2009 Honda Civic Hybrid 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

VEHICLE FAILS TO ACCELERATE AND SHUTS DOWN AS MOVING THROUGH INTERSECTIONS. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BELIEVE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BATTERIES, ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THE BATTERIES FAIL TO DRIVE THE ELECTRIC MOTORS, THE GAS ENGINE DOES NOT ENGAGE AND FOR SOME REASON IT WILL SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DETECT A CODE OR DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED ON MANY SITES (INCLUDING THIS ONE). THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BATTERIES BUT HONDA DOES NOT WANT TO CHANGE OUT THE BATTERIES. THIS NEEDS TO BE A FORCED RECALL BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT OR KILLED.

ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2009 CIVIC HYBRID, IT BEGAN TO HAVE SERIOUS ACCELERATION ISSUES. THE PROBLEMS APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE TRACTION BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL, AND IT IS WORSE WHEN AMBIENT TEMPS ARE HIGH. THE FAULT IS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL UNPREDICTABLY FAIL TO ACCELERATE, AS THE TRACTION ENGINE REFUSES TO ASSIST, AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE AND CVT BARELY ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE UNTIL RPMS GET UP HIGHER. AFTER GETTING A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY, THE SITUATION WAS MUCH IMPROVED, BUT NOW AS THE VEHICLE AGES THE PROBLEM IS BACK, AND WORSE THAN EVER. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONFIDENTLY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, AS THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUSLY ERRATIC IN PERFORMANCE. *TR

"TAKATA RECALL" WHILE DEALER HAS TOLD ME AIR BAG WAS COMPLETED, IT WAS SOLD TO ME WITH AN OPEN ENTRY OR QUESTIONABLE COMPLETION. UPON DRIVING THE CAR I FOUND IT FELT SHAKY & WAS TOLD THEY WOULD FIX ANY PROBLEMS HOWEVER NOW THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TWICE AND IT HAS STAYED THERE OVER A WEEK, AND THEN TAKEN HOME (WITHOUT MY APPROVAL) BY SERVICE MANAGER, WHEN I STILL COMPLAINED THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL SO STABLE AND MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL OFF THE DEAL OR TRADE FOR ANOTHER CAR, I WAS TOLD.."DEAL IS DONE, THE CAR IS YOURS, WE'VE SPENT $$ TO FIX THINGS". MY RESPONSE WAS "WHATEVER ITEMS DONE WERE ITEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRE-SALE AND WERE AGREED TO BE DONE". THE AXLE ENDED UP BEING BAD AND SOMETHING STILL FEELS LIKE THE CAR STAGGERS HOWEVER I GOT TIRED OF COMPLAINING. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT I'M DRIVING A SAFE CAR AND THAT IT WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AS NOW I OWE A LOAN & HAVE BEEN DRIVING CAR. MY MAIN CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAFETY. I BROUGHT ALL THIS TO THE TABLE PRE PURCHASE. I BROUGHT CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SHAKY, STRUGGLING & STAGGERING TO GO UP HILL, WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE, AND WAS HAVING A BURNT SMELL. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS BAD AXLE AND SOMETHING WITH ROTOR (WHICH WAS NOT CAUGHT ON FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IN THAT IT SPENT A WEEK THERE). CAR FAX DID NOT INDICATE ACCIDENT BUT DRIVABILITY SEEMS QUESTIONABLE. I BOUGHT CAR 12/31/17, BROUGHT BACK IN FIRST WEEK TO COMPLETE THE OPEN ITEMS (ONE BEING THE AIR BAG ISSUE) I BROUGHT ALL CONCERNS UP PRE-PURCHASE W/AGREEMENT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL. I BROUGHT IT IN & IT REMAINED ABOUT A WEEK. PICKED UP 01/13/18. HAD TO BRING IN AGAIN 01/30/18 DUE TO STAGGERING & BURNT SMELL. PICKED UP 2/02/18 & WHEN I BROUGHT UP THAT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST TRADE CAR AS I FELT MAYBE I GOT BURNED, THEY SAID: CAR IS YOURS, YOU BOUGHT IT (IN A NUTSHELL). I HAVE ALL EMAILS OF CONCERNS BROUGHT UP. JUST WANT TO BE SURE.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V346000 (AIR BAGS). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER (BOB HOWARD HONDA AT 13201 N KELLEY AVE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73131, (405) 753-8700) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

HONDA ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE ARE BATTERY ISSUES WITH THE 2009 CIVIC HYBRID BATTERIES AND HAS ISSUED A REPLACEMENT ORDER FOR THEM. THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF THE BATTERY ISSUES ARE CAUSED BY THE BATTERY CONTROL MODULE BUT REFUSE TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE COVERED REPAIR. IN THIS CASE, THE BATTERY IS OVERHEATING. THIS IS THE SECOND BATTERY IN A CAR THAT IS JUST OVER 5 YEARS OLD.

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

"TAKATA RECALL" WHILE DEALER HAS TOLD ME AIR BAG WAS COMPLETED, IT WAS SOLD TO ME WITH AN OPEN ENTRY OR QUESTIONABLE COMPLETION. UPON DRIVING THE CAR I FOUND IT FELT SHAKY & WAS TOLD THEY WOULD FIX ANY PROBLEMS HOWEVER NOW THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TWICE AND IT HAS STAYED THERE OVER A WEEK, AND THEN TAKEN HOME (WITHOUT MY APPROVAL) BY SERVICE MANAGER, WHEN I STILL COMPLAINED THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL SO STABLE AND MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL OFF THE DEAL OR TRADE FOR ANOTHER CAR, I WAS TOLD.."DEAL IS DONE, THE CAR IS YOURS, WE'VE SPENT $$ TO FIX THINGS". MY RESPONSE WAS "WHATEVER ITEMS DONE WERE ITEMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE PRE-SALE AND WERE AGREED TO BE DONE". THE AXLE ENDED UP BEING BAD AND SOMETHING STILL FEELS LIKE THE CAR STAGGERS HOWEVER I GOT TIRED OF COMPLAINING. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT I'M DRIVING A SAFE CAR AND THAT IT WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AS NOW I OWE A LOAN & HAVE BEEN DRIVING CAR. MY MAIN CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAFETY. I BROUGHT ALL THIS TO THE TABLE PRE PURCHASE. I BROUGHT CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS SHAKY, STRUGGLING & STAGGERING TO GO UP HILL, WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE, AND WAS HAVING A BURNT SMELL. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS BAD AXLE AND SOMETHING WITH ROTOR (WHICH WAS NOT CAUGHT ON FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IN THAT IT SPENT A WEEK THERE). CAR FAX DID NOT INDICATE ACCIDENT BUT DRIVABILITY SEEMS QUESTIONABLE. I BOUGHT CAR 12/31/17, BROUGHT BACK IN FIRST WEEK TO COMPLETE THE OPEN ITEMS (ONE BEING THE AIR BAG ISSUE) I BROUGHT ALL CONCERNS UP PRE-PURCHASE W/AGREEMENT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL. I BROUGHT IT IN & IT REMAINED ABOUT A WEEK. PICKED UP 01/13/18. HAD TO BRING IN AGAIN 01/30/18 DUE TO STAGGERING & BURNT SMELL. PICKED UP 2/02/18 & WHEN I BROUGHT UP THAT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST TRADE CAR AS I FELT MAYBE I GOT BURNED, THEY SAID: CAR IS YOURS, YOU BOUGHT IT (IN A NUTSHELL). I HAVE ALL EMAILS OF CONCERNS BROUGHT UP. JUST WANT TO BE SURE.

LIKE OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM WE NOTICED A NOISE FROM THE TIRES WHEN WE WERE ON A NEWLY PAVED ROAD ON AN EXTENDED TRIP. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE REAR TIRES WERE CUPPED AND THE CAR WOULD NEED AN ALIGNMENT. WE ENDED UP REPLACING ALL 4 TIRES WITH 20000 MILES ON THEM...A LOT SOONER THAN ANTICIPATED. RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I SAW THERE WAS A CORRECTION FOR 2008 CIVICS, BUT NOT FOR 2009. EITHER THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, OR WE WERE UNFORTUNATE TO PURCHASE A 2009 EARLY IN THE PRODUCTION RUN THAT WAS NOT CORRECTED. HONDA ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED....UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR IS DEFECTIVE. A COMPONENT INSIDE THE VISOR IS BROKEN. THE VISOR WILL NOT STAY LOCKED IN PLACE AND DROPS DOWN WHICH BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF THE ROAD. IT IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND IN POORLY VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THIS IS AN IN MOTION SAFETY HAZARD.

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR IS DEFECTIVE. A COMPONENT INSIDE THE VISOR IS BROKEN. THE VISOR WILL NOT STAY LOCKED IN PLACE AND DROPS DOWN WHICH BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF THE ROAD. IT IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AND IN POORLY VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THIS IS AN IN MOTION SAFETY HAZARD.

THIS IS A GRADUAL PROBLEM WITH A SEAT THAT CAUSES ORTHOPEDIC ISSUES OVER TIME. HTTP://WWW.HONDAPROBLEMS.COM/TRENDS/UNCOMFORTABLE-SEATS/. *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

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS PROVIDE LIGHT ONLY OUT TO FIFTY OR SIXTY FEET. THIS REQUIRES ME TO DRIVE WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ALMOST CONTINUALLY. THE LACK OF NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM.

THREE OF TPMS SENSORS WERE REPLACED IN 2015 FOR MALFUNCTIONING BY HONDA SERVICE. TWO TPMS SENSORS MALFUNCTIONING IN 2017 ACCORDING TO HONDA SERVICE INSPECTION. ONE TPMS SEAL WAS REPLACED IN 2017 BY THE HONDA SERVICE. LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING REGULARLY COMING UP, ONCE PER MONTH IN AVERAGE, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH.

FUEL TANK LEAKING AT THE FILL NECK BASE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE AND LEFT A SMALL PUDDLE OF FUEL AND GAS FUMES INFILTRATED THE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HONDA ISSUED AND EXTENDED WARRANTY ON "SOME" 2006-2011 HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS BUT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE WARRANTY EXTENSION.

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