2008 Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel system Problems

..I WAS NOTICING GAS FUMES IN MY GARAGE FOR ABOUT A WEEK...EARLY ON CALLED DEALERSHIP AND SAID I HAD RECENTLY GASSED UP...I WAS ADVISED TO SEE IF MAYBE ODOR WOULD ABATE ON ITS OWN PERHAPS DUE TO SPILLING UPON FILLING...IT DID NOT...THERE WAS A CRACK FOUND WHERE THE GAS TANK CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE AND SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS WAS LEAKING REQUIRING A REPLACEMENT OF GAS TANK AND REPAIR WOULD BE ABOUT 1350....I LOOKED ON LINE TO FIND INFO RE RECALL NOTICE FOR SOME 80000 VEHICLES FOR SAME PROBLEM....HOWEVER ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS IN THE SAID GROUP....MY VIN WAS NOT...ALSO I PURCHASED MY CAR DEC 07 LEAVING FIVE MONTHS OUT OF EXTENDED WARRANTY IF APPLIED.....I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A DISCOUNT AS I HAVE PURCHASED TWO VEHICLES FROM THIS DEALERSHIP SINCE 1992 AND ALL HAVE BEEN DEALER MAINTAINED.......I APPRECIATE THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN FORM OF DISCOUNT.......ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY IT APPEARS I FALL OUT OF THE RANGE OF WARRANTY IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ISSUE...I WANTED THIS SAFETY FLAW TO BE MADE AWARE. I BELIEVE I WAS PUT IN HARMS WAY TO A DEGREE...IF GAS HAD TRICKLED ON A MANIFOLD OR IN THE GARAGE...THE PILOT LIGHT OF MY WATER HEATER MAY IGNITE AND AN EXPLOSION MAY OCCUR.......SO I FEEL COMPELLED TO SHARE EXPERIENCE. ADDITIONALLY I FEEL A 'FIX IT' LIGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED TO APPEAR ON MY DASHBOARD

NHTSA ID

11092614

Incident

May 4, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

I OWN A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THAT STARTED SMELLING LIKE GAS AND NOW IT IS LEAKING REALLY BAD TO THE POINT THA I AM AFRAID IT WILL CATCH FIRE .

NHTSA ID

11084491

Incident

Apr 10, 2018

FOLLOWING REFUELING, STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE VAPORS PRESENT. OVERNIGHT, FUEL SEEPED OUT FROM WHERE FUEL FILLER MEETS THE TANK, SATURATING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TANK AND DRIPPING TO FORM A POOL OF GASOLINE ON THE FLOOR. VEHICLE OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY, ESPECIALLY RISK OF FIRE OR EXPLOSION WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE SUCH AS A HOME GARAGE. VEHICLE IS JUST OVER 125,000 MILES. HONDA DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO INQUIRE ON BEHALF OF VEHICLE OWNER WHETHER HONDA CORPORATE WILL COVER REPAIRS AS PART OF ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL, UNLESS VEHICLE OWNER FIRST PAYS FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. HONDA DEALERSHIP COULD NOT GIVE EVEN A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF REPAIRS BASED ON VEHICLE OWNER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. HONDA DEALERSHIP DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ALTERNATE MEANS FOR CUSTOMER TO CONTACT HONDA CORPORATE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT FIRST PAYING HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. PREVIOUS NEWS ARTICLES REPORT HONDA'S KNOWLEDGE AND ISSUANCE OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM GOING BACK TO 2011, BUT THE WARRANTY WAS REPORTEDLY LIMITED TO 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. VEHICLE OWNER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS VIA MAIL OR DURING ANY SERVICE VISITS TO VARIOUS HONDA DEALERSHIPS. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL AND OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID

11024815

Incident

Sep 16, 2017

Mileage

125,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL TANK LEAK. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (HONDA WORLD WESTMINSTER, 13600 BEACH BLVD, WESTMINSTER, CA 92683, (714) 890-8900) AND THEY STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE EXTENDED WARRANTY CAMPAIGN AND THERE WAS NO RECALL.THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED ON 9/6/17, A LOCAL INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY 2006-2011 VEHICLES. THIS VEHICLE'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JS

NHTSA ID

11023538

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

FUEL TANK IS LEAKING. TOOK INTO LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND THEY SAID THE FUEL TANK HAD A CRACK AT THE SEAM WHERE THE INLET TUBE ATTACHES TO THE TANK. THEY WANT $951 TO REPLACE TANK, I SAID NO BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY. WHEN I GOT HOME I CHECK THE INTERNET & FOUND OUT HONDA HAD A ISSUE WITH THIS AND THEY HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS THEY DIDN'T NOTIFY US OF THIS PROBLEM. NOW WE HAVE THE PROBLEM BUT OUR CAR HAS 148,700 MILES. THEY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN GOING ON BECAUSE WE PARKED THE CAR OUTSIDE. WHEN THE RECENT RAINS ARRIVED WE STARTED PARKING OUR CAR IN THE GARAGE & THAT'S WHEN WE SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE GARAGE. THIS OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF DECEMBER 2016. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULDN'T DRIVE THE CAR & WE SHOULD NOT FILL THE GAS TANK OVER 50% FULL THAT WAY WE SHOULDN'T LOSE ANY GAS. NOTICE THE PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE.

NHTSA ID

10935574

Incident

Dec 14, 2016

Mileage

148,657 mi

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. I CAME HOME FROM A SHORT TRIP TO FIND THAT MY CAR HAD A STRONG SMELL OF GAS AND THE FULL TANK THAT I HAD WHEN I LEFT FOR MY TRIP WAS NO LONGER FULL. I DROVE THE CAR TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP ' ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE GAS TANK HAD RUPTURED, AND THAT THE REPAIRS WERE VERY EXPENSIVE. DOING RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT HONDA HAD ISSUED AN 'EXTENDED WARRANTY' FOR HONDA CIVICS BETWEEN 2006 AND 2011 FOR GAS TANKS BECAUSE 'SMALL CRACKS MAY DEVELOP.' ACCORDING TO THE ONLINE SOURCE, HONDA DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE. LEAKING GAS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE? HOWEVER, I NEVER GOT NOTICE OF THE WARRANTY ISSUE, MY DEALERSHIP ' WHO CONDUCTED ALL MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR FOR MANY YEARS NEVER NOTIFIED ME OF ANY ISSUES, AND WHILE MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE TEN YEAR LIMIT OF THE WARRANTY I AM, ACCORDING TO HONDA, OUTSIDE THE PARAMETERS OF THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THE MILEAGE LIMITS ARE 120,000 MILES AND I HAVE 122,000 MILES ON MY CAR. 2,000 MILES MEANS I GET TO PAY OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE A FAULTY PART ON A CAR THAT HONDA KNEW WAS AN ISSUE, AND COULD, IF NOT REPAIRED RESULT IN HARM TO ME OR ANYONE RIDING IN OR DRIVING MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

10909318

Incident

Sep 23, 2016

Mileage

122,000 mi

ON FEB 3 I MOVED CAR INTO GARAGE FOR FIRST TIME. THAT EVENING I SMELLED AN ODOR OF FUMES WHEN I RETURNED TO THE GARAGE. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND TOOK THE CAR IN. HIS INVOICE AFTERWARDS READ "CHECK AND FOUND FUEL TANK LEAKING, DRAIN FUEL TANK, REMOVE AND REPLACE FUEL TANK, INVOICE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

NHTSA ID

10846209

Incident

Feb 3, 2016

Mileage

78,896 mi

SEVERAL HOURS AFTER FILLING UP OUR 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID ON A VERY HOT DAY (104-106) WE NOTICED A STRONG GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE GARAGE WHERE IT WAS PARKED. UPON INVESTIGATION WE FOUND SEVERAL SMALL PUDDLES OF GAS UNDERNEATH THE GAS TANK, WHICH WAS WET WITH GAS AND DRIPPING ON THE GARAGE FLOOR.

NHTSA ID

10749165

Incident

Aug 16, 2015

Mileage

82,355 mi

I'M THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, HAVING BOUGHT IT LESS THAN THREE YEARS FROM ITS ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE. EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE GAS TANK (I DON'T TOP-OFF), AND FOR UP TO A DAY LATER, MY GARAGE WILL WREAK OF GASOLINE WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I'VE PARKED OTHER CARS IN GARAGES FOLLOWING FILL-UPS AND THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED. THE GARAGE IS ADEQUATELY VENTILATED.

NHTSA ID

10717462

Incident

Dec 31, 2010

Mileage

28,000 mi

THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL COMING FROM MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC IN AUGUST WHO SAID THEY FOUND CRACKS IN THE GAS TANK WHICH WAS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALER, AS IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN WASN'T INCLUDED, AND THE REPAIRS WOULD COST $1000. SEEING AS HOW THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR CIVIC HYBRIDS FROM 2006-2011 (MY CAR IS A 2008) AND MY DESCRIPTION AND THE DIAGNOSIS EXACTLY MATCHES THE KNOWN, I FEEL THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING MY CAR KNOWING THERE ARE CRACKS IN THE TANK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10676605

Incident

Aug 1, 2014

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL FUMES WERE PRESENT IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT BOTH THE FUEL FILLER PIPE AND FUEL TANK WERE CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

NHTSA ID

10639834

Incident

Sep 26, 2014

Mileage

97,000 mi

REPORTING POTENTIAL DANGER OF GAS LEAK IN MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2008. FIRST WE SMELLED GASOLINE IN THE GARAGE A FEW WEEKS AGO. BUT, WE WERE NOT SURE WHERE THE SMELL ORIGINATED. BUT, LAST SUNDAY WE FOUND DROPS OF FUEL ON THE GARAGE FLOOR WHERE HONDA CIVIC 2008 HYBRID WAS PARKED. WHEN I INSPECTED UNDER THE CAR, I NOTICED A LEAK NEAR THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK/ HOSE. AT THAT POINT I WAS WORRIED EVEN TO DRIVE THE CAR. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THEY INFORMED THAT THE GAS IS LEAKING AT THE JUNCTION OF FILLER NECK AND THE GAS TANK. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTY EXTENSION ON ANY SUCH PROBLEM. BUT, I NOTICED ON THE WEB THAT THERE WERE REPORTS OF SIMILAR LEAKS REPORTED. IN MY OPINION IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND HONDA SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT BEFORE A FATALITY DUE TO A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. NOW THE DEALER IS CHARGING ME $600+ FOR THE TANK AND $400 FOR INSTALLATION. I THINK HONDA SHOULD REPLACE IT FOR FREE DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE GAS TANK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10607653

Incident

Jun 27, 2014

Mileage

71,500 mi

THE PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE THE DATE INDICATED, HOWEVER WE DIDN'T CALL HONDA UNTIL AUG. 29TH, 2013. IN THE MORNINGS FOR MAYBE A WEEK WE SMELLED GAS FUMES IN THE GARAGE I CHECK UNDER THE CAR AND NEVER SAW ANYTHING LEADING TO A LEAK. THE CARS SENSORS NEVER INDICATED A PROBLEM, SO I THOUGHT MAYBE SOME GAS SPILLED WHEN I REMOVED THE GAS NOZZLE AT THE GAS STATION. A FEW DAYS LATER WE SMELLED THE GAS AGAIN, SO I WENT TO HONDA AND PURCHASED A NEW GAS CAP ABOUT $25.00 AND CHANGED OUT THE OLD FOR THE NEW. THE NEXT MORNING WE SMELLED GAS AGAIN, SO I CALLED HONDA AND THEY SAID GET YOUR CAR IN HERE ASAP. WE TOOK THE CAR IN AND LEFT IT, A FEW HOURS LATER WE RECEIVED A CALL TELLING US THAT THE FILL PILE WELD WAS LEAKING AT THE TANK. THE SERVICE MAN ALSO SAID THE GAS TANKS WERE ON BACK ORDER, BUT HE WOULD TRY TO FIND ONE ELSEWHERE. HE HAD NO IDEA WHY THE WELD FAILED AND ALSO WHY THE TANKS WERE ON BACK ORDER. THE SERVICE MAN CALLED A FEW HOURS LATER AND FOUND A TANK IT WAS BEING SHIPPED EXPRESS AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE HERE THIS WEEK. THE ESTIMATED COST IS $971.00 FOR THIS REPAIR AND PARTS. I DID SOME CHECKING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IN 2007 THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF GAS TANKS AND THE SAME PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING. EXAMPLE ONE PERSON ONLY HAD 45K MILES WHEN HIS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM I BELIEVE SHOULD BE AN INDICATOR FOR A RECALL, THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY TO US AND OTHERS. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN IT MIGHT HAPPEN, NOW I WONDER HOW LONG I HAVE WITH THE NEW TANK BEFORE THE WELD BREAKS ON IT. THE EXPENSE IS REALLY COSTLY, IS THEIR ANYWAY I CAN RECOUP THE $$ SPENT? *JB

NHTSA ID

10538591

Incident

Aug 28, 2013

Mileage

86,431 mi

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, PURCHASED NEW IN 2008, AND IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 50,500 MILES ON IT. UPON PARKING MY CAR IN THE GARAGE ON THE EVENINGS OF 7/10/2013 AND 7/11/2013, I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT GASOLINE ODOR. IT WAS VERY SLIGHT, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE OR SOMETHING IN THE GARAGE. NOTE THAT I LAST FILLED UP MY GAS TANK ON 6/29/2013, SO MY TANK WAS NOT VERY FULL BY THIS TIME. ALSO NOTE THAT THE SACRAMENTO AREA HAD A DECENT HEAT WAVE FROM 6/28/2013 THROUGH 7/4/2013. ON THE MORNING OF 7/12/2013, I FILLED UP MY TANK. UPON PARKING MY CAR IN THE GARAGE ON THE EVENING OF 7/12/2013, I AGAIN NOTICED THE GASOLINE ODOR BUT IT WAS STRONGER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. I CLOSED THE GARAGE DOOR, AND THEN RETURNED TO THE GARAGE AWHILE LATER AND THE ODOR WAS EXTREMELY STRONG. MY CAR IS NOW PARKED OUTSIDE BECAUSE OF THE FUMES AND I AM REFUSING TO DRIVE IT DUE TO THE STRONG GASOLINE ODOR AND I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY KIDS. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP TODAY (SATURDAY 7/13/2013) AND THEY SAID MY CAR IS NOT ONE OF THE 80,000 CARS THAT MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM. (THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH A CONNECTION AT THE FUEL TANK FOR 2006-2011 MODELS OF THE CIVIC HYBRID). THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS UNTIL I BRING IT IN ON MONDAY AND WILL EVALUATE IT THEN. APPARENTLY, THAT DEALERSHIP DOES NOT BELIEVE A GASOLINE LEAK IS NOT ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM TO HAVE ME BRING IT IN ON A SATURDAY. CLEARLY, THE PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL TANKS IS BROADER THAN THE 80,000 CARS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. A WELL-MAINTAINED CAR WITH ~50,500 MILES ON IT SHOULD NOT HAVE A FUEL LEAK. WITH THIS FUEL LEAK ON TOP OF THE ALREADY POOR PERFORMING IMA BATTERY THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS HAVING, I AM NOT A HAPPY HONDA OWNER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10524658

Incident

Jul 10, 2013

Mileage

50,500 mi

SINCE THE HONDA IMA REPROGRAM MY BATTERY PACK NO LONGER HOLDS A CHARGE. IT IS DEAD EVERY MORNING. IT WILL BUILD A CHARGE THROUGH MY 35MI COMMUTE, BUT THE CHARGE HOLDS FOR ONLY A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME ONCE I EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND UTILIZE SURFACE STREETS REQUIRING STOP AND GO TRAVEL. AFTER SITTING A FEW HOURS, THE BATTERY PACK IS DEAD AGAIN. THE BATTERY PACK HAS DIED NUMEROUS TIMES UPON QUICK ACCELERATION SUCH AS ENTRY TO A HIGHWAY. THIS IS UNSAFE AS THE VEHICLE LOSES ITS CAPABILITY TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT THE IMA. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO KEPT THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS TO TEST IT. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE BATTERY PACK DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE, RECHARGES SLOWLY AND DRAINS QUICKLY. HOWEVER THEY STATED THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS UNDER THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THEY WOULD NOT AND COULD NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY PACK DUE TO THE LACK OF A SYSTEM CODE OR DUMMY LIGHT ILLUMINATING. THIS LACK OF ACTION BY HONDA FOR THIS COMMON FAULT IN THEIR IMA SYSTEM IS UNACCEPTABLE. WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW AND THE IMA SYSTEM WORKED, I RECEIVED THE MPG AS PROMISED AND THEN SOME. SINCE THE UPDATE AND THE FAILURE OF THE BATTERY PACK, I NO LONGER RECEIVE THE EPA STATED MPG. I BASICALLY HAVE A NORMAL CIVIC WITH HYBRID BADGES. I HAVE BEEN A HONDA DEVOTED OWNER SINCE 1997. THIS WILL BE MY LAST HONDA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10515228

Incident

Feb 1, 2012

Mileage

60,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451804

Incident

Aug 9, 2010

Mileage

41,232 mi

I TRACKED MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID GAS MILEAGE. FROM 12/09 TO 1/10 MY AVERAGE GAS MILEAGE WAS 40.2MPG. TOOK MY CAR INTO HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WORK IN SPRING OF 2010. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE ENGINE/BATTERY. I ASKED IF THERE WOULD BE ANY AFFECT ON THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE. THE DEALERSHIP RESPONSE WAS THAT WITHOUT THE UPDATE I WOULD RISK VOIDING THE WARRANTY ON MY CAR BATTERY/ENGINE. SO I HAD TO GET THE UPDATE. FROM THAT DATE I CONTINUED TO TRACK MY GAS MILEAGE. FROM THAT POINT ONWARD MY GAS MILEAGE HAS AVERAGED 30.9MPG. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ASK IF THEY COULD SET THE SOFTWARE BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS PREVIOUSLY. THEY SAID NO. THEY INSISTED THAT IT WAS MY DRIVING HABITS THAT HAD CHANGED.... WHEN NOTHING IN MY LIFE CHANGED SO THIS COULD NOT BE THE CASE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10447684

Incident

Jan 1, 2009

Mileage

24,325 mi

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN MARCH OF 2008. IN OCTOBER OF 2010 AN IMA BATTERY UPDATE WAS REQUIRED BY MANUFACTURER. SINCE THE UPDATE I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER ON A MONTHLY BASIS FOR ALMOST A YEAR WITH THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS, THEY OF COURSE CAN NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT IT DOES TO ME AND THE DEALER ALWAYS TELLS ME IT IS OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURERS STANDARDS. I HAVE GIVEN UP TAKING IT IN EVERY MONTH AND NOW JUST TAKE IT IN FOR ITS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, I GIVE THEM A PRINTOUT OF MY CONCERNS AND THE TECH ATTACHES IT TO THE WORKORDER. A) LOW FUEL MILEAGE, AVERAGES 25 TO 28 MPG. BEFORE IMA UPDATE, WAS AVERAGING 35 TO 45 MPG. B) SLOW ACCELERATION FROM STOPS, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW IF THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO MOVE OR NOT. WE MUST LEAVE OURSELVES ALOT OF SPACE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THIS. C) IDLES ROUGH, OFF & ON, WHILE STOPPED OR PARKED, THIS IS USING UP GAS BECAUSE THE IMA BATTERY DOES NOT COME ON AS MUCH AS IT USED TO. D) ASSIST IS NOT COMING ON AS MUCH AS IT USED TO, IF AT ALL. E) IMA BATTERY READING GOES FROM 1-2 BARS UPTO 8 OR SO IN MINUTES AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 1-2 BARS WITHIN A MINUTE OR LESS. USUALLY READS ABOUT 1-2 BARS MOST OF TIME. IMA IS CHARGING ITSELF ON FLAT GROUND, UP HILLS, DOWN HILLS AND WHEN BRAKING. I WOULD TRADE THE VEHICLE IN FOR ANOTHER, BUT AM AFRAID THAT SOME OTHER SUCKER WOULD END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY. I DID PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10440625

Incident

Oct 15, 2010

GASOLINE LEAK WHERE FILLER TUBE ATTACHES TO FUEL TANK. NOTICED STRONG GASOLINE SMELL IN GARAGE, PUT CAR ON RAMP AND COULD SEE FUEL DRIPPING FROM SPOT WHERE THE FILLER TUBE CONNECTS TO THE FUEL TANK. DEALER SAYS THAT THE ENTIRE TANK MUST BE REPLACED AND THEY ARE BACK ORDERED NATIONWIDE. SO THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHERS AND NO RECALL???? UPDATED 11/10/11 *BF *TR PICTURES RECEIVED. 03/05/12

NHTSA ID

10430897

Incident

Oct 14, 2011

Mileage

25,684 mi