ||
| On or around 11/20/2011, the control panel on my 2008 honda civic hybrid lost all power while driving on ih-10 w in houston, tx. as a result, i had no information about my speed, fuel level, rpm, etc. i believe this problem was related to my hybrid battery as it had to be replaced shortly thereafter. currently, i am having trouble with the replacement hybrid battery and honda is refusing to remedy the problem under the warranty. i am writing to the nhtsa implore it to take a closer look at issues with honda's hybrid batteries. it is well known that these batteries are failing at a high rate and there are several class action lawsuits concerning the performance of these batteries. this problem is well known to honda and something needs to be done as it is putting peoples' lives at risk. | |||
| 12/08/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for service under a manufacturer's recall for the ima battery. the vehicle was repaired however after the repairs, the contact experienced a hesitation in acceleration power when traveling at various speeds or attempting to drive uphill. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 60,000. | |||
| 12/08/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for service under a manufacturer's recall for the ima battery. the vehicle was repaired however after the repairs, the contact experienced a hesitation in acceleration power when traveling at various speeds or attempting to drive uphill. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 60,000. kmj | |||
| 12/08/2010 | 63000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact stated that he took his vehicle into the dealer for a recall that dealt with the ima battery (recall number was unknown). the vehicle was repaired but the contact experienced failure afterwards. the contact stated that the vehicle has had problems with the vehicle accelerating and having problems with the vehicle. the vehicle would take its time to accelerate on a regular road and going up an hill. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 60,000. ap | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 15000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact stated that while driving the vehicle in the heat, the vehicle would stall. the contact took the vehicle and they stated that if the battery got too hot, the vehicle would stall and that is the way that the vehicle was made. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and they stated the same thing. the failure mileage was 15,000. ap | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 39600 | 1 | |
| I have owned this car since april 2008 - i don't drive a lot - in 4 years and 3 months i have less than 40,000 miles on the car. i am the original owner - i purchased it new. i noticed a few months back that the hybrid batteries did not appear to be acting right and when i mentioned it during my 30,000 service they said that it was testing ok and there were no problems with it. over the past few months it has steadily gotten worse - to the point where the hybrid batteries would not hold a charge. when i brought it in to the dealership they stated that while they could see that the battery was dead it wasn't giving them the error message or error code that it was supposed to so that they could replace the battery. they had to keep it and drive it around town the entire day and perform tests on it to make the car finally give them the error code necessary to indicate that the hybrid battery was not working so it could be replaced. while these batteries are under warranty and they are replacing them - i don't feel that 4 year lifespan for this type of equipment is adequate - particularly given that i don't drive the car a lot. additionally this is a quite costly part - $4,000 if it was not under warranty. i am concerned that the error message was not displaying despite the months of issues with it - and the fact that the equipment only has a shelf life of 4 years in my location due to the climate. this was not disclosed during my purchase and had it been i would never have purchased a hybrid vehicle. this with the fuel tank defect has me seriously questioning this car maker's quality and durability of their vehicles. *tr | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 41232 | ||
| Upon receiving the 'mandatory' ima recall issued by honda, i noticed my honda civic hybrid (2008) acted very differently when it came to accelerating from a stop, particularly on a hill. from a stop it takes several seconds before the car will move forward at a reasonable speed (which it did not do prior to the update). prior to the update, the car would accelerate like a normal car with the ima kicking in to assist the car forward. post update it's like the gas engine wants the ima to engage but the new firmware won't allow it to. the first time i experienced this, i was nearly hit coming out into traffic as my car hesitated. honda has stated there is no way to reverse the update. this decrease in power continues to affect me today (at 60,000 miles and climbing). this update has affected my fuel economy as well (having dropped between 30-33 mpg on a good day). while the fuel economy may not be a personal safety issue, it is an environmental safety issue. | |||
| 03/01/2011 | |||
| First incident occurred around a month after purchased 3 of 2011. door locks would lock & unlock while driving.immediately took it back to norm reeves honda in cerritos,ca. i was told that the problem was a bad motor in the passenger door & norm reeves fixed the problem.i was told the drivers side window was defected & norm reeves replaced the window. in 4 of 2011, the car door locks began locking & unlocking while driving but now making a screeching sound.took the car back to the same norm reeves & they explained it was the motor in the passenger rear door.that was fixed as well.in 6 of 2011, again the door locks started locking & unlocking while driving.i then realized the rear drivers side door was not locking & took it in to norm reeve where they stated the motor was out & they fixed it.i then asked if maybe it could be something electrical & if they could check the electrical wiring on the car, i was told by octavio, service manager at norm reeves, it was not the electrical that it was the door locks.i told the service manager, octavio at this time i felt like the car also gives a push or skip while driving & also smelled a burning smell.octavio stated the honda was checked by a tech & said nothing was wrong with it.i began taking the honda civic in to norm reeves every month complaining about the car skipping or losing traction.it was frightening driving down hills thinking my car would not stop or lose control.the burning smell would become greater when driving up an incline or the hills of any freeway or city.when the car would be parked at an incline the shifter would lock & become hard to remove from park.during each visit to norma reeves honda, which occurred more than 10 times, i was never told of any recalls or examinations needed in regards to the fuel tank problems & only found out when my honda civic was taken to rock honda of fontana, ca. | |||
| 02/12/2009 | 8000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph when the engine stalled without prior warning. the engine restarted and resumed normally yet the failure recurred intermittently. also, when driving up an incline the vehicle would not accelerate over a certain speed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer five different times for the identical failure. the computerized system software was upgraded and the technician stated that the vehicle would operate properly yet the failure persisted. the failure mileage was approximately 8,000. | |||
| 02/12/2009 | 8000 | ||
| Tl -the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph, the engine stalled without prior warning. the engine restarted and resumed normally. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on five different times for the identical failure. also, when driving up an incline the vehicle would not accelerate over a certain speed. the computerized system software was upgraded. the technician stated that the vehicle operated properly. the failure persisted; which there were no resolutions. the failure mileage was approximately 8,000. js | |||
| 03/25/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2007 honda civic hybrid. the contact stated after receiving a nhtsa campaign id number: 11v106000 (electrical system) the contact called the dealer to set a appointment to remedy the vehicle and the dealer stated the parts will be available in two weeks. the contact then called the manufacturer directly and they stated the parts will be available in two weeks. the manufacturer suggested to the contact to call all the dealers to see if the parts are available. the contact stated this is a safety issue that can cause the headlights to turn off, the engine to stall, and prevent the vehicle from being restarted, increasing the risk of a crash. the contact stated the manufacturer should have parts for this particular issue. the failure mileage was 82,000. jo | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 28000 | ||
| Significant drop in mileage since the software upgrade on my 2008 civic hybrid. electric motor does not always kick in when extra power is needed. i called the honda a local honda dealer...the service rep said he would need the car for several days and needed to drive it 140 miles to diagnose the problem. i next called the corporate office to complain...the rep i spoke with said i should take it to a dealer, but also acknowledged the problem. he said there was no current fix of the upgrade and he did not know if it was being worked on. i pointed out to him if they already know there is a problem, going to the dealer makes no sense. | |||
| 03/03/2011 | 56927 | ||
| '08 honda civic hybrid experiencing a dramatic decrease in fuel economy. ima battery suspected. dealership upgraded software (as per honda recall) and told me that to get better mpg's i should shut off my heater (we live in wisconsin!) and recommended an air filter change. i stated that an air filter and shutting off the heat would not increase my mpg's from 28-31 back up to it's prior performance range of 40-50. vehicle is still dramatically underperforming. note: service advisor @ bergstrom honda admitted that in his 4 years there that he has seen many civic hybrids with severe tire cupping (i previously filed complaints on this issue also, vehicle is going on it's 3rd set of tires within 57,927 miles!) and also mentioned the poor performance after the honda software upgrades to fix the ima issues. it is my belief that honda is well aware of the ima issues and is trying to hide them under the software update (to save replacing x number of expensive hybrid batterys). i believe that as owners we have lost valuable lifespan on these batterys and that we have lost out on a good portion of our hybrid battery warranty coverage due to honda's design | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 25000 | ||
| 2008 honda civi hybrid appears to have problem with battey system; overheats and looses charge. honda has issued software update to repair the problem, however, this update robs the car of acceleration power thus making it dangerous to react to an emergency situation. | |||
| 10/11/2010 | 89000 | ||
| Have a 08 civic hybrid with 89k miles. got the recent battery software upgrade several weeks ago. have had a sudden drop in battery charge down to one or two bars, both before and after the upgrade. recovery usually fairly quick, driving on the interstate, 72 mph, all of a sudden dash went dark and engine stopped. no warnings or lights beforehand. coasted to the side of the road. able to restart immediately. happened twice more over the next 30 minutes. these times put the car in neutral and restarted as i coasted. tank about 1/3 full with shell gas. filled the tank with off brand gas and drove the rest of the way ok. took it to honda dealer. they checked engine (no codes) and electrical system. nothing found. have to drive this car every weekend for 400 mile round trip. concerned about upcoming weekend | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 13500 | ||
| In august 2010 i took my 2008 honda civic hybrid to the dealer for routine maintenance. the dealer performed a purported software update on the battery system without notifying me until afterwards. immmediately upon leaving the dealer, i noticed a profond reduction in power and acceleration. on the freeway portion of the drive home, i was almost rear-ended twice as i drove in the slow lane up a minor grade where the vehicle could not accelerate over 40 miles per hour (with the pedal fully depressed in the passing gear)-- prior to this date i had driven my vehicle for its prior 20 months of ownership up that same grade at 70mph. additonally, prior to this date i had never even utilized the s gear on my transmission. ever since honda's software update my car has become a severely underpowered accident waiting to happen. i am reduced to driving in the slow lane on the freeway with vehicles flashing me as they approach a 40-45 mph vehicle at 60-70 mph from behind. i have called the honda service departments at several local dealers regarding this problem, and get a universal response- wait for your system to adjust to the software update or you need to adjust your driving. what the heck does this mean? i drove the vehicle fine for 20 months prior to the software update and now it drives like a 20 year old 4 cylinder engine with 2 bad pistons. the decreased power and acceleration are a dangerous accident in the making. i am fearful of being rear ended. this is an every day problem that was caused by this software update and i suspect that it is happening to every 2006-2008 honda civic hybrid that goes to the dealer for this software update. an additional consequence of this alleged software update is a profound drop in gas mileage from approximately 37 combined mpg prior to update to 29-30 post update. i have never lodged a complaint with any organization before, but like i've previously stated, this update is a danger to the public. | |||
| 08/04/2010 | 21010 | ||
| We received a letter from honda stating that there was a recall on the software stating that a software update was needed to be done on the car to help the battery life of the car. so we brought it in to be serviced and ever since, we've lost power to the car, and lost mpg that used to be aprrox. 38 mpg to now 29 mpg, the same as our '99 civic coup dx, that is not a hybrid. my wife, while going onto the freeway was almost hit, while trying to accelerate. my wife is now hates driving the car she used to love. we live in a hilly area. when trying to accelerate up a hill we drive everyday, if the battery charge is 4 blocks or lower, it doesn't even assist. it's all the gas engine. the battery rarely kicks in so that defeats the hybrid theory and just adds more pollution that honda purports that it doesn't. to put it straight, this is not the car i bought and have been frustrated with the experience. i've brought my car back to honda to try to get the software issue resolved. they stated that there is nothing wrong with the car, engine or battery that everything is fine. when asked for an explanation for the loss of power and mpg, they said that i should try a higher octane of gas or a different brand. i have always used the highest octane gas from different gas stations without any issues before the software upgrade. so that isn't the problem. they have refused to say that there is an issue with their software upgrade. i have pretty much wasted $26,000+ on purchasing this car. all i can say is this is shame on another big company, trying to save $$ by taking advantage of their own loyal customers. thank you honda! | |||
| 04/14/2010 | 20000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. while the contact was driving at various speeds, there was a slight loss of engine power. the failure was continuous. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis.the battery software was upgraded under the manufacturer voluntary recall. the failure became progressively worse after the repair. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.the vin unavailable. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 10600 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. she received a notification from the manufacturer telling her to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for a software upgrade. upon receiving the vehicle back from the authorized dealer she was driving at approximately 5 mph when she noticed the vehicle was less powerful than before. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was operated and was most noticeable while accelerating from a stop on a steep incline. the vehicle was also exhibiting less gas mileage. it was taken back to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed they were aware of the failure but have no remedy yet. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10,600 and the current mileage was 10,700. sm. | |||
| 04/14/2010 | 20000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. while the contact was driving at various speeds, there was a slight loss of engine power. the failure was continuous. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis.the battery software was upgraded under the manufacturer voluntary recall. the failure became progressively worse after the repair. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.the vin unavailable. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 10600 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. she received a notification from the manufacturer telling her to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for a software upgrade. upon receiving the vehicle back from the authorized dealer she was driving at approximately 5 mph when she noticed the vehicle was less powerful than before. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was operated and was most noticeable while accelerating from a stop on a steep incline. the vehicle was also exhibiting less gas mileage. it was taken back to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed they were aware of the failure but have no remedy yet. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10,600 and the current mileage was 10,700. sm. | |||
| 04/14/2010 | 20000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. while the contact was driving at various speeds, there was a slight loss of engine power. the failure was continuous. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis.the battery software was upgraded under the manufacturer voluntary recall. the failure became progressively worse after the repair. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.the vin unavailable. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 10600 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. she received a notification from the manufacturer telling her to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for a software upgrade. upon receiving the vehicle back from the authorized dealer she was driving at approximately 5 mph when she noticed the vehicle was less powerful than before. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was operated and was most noticeable while accelerating from a stop on a steep incline. the vehicle was also exhibiting less gas mileage. it was taken back to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed they were aware of the failure but have no remedy yet. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10,600 and the current mileage was 10,700. sm. | |||
| 04/14/2010 | 20000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. while the contact was driving at various speeds, there was a slight loss of engine power. the failure was continuous. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis.the battery software was upgraded under the manufacturer voluntary recall. the failure became progressively worse after the repair. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.the vin unavailable. js | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 10600 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. she received a notification from the manufacturer telling her to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for a software upgrade. upon receiving the vehicle back from the authorized dealer she was driving at approximately 5 mph when she noticed the vehicle was less powerful than before. the failure recurred whenever the vehicle was operated and was most noticeable while accelerating from a stop on a steep incline. the vehicle was also exhibiting less gas mileage. it was taken back to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and she was informed they were aware of the failure but have no remedy yet. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10,600 and the current mileage was 10,700. sm. | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 23000 | ||
| 2008 honda civic hybrid with 24,000 miles with hybrid battery and performance degradation that is, at times, a real issue. battery doesn't hold charge very long and very adversely affects acceleration. problem is very repetitive and very adversely affects acceleration. honda's recall software update was applied within the last 30 days but battery is still not holding a charge and acceleration degradation and safety remains an increasing concern. honda should replace these degraded batteries but won't take any action until an ima light comes on - at which time, the battery would be almost fully degraded. battery degradations happens very often - even after the recent honda software update and many honda civic hybrid owners are very concerned about this performance issue. | |||
| 04/21/2010 | 24000 | ||
| My 2008 honda civic hybrid has had two basic problems. one, it simply doesn't deliver the mileage promised on the car sticker and that mileage keeps dropping. the second item which i had not thought was related and which is a safety issue, several times after long trips on the highway, when i approached a hill or was going up one, the car would stall out or refuse to move, despite pushing on the accelerator while the engine was on and in drive gear. several times it would start rolling back down the hill or would impede traffic behind me. once the car sat for a while, it would resume working properly, so i never reported the problem to the dealer as i could not replicate it. in this morning's la times cover story about honda being under state scrutiny for the gas mileage problem, several people interviewed related a similar problem to mine. that's when the aha took place that maybe my car's problems were related. luckily i did not suffer any injuries or crashes due to this issue, but the potential for great damage is there. please investigate this issue and let me know if there is anything i can do to forward the investigation. thanks. | |||
| 02/28/2010 | 14000 | ||
| Currently i have 32,277 miles and don't drive it, it's not safe to drive. i take a bus :) 1# trans locked at 60mph on highway and caused almost a fatal crush! at 23,000 miles. car was able to drive up to 15mpg having appx. 6000rpms. car left at dealership and only pcm software was updated. no lockups are occurring, but trans is weaving, harsh start/stop often!/unexpected shutdown. dealership found service bulleting #08-014 (harsh engagement), updated the on board computer and symptoms are much worse than previously. lower mpg ( 25-28 ), much worse performance, unexpected battery discharge, weaving, low acceleration. dealer duplicated problems, but said | |||
| 04/23/2009 | 3500 | 1 | |
| When coming to a low speed stop the engine shuts off at about 6 mph and the braking system goes manual reducing braking effect by over 60%. this has resulted in a minor accident requiring the replacement of the front bumper. *tr | |||