2007 Honda Civic Hybrid Vehicle speed control Problems

“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. …”

“My Civic Hybrid battery has been declining in power for about the last 2 years, most likely due to a failing hybrid battery that Honda refuses to replace. On numerous occasions, my hybrid batter will fail to provide any assist during accelerations. This seems to occur a couple times a week as the system suddenly notices the battery has no charge (it instantly goes from about 1/2 the bars of charge to just 1). This has happened at a critical moment when I need power to make a left turn when there was heavy traffic and I needed to make a left turn. …”

“This vehicle is not safe for highway or city driving. It decelerates when you need power, making it very dangerous to merge in high speed or heavy traffic conditions. In the summer when the A/C is running, acceleration is extremely unreliable. The driver's side has severe blind spots. I have also experienced long delays in the engine restarting after pulling out into traffic from a dead stop at lights or stop signs. I have nearly been hit by oncoming traffic -- planning for adequate gaps in traffic is a challenge and very different from the other vehicles I drive. …”

“Ever since Honda did a software update on my car's engine to extend the life of the battery, my car has had intermittent accelerations issues. For example, last summer, I was at a stop light and when it turned green, my car didn't seem to want to go . I had to press on the gas pedal about 3 times to get it to engage and actually move. Many times the car is sluggish to start from a stop, or accelerate, but it does go , just not as promptly and quickly as it should. The most recent incidents occurred last month and has prompted this complaint. Both involved merging onto a freeway. …”

“My son started to turn out of a parking lot, accelerating normally. Car responded by accelerating massively --the rpms shot up to the max (7) and he heard it stutter against the top of the dial. He tried to complete the turn, but skidded into a pole, which caused the airbag to deploy. Car continued to race full speed as it bounced over a parking curb back into the lot. Finally the car stopped when the key was turned off.”