Year, Mileage, Problems
 

What year is your HCH, Odometer mileage, average mpg you are getting and any problems you have had since you purchased your vehicle. I am trying to decide to purchase a HCH II and would like to know what problems I am likely to encounter if I keep my car for a long time. Thanks.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2006 HCH2 with 37'000 Kil. No problems other than a recall for a cap under rear seat. The car has been flawless, best car ever and I have had some good ones over the years. Hal

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I'd echo Harold: same year, same recall, same sentiments. We're at around 72000km. Wish the back seat flipped down, but not a big deal. 2011 is likely going to be a "new gen" of this model, fwiw.

Be prepared to "work" for your mileage, a big part of it is behaviour change, and the in-dash feedback can help with that. I see a few other vehicles are getting that: Pontiac G5 for one (had one as a loaner).

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I have an 08. Roughly 24,000 miles, and avg. around 43 MPG in city. Love the car. No problems.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I have a 2006 with around 38k miles. No rattles or problems. DC cap and brake light switch recalls, 2 software updates and rear upper control arms replaced. My average mpg for the last 6 months has been 66.4, lifetime so far is 57.2. Oil changes every 9 months or so.
I encounter near daily battery recalibrations, but I live in hilly area with 52 stop lights on my round trip commute. Not necessarily a bad thing, just annoying at times.

Jess

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2006 HCHII - 105k miles, IMA battery failure
2005 HCHI - 69k miles, IMA battery failure

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2008 HCH. 35,900 miles. Rear upper control arms replaced - runs just like a Honda! :omg:

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2007 HCH. 46.5K miles. Currently average around 43mpg. Only problem was due to the well-known faulty upper control arms on the rear suspension. Honda replaced those for free and chipped in 25% on new tires even though I was over the 25K mile limit they had on that TSB.

When I first got this car and gas was around $4, I was into the hypermiling and most of my first 10 or 20 tanks were over 50mpg. Lately I'm just driving it like I would any other car, using AC and defrost, and getting low to mid 40's on my tanks. Still very good. Previous car was a Mustang GT V8 which struggled to break 20mpg, so I'm enjoying the savings and smooth ride.

I do like the HCH, but if I were buying right now I would look seriously at the Prius. I would like to have more direct control over the drivetrain and the Prius' mode buttons (especially EV-only) give you exactly that. But the Prius is ugly...

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2007 HCH, 17.2k miles, 38.9mpg

I echo Lucky's sentiments with regard to the Prius, but I can't drive a car that ugly.

Overall quite happy with the car and although low miles only maintenance done thus far has been oil changes. Will probably get medium service done at next oil change.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I have a 09 hch with 8000 miles. The first 7000 miles i was getting 42-44 mpg in town, then brought in for oil change. Now i'm down to 36 mpg city. Honda says oil change wouldn't effect mpg's. seems odd though it started losing mpg's after first oil change. Honda says they can't do anything for mpg's to try gas without ethonal (good luck with that) i have tried various brands of gas with no difference. Took it on a interstate trip yesterday only 36 mpg. Honda won't do anything. I would stay away from honda, not the quality it used to be

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Collegecarpenter, I would be very skeptical of the type of oil your dealership used. The percentage of mpg drop sounds about right if they were to put 5w20 oil versus the 0w20.

I always bring my own Mobil 1 0w20 oil to insure the right type oil used. I would ask them about it.

It's also getting colder too, which will definitely hit your mpgs. Try using a grill block on those short trips to minimize the cold air hit.

This is a very efficient car. Yesterday I picked up my kids at school, brought them home. Went back out to downtown Charlotte: 69.7mpg. Coming home it was a bit cooler, 52 degrees. Put 50% of my grill block in, drove home: 66.3mpg.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Hey Jess, Been there,done that ! I asked them about the oil and they swear it was the correct oil. I told them it was odd that i lost 10mpg after the oil change, they said "there was nothing they could have done to lose mpg's" The weather has been a little cooler, but i would think that by not using a/c it would go up a little. I was getting 50 highway and 42-44 city, now i get 38 highway and down to, at times, 32 city. the salesman told me when it was brpke in i should get better gas milage

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Hmmm. Perhaps they overfilled it w/ oil? Should be 3.5 qrts. Then again, my dealer put 4 in it one time and it didn't have that much of an impact.

How cool is it when you commute? You would be surprised how that could affect mpgs too. Think of your car sucking in all that cool air compromising its normal efficient temp.

Try using foam pipe insulation in your lower grill and see how that goes for you. I use the lower grill block w/ temps between 32F and 59F. Anything below 32F and I block lower and upper. Anything above 59F, unfortunately, your going to take a cold start hit which can also impact the mpgs.

Jess

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I will try it but this all started in august. We haven't done anything different. Just all the sudden fuel milsage dropped about 10 mpg.(right after oil change) I thought maybe it was brand of gas but have tried others with no difference

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I see... Well you could always take it in and get the oil changed again or just wait it out until the next oil change interval.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Jess

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Thanks Jess. that's what i'm thinking. take it somewhere else

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

All signs point to the wrong oil. Go get it changed to the right stuff.

Also check tire pressures. Maybe they "fixed" them for you.

My mileage had been dropping recently (from mid 40's to low 40's), so I decided to check air pressures... it had been at least 6 months since I last checked them. All four tires were in the mid 20's. Oops. Back up to 40 psi front, 38 rear. MPG is mid to upper 40's now with some trips into the 50's.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Excellent point John!

Jess

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2008 @ 21,000+ - Depending on roads, hills, weather I run between 46 to 53 mpg. Had one 56 tank. Did 1 short trip, top speed about 45 mph due to cross country bicycle tour for 3/4 of the trip. I pulled in to the parking lot, looked down and had 84 mpg [****!!!] ("she" insisted on driving home, WITH the A/C on, on the InterState ... 45 :-( )

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

All right highjackers, back on target.

2006 HCH w/ 33k no problems at all. Also, had a '07 that I traded for a minivan. It had no probs up to 17k miles.

Personally, I think most major problems with the current generation are rare and lemon-flavored. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase any new or used of the current generation HCH.

Cheers, nf

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2006 HCH, 77,000, around 46 mpg in all types of driving, main problem is due to Honda's design, it eats tires and they will not fix my problem. As of now I hate it, it was a bad purchase I wish I had never made. I can honestly say if this does not get resolved to my satisfaction I will never buy another Honda product again and anytime somebody asks me about the car, I will give them an honest opinion about the car and Honda.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

rynounce99: Is it wearing the rear tires only. Could be the upper control arm issue. I had mine replaced on warranty and have no more problems! Look into this with your Dealer. Hal

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I am pretty sure it is only a rear tire thing, but since they get rotated, they are all messed up.
I talked to the dealer yesterday and they flatly told me Honda would not cover putting on new upper control arms and for them to do it and do an alignment would be like $360 because it is out of warranty.
If I had known what the issue was for sure before the car was out of warranty, I would have got it fixed, but I had no idea I had this big of a problem until recently.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2006 HCH, 50K miles. I haven't had the control arms replaced, but no problems with uneven tire wear yet.

Only one problem to date. At 40,000 miles, it started making a grinding noise when turning the steering wheel at low speeds (e.g. parallel parking). Turned out to be a bad front strut.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Slowspark, our 06 with 73500km was just in for similar issue: I could hear it when low speed turning. Jacking up the front end and swinging a tire (sim'ing a left or right turn) caused a woodpecker type, loud metallic sound. Dealership service department first replaced portions of the right front shock (our expense), and then when noise persisted, the right side drive shaft assembly (warranty repair, I guess considered part of power train).

The sound seems to have "abated", ie: if it's still present it's now very subdued. To date I'm still wondering if it might be something to do with the steering rack-and-pinion assembly.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

I own a 2009 HCH in Seattle area. I used to get around 40MPG until the begining of October. For some reason, now I get 34-35MPG. The dealer says don't go to Costco and WA started requiring moreEthanol??
I don't know, but some how it sounds like BS to me.
MPG is always exaggerated, but come on it just doesn't drop 6MPG.

Any insight?

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Ethanol plus colder weather will definitely give you a big hit to your mpgs. On top of that you have the "winter grade" gas which is like watered down "summer grade". I, myself have gone from getting 65+mpg commutes to trying like crazy to attain 60mpg.

Every year starting around November I see a 10% hit. There's just no avoiding it.

Jess

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

38,0000 miles / 61,000 kms

No problems whatsoever. I always have my dealer use Mobil1 0w-20 and replace the filter each oil change with a Napa Gold filter. I just follow the maintenance minder, it couldn't be easier.

No rattles or shakes, it feels and drives like the day I drove off the lot. Best car I've ever owned!

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

2004 HCH CVT, 105k miles...

I'm averaging between 45-48 mpg consistently, in mixed driving. Bought the car this past July with 99k miles on it; previous owner traded it on a new Prius. The car is in excellent shape, it's obvious the maintenance was kept up. The floor mats even looked brand new. Overall, very satisfied..

I am hearing a rattle in the passenger side of the dash (or door) which can get annoying at times. Any ideas on what this could be? I've read this somewhat common on the HCH 1.

The seat belt doesn't like to retract....

I'm not experiencing any shudders or vibrations from the CVT, but it does feel like it slips when going up sharper inclines. Could this be a "start clutch" issue? How expensive is replacement of the start clutch (approx)? I noticed the CVT was making a 'pop' sound here and there when the brake was released and the engine started back up. I had the CVT fluid replaced by Honda and the noise hasn't returned. To be on the safe side, I plan to change the CVT fluid every 15k.

Fingers crossed, thus far no issues with the IMA battery. Seeing as I bought the car used, will Honda still honor all of the recalls and TSBs? What's the process to see if the recalls/TSBs have been addressed or requesting these services?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Hi Damon,

Regarding the rattle near the passenger side of the dash. You can open up, empty, and then lower the glove compartment (there are 2 plastic toggle connectors on the inside, one along each side edge that act as hinges to hold the glove compartment up; they pop in and out pretty easily.) This procedure is used when you go to replace the cabin air filters. I was thinking maybe something is loose back there, either the rectangular "door" that opens to the cabin filter compartment or something else in that area. There should be 2 cabin air filters in there; one is directly behind the rectangular door, and another is positioned to the right of that one.
Other than that possibility, I often hear intermittent rattles more often when the weather turns cold.

I bought my car used as well, but it was certifed used from a Honda dealer, so my circumstances may vary from yours. One way to find out about recalls pertinent to your vehicle is to sign up to the Honda ownerlink at ahm-ownerlink.com. Once you've made yourself a log-in, there's a link that tells you if there are any recalls that may apply to your vehicle. You can ask a Honda dealer or try calling Honda to find out whether the recalls and TSBs apply to your used vehicle. Maybe the service department at your local Honda dealer can input your car's VIN into their system to see if any recalls or TSBs were performed on your car previously.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Thanks for the reply Gairwyn!

I replaced the cabin air filters about 2 weeks ago and looked for some loose bits in there as my suspicion was similar to yours. No avail. Then just today, while driving my buddy said to him it sounded like the B-Pillar trim was rattling and it was getting louder...so he pressed it slightly and the sound went away. Bingo! Next, I will put something under the trim to eradicate the rattle. :lightbulb

Good idea on the ownerlink - I will give that a shot. I guess that will also tell me if the battery is the original as well? A plus is the car is local, so maybe I can see if the local dealer who sold the car initially has any records.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Actually, I think ownerlink only provides general information on whether there are any recalls for your model/year of car. Your best bet on tracking down maintenance/service records for the car would probably be to have the Honda dealer try to pull up records in their system.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

Thanks!

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

The maintenance minder calls for oil filter change with every other change. The "A" service is oil only, "B" service is oil and filter.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

'06, purchased new. Now 51,000 miles. Used to get high 40's mpg, one trip held 55 mpg. Now lucky to get high 30's + more frequent battery crashes and forced recalibrations. Control arm replacement done under warranty.

Love the car in all other aspects. Don't think the IMA was quite ready for prime time - it simply doesn't seem to have the longevity and troublefree performance for which Honda is legendary.

This car will be sold at 75K if the IMA battery hasn't yet failed. We will continue to buy Hondas (5 and counting) but probably no more hybrids.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

You might want to check you tire pressure. I had mine set at 40 and after service at the dealer, they lowered it back to 32.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

06 HCHII bought new. 118,500 mi (190,000km). 52mpg lifetime avg. Frequent recalibrations started at 100k. IMA and CEL lights on at 113k mi indicating battery failure. After 2 software updates, problem solved without IMA replacement. Recalibration less frequent now. Go through tires frequently, but I guess I drive a lot.

Re: Year, Mileage, Problems
 

'06

Transmission replaced 2008 @ 31k km
O2 sensor replaced 2009 @43k km at my cost, not impressed :angry:

Fuel economy still OK, much better summer than winter.