When I first got my HCHII I was pretty excited. Well, that's over. I would not buy this car again, and if this car is an indicator of what Honda does in it's car division then I won't be buying any more Honda cars at all.

Problems so far: Driver side window won't stay in the track, it "pops out" when rolling up. Fixed once, started doing it again the next day.

Windshield wipers, who designed this IDIOTIC SYSTEM. I've bought THREE sets of windshield wipers NONE of them fit. I've never owned a car where I had to buy OEM wipers (which SUCK by the way, last less than 6 months).

The car creaks, groans and rattles on anything but the smoothest pavement. There's so many squeeks and moans coming from inside on a bumpy road I long ago gave up thinking about fixing them all.

The seats stain easily, making my "new" car look like crap after only a few months.

The rear defroster takes about two weeks to defrost the window.

The center console is just a chasma where everything gets lost.

I can't find a comfortable setting for the driver side seat.

The montana-size piece of real-estate called the dash holds so much heat the car is like an oven in the summer (middle of winter and I still remember it).

Rear head rests are RIGHT in the way of the rear view mirror field of vision (removed them but I shouldn't have to).

Mileage not as advertised.

Nice warning gong when I leave the headlights on. Even my Toyota Tundra TRUCK is smart enough to just turn the lights off when I open the door so I never even have to think about turning the headlights on/off.

I should've bought a Prius. I'm so glad this is a company car, if I'd shelled out money for this car I'd be at my dealer taking a big loss on it trading it in.

If you're thinking about buying one of these.... things... don't. After the "cool" wears off you're left with a mediocre car that acts like it's 10 years old after only 6 months. Get the Toyota Prius. I should've figured there was a REASON the Prius is so much more popular.

Do you feel better!!!

Uhm... no. Because I still have to carve time out of my personal life to go to a dealer to get WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES INSTALLED. Utterly ridiculous. Not to mention having them fix (yet again) the broken driver-side power window.

I never thought I'd see the day I had to make a trip to a dealer to install windshield wiper blades. If I'd known that when I bought the car, I honestly would not have bought it. That kind of idiocy indicates a much broader failure to understand consumer needs.

Sorry to hear about your experience. I do not have most of your problems; original wipers at 20,000 miles and 14 months. Of course, I had a Volvo prior to this so noises, frequent repairs, and OEM parts were par for the course. I am delighted how reliable the Honda is by comparison. I hedged my bets; after all it is an all new model so one might expect a few problems and got the extended warranty for 6/100,000 and I hope I wasted my money. You may be happier only buying cars out for a while rather than a first year model. By the way, just for more aggrevation, you may have to take it in for the latest recall (see other threads). Check the date of manufacture

I can see how you'd be pissed about these inconveniences. IMO this car was designed more for So. CA. None of those complaints really make a huge difference when you think of car pool advantages and not really having to deal with cold weather hassles. The car works well for me in this location and no real complaints at all.

Okay, I gotta defend the HCHII -- one of the greatest cars on the road today.

Honda is well-known to make cars of the highest quality. Lemons can happen to any manufacturer (of which every state has a mediation process).
This is a valid complaint. I'm sure your "fix" was prior to an appropriately designed one. Give Honda another chance to fix it.
Honda cannot be held at fault for the sizes of aftermarket winshield wiper. Likely, because of the newness of the HCHII, aftermarket replacement wipers have not yet been designed as perfect replacements.
This is a valid complaint and I empathize with you. I do not think it is representative of all HCHIIs or Honda in general. You should note all of them and bring the car in to the dealership. If your dealership cannot satisfy, then find one who can.

This does not seem to be a common complaint here. I suggest you clean and scotchguard your seats.
Again, not common; bring it up with the dealer.

Maybe you can elaborate on this vague complaint.

This is an issue that you could've discovered on a lengthy test drive - which is your responsibility. Personally, I dislike the upper rake of the seat angle and added cushion from a seat upholstere to fix the issue.

This is a result of the aerodynamic shape of the car which helps your FE. You should get a sun visor like everyone else here.

I don't have this problem. This is a safety feature to protect your rear occupants from whiplash.
Advetised Mileage is an EPA rating -- which are off for ALL cars. And guaranteed your HCHII is still getting twice the FE of most cars on the road. (Prius dissapoint you as well, by your measure)

Common, this is nitpicky. Do you want a $22k hybrid or a $30k one.

Some people like the Prius more, some the HCHII more. That's why many of us test drove both before deciding.

If you're thinking about buying one of these and are reading lots of reviews to help you make your decision, remember the bell-curve and write off a few reviews on the uber-high and -low ends.

The HCHII is a great car! Molex, I am truly sorry you had a negative experience with your car. I hope you find happiness with a Prius. Peace!

http://greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/3686.html

http://greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/4955.html

Gotta agree with noflash, here. Sorry the honeymoon is over for you, but many of us really still like our Civics!

First year models (of ANY make) are notorious for a multitude of minor issues. At least they usually ARE minor. The HCH-2 certainly has its share. And Honda has been somewhat slow to address them all, IMO. I understand your annoyance here, but this is just "par for course" with most new models.

Complaining about the MPG. MOST vehicles on the road will get under EPA if you drive them 60+ MPH and use the AC at all. Which is what most people do. The Prius is no exception to this rule. In fact, you may be MORE dissapointed in its MPG vs. its EPA rating. I'm getting 44+ MPG in the winter (admittedly in Dallas, but it HAS been cold here). That's only 12% below the EPA 50 MPG. In the summer, I get 46+ MPG (and average 47-48), or less than 8% under EPA. And I USE the AC.
An EPA-rated 20 MPG car getting 17 MPG (for example) is getting 15% below the EPA rating. At 18 MPG, it is still 10% under the EPA rating. Many people don't see it like this - if they are even looking at their gas mileage closely.

Also, remember this is an entry-level car, the Civic. Now it has become quite expensive for an entry-level car, but nevertheless. It is NOT an Accord, or Camry, or Lexus. Comfort is relative, and I find it acceptable. Quite a few people have complained about the too-far-forward headrests. This is a new thing for Honda, in trying to reduce whiplash injury. I find the headrests OK. I do think they are a little bit too far forward as well. To me, they are not uncomfortable, but transfer the road vibrations directly to your head, if you let your head rest directly on them.
My rear defroster works fine.
I DO find the rear-view partially obstructed by the rear headrests, but it's not enough to bother me. The super-wide front pillars are more bothersome to me, and take some getting used to.
My 30K Tribute doesn't turn off the lights automatically, either. Neither did my prior car, a 60K Jaguar XJ6. It's a nice feature to have, but again, this is supposed to be an entry-level car, hybridized. I didn't expect this feature. However, you can add an aftermarket auto-light shutoff. They're not that expensive, as I recall.
Many of us did get a sun shade for the massive greenhouse of a front windshield. Mine works great.
Most of these issues are design issues with the Civic, whether or not it is a hybrid. I find them minor, and have accepted them.

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL

Not to be rude, but you have a great car, but to get it to shine, you have to make an effort.

You have had one manufacturing defect that seems to be recurring, but that is it. Most other automobile manufacturers would kill for such a high level of quality.

Your other complaints look like they are self-induced.

For example all of my cars seem to have unique wiper blade refills. All that means is that I have to buy them from a Honda parts dealer instead of Pep Boys. Big deal. Chances are that there was nothing wrong with your wiper blades in the first place, except that you did not keep them clean of the gunk they sweep up off the windshield.

You complaint about the upholstery being dirty means that the people that ride in the car probably have clothes that are just as dirty, and it is rubbing off on the car. Try wearing clean clothes or if that fails, apply a good application of Scotch Guard to the cloth. It works wonders in helping minimize dirt.

Don't like the gas mileage you are getting? Then learn to drive in a way to get those number. I drive for maximum mileage and so do many other folks. we get the advertised numbers.

The rest of your complaints are just silly. If you had bought a Prius, you probably would be complaining about the same things.

LOL! Yep, it's all me, it's all in my head. And when $20k plus has been shelled out for a car with this many issues I have absolutely no right to complain or, for that matter, even bring them up. You hit the nail on the head there, I should just close my mouth and pretend this is the greatest car out there so I can fit in and be accepted by the crowd, right?

Thank you for presuming to tell me that the things I observe are "silly" and that all I'm doing is "whining". Next time you buy something and it disappoints you be sure to remember your own advice, m-kay?

FWIW, I bought a Toyota truck 4 years ago. It had one problem (improperly formed fuel filler neck) which was fixed under warranty (the first time around, mind you). Outside that, the more I've driven the truck the more NICE things I've discovered about it. Exactly the opposite of the HCH, which the longer I drive the more PROBLEMS I find with it.

I recognize that my laundry list of complaints contains nothing significant or earth-shattering. But that doesn't mean my complaints aren't valid. This car is nothing special, and in some ways falls rather short of the mark set by the folks who seem so intent on supporting it.