There certainly seems to be a problem with some cars, but I disagree with your assertion. My car is running better than ever, with better fuel economy after the update than before. I think there's something going on with a small subset of cars that is alluding them. It sounds pitiful, but that the way I'm reading it. Combine that with horrible dealers (every carmaker has them) and it really turns into a snafu for a subset of customers.

Then again, I've been wrong before.

 

You hit the nail on the head Mendel. It should be interesting especially with the pack. I personally think it will be a good Auto. Not sure if they will ever get their market share back, or effect the Prius sales, but I hope they make inroads on Prius sales. H

 

you took the words out of my mouth. yeah, kinda looks like Honda dropped the ball on some people and not on others. my hch is still my best car ever and I don't need a 2012 hch anytime soon cause I don't think it can best the car I drive.


ks

 

Yeah, I don't doubt it will be a much improved hybrid. They really have no choice, if they want salvage any respect. The number one question in my mind though, is still: are they going come around to treating their customers fairly, when there are problems?

Or stay the present course: which is to say: keeping their heads buried in the sand, or somewhere darker...

 

Agree with MLTTASK. It sounds like some Honda Civic 2 users have some murky issue Honda is struggling to reproduce or fix, and the supply chain is not always effective at resolving the superficial side of the concerns.

In my opinion, anyone with these issues ought to negotiate with Honda to get the vehicle replaced by another, better Honda at a discount of some form. If you're a great negotiator they might replace the vehicle for free, but you've got much better chances at first working your way up to the Honda Zone Rep, and negotiating for something like a really killer trade-in deal to make up for your frustration - like maybe paying $4k + trade-in for a new Insight.

Honda might never figure out what's wrong with these problem cars, and you're better off handing them the problem to sort through indefinitely than sitting and waiting.

 

I'll have to agree with this statement I have put over 2500 miles on my "salvaged" 08 so far and it's been nothing but a pleasurable experience. I did have to replace the A/C condenser, but that only set me back 150$. So far that's the only repair which has been needed and it was needed when I bought the vehicle. My IMA system is great I replaced the tiny Honda battery with a huge 2x AH capacity one(I run amps and subs) I needed the extra 12v buffer, so that caused my one and only forced recal i've ever seen. The car has 16k on it now and I fully expect another 100k. If it has IMA issues I will tear the pack apart and replace the dead/dying cells myself, then be on my way. I think the problem is simply that the HCHII is one of the least user friendly/serviceable cars Honda has ever produced when it comes to the drivetrain and power plant.

 

I don't know your knowledge level, I myself am not than knowledgable on the subject, but you should watch the last video on this page (Re-Involt site):

http://www.re-involt.com/

They mention people "recelling" their batteries, and possible consequences, including fires, if you don't balance the cells. FYI, there's a Prius battery showing in the foreground, and a (diminutive, barely noticeable) Honda Civic Hybrid battery towards the back of the bench, hooked up to voltage monitors.

 

Aaaahhhhh... the internet is a wonderful place.

 

It's all good, I've been dealing with high voltages and batteries of all sorts for years, although I do appreciate your concern. I won't be recommending any of my future modifications or upgrades to my Civic hybrid to the layman as they will probably be quite dangerous if proper safety protocols aren't followed. I am planning on eventually getting rid of the gasoline engine entirely and replacing it, when fuel cells become less expensive.

It's quite possible I will eventually produce a detailed how-to video/guide on how to replace your own cells, if I think it can be done safely by people with moderate mechanical skills.

and yes indeed it is!


P.S. thanks for the link I will definitely be contacting RiV to discuss possible fuel cell conversions with them, plus I like their goals.

 

I'm with 300TTto545 ... We bought our 2006 HCH-II used, with just 50K miles on it, in the summer of 2009 and were so excited to be driving a green vehicle that would get awesome mileage. From the start, we averaged only 37 mpg (and yes, we read the Tarabell and MSantos articles). As dejected as we were, I kept working at it and began to believe that because so much of our driving is stop-and-go on uneven terrain (north Jersey), we were doomed to no better then 35 mpg city. At least I could coax 40 mpg out of it on highway driving. Even got 43 mpg on a 1,600 mile road trip last summer.

But this winter, we really got killed. We're averaging about 32 mpg per tank. To accelerate while going up even the slightest incline, the car goes up to 3K rpm. On a big hill, to maintain 45 mph in a 50 mph zone, it would go nearly up to 4K rpm -- just to maintain speed! I took it to a Honda dealer last week and complained of horrible mpg and the transmission "slipping" issue, and they said that the car is eligible for 6 software updates, including the new IMA update a transmission update. I picked it up last Tuesday, and since the updates, the car idles significantly higher and I'm now getting a whopping 31 mpg!! The service guy actually turned the problem back on me and said I'm probably buying bad gas. When I said that I never put anything with more than 10% ethanol in it (and that's the best you can do in NJ), he still insisted that it was somehow my fault, and that the techs could find nothing wrong with the car that would be causing the poor mpg.

Anyone want to buy a car? We'll be shopping for a Prius. Honda's lost us forever.