I was driving on I-635 in dallas in stop and go traffic just before the hwy 75 exit in the far left lane. There was an accident and construction ahead so traffic was moving very slow. My car began to vibrate slightly and then inexplicably stalled. I put it in park and then attempted to restart it. The car restarted fine but I was unable to move it out of park. After several minutes the traffic cleared and we were stuck and unable to move while sitting in the fast lane. I was petrified and called 911. After about 15 minutes I called 911 again and explained again that we were stopped dead in the fast lane of a freeway and needed someone fast. After about 30 minutes several police officers, including officer reyes, finally arrived and parked behind my vehicle to signal cars to move over. They attempted to move my car out of park as well but were not successful. They called a wrecker and my car was towed to lute riley Honda. On Feb. 10th, the service mgr at lute riley Honda said the technician found oil in the PCM and that may have been the cause of the issue but he wasnt sure. He blamed the oil on someone spilling oil during an oil change but I said that was impossible since I hadnt had my oil changed in over 30 days. I asked if it could be related to the recall issues and he said no, all the recall issues had been taken care of. I drove the car back to houston and it was fine until yesterday when it repeated the same issue-the car engine would start but it would not move out of park. It was towed to gillman Honda, houston, tx and they told me it was a bad brake switch and PCM.

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

I was driving about 25mph on a residential street when I smelled rubber burning and then my car suddenly stopped working. We had it towed to a trusted friend's shop to see what the problem was and then to fix it. We found that the tensioner bolt was broken. Our mechanic has done lots of research on this problem and have found that other owners of 2006 Honda Civics are also having the same problem. He is in the process of trying to replace this bolt. I only have 75,000 miles on this Honda and am very disappointed with this fairly new car. I hope it can be fixed.

- Sequim, WA, USA

2006 Honda Civic hybrid experiences frequent, significant loss of power at random times due to battery re-calibrations which a) prevent electric motor assist and B) use engine power for charging resulting in a significant loss of power for accelerating from stop, entering freeways or climbing hills. The Honda ima system (integrated motor assist) uses an electric motor to augment the small 1.3L engine. Because the electric motor is locked out during battery recalibrations, there is a noticeable 20% loss of power for acceleration. When the gasoline engine is also being taxed with generating electric power for battery recalibration, the total loss of power is very significant and results in an already slow car (0-60 in 13.5 seconds) becoming dangerous when trying to cross intersections or merge into freeway traffic. My research suggests that this problem stems from premature degradation of the hybrid battery pack.

- Redwood City, CA, USA

The integrated motor assist system fails for no apparent reason. This has happened multiple times. The first time I had parked the car overnight and the battery charge indicator was near the top. When I drove to town in the morning and stopped at a stop light on a hill, when I accelerated there was no motor assist and the car was very underpowered. The battery charge indicator showed no charge. It does charge again to normal, but you never know when this may happen. I believe this could be very dangerous in on a freeway on ramp or two lane road passing situation.

- Woodburn, NE, USA

2006 Honda Civic hybrid (30,000 miles) has loud rattle noise going over bumps. Noise was diagnosed as engine mount cavitation by Honda engineer. Dealer tried repair recommended by Honda engineer consisting of placing O-rings between engine and mount. This eliminated the noise. 1000 miles later the right engine mount broke and engine dropped in frame. Dealer replaced right engine mount per tsb but noise still exists and now Honda is stating that the noise is a characteristic of the vehicle and refuses to repair. The noise was not present in the first twenty thousand miles of driving. The noise is now a very serious concern of another imminent engine mount failure. If this occurs at high speed and engine again drops in frame, control of the vehicle could be lost.

- Eagan, MN, USA

Bought car in May 2006, by Aug 2006 I was only getting 36 miles per gallon. Brought car to dealer. They said they replaced a part to fix problem. Problem not fixed! brought car back 3 more times and dealer said I was driving the car wrong. I told them to keep the car for a week, they did but still could not get the mileage over 37 mpg. They told us they didn't know what the problem was and there was nothing they could do about it. Went through 3 back tires on drivers side. They still wouldn't do anything about it! I had to pay for it! the car was getting worse and worse. Finally we took it to another dealer. They found that something was broken by the back tire (which is why I had to keep replacing them) and I needed a new transmission. All of that was covered under warranty. That was in September 2010. They also told me that's why I never got the mileage I was supposed to get. That was when they told me that I needed to get the software update!! now my car is not drivable! the battery doesn't charge, the car cant accelerate! the service manager and the foreman told Honda America that the car is not safe and Honda America doesn't care! I filed a claim and I was told that there is no problem with the car. I just need to get used to driving it differently! when I pressed them and told them my car is now undrivable, I was told that they had nothing else to say to me! Honda really messed this one up! people are going to get killed driving these cars....and they know it! my car was a lemon since the day I bought it! paid $5,000 extra for it, never got the mpg, and now I cant drive it!

- Budd Lake, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid. When the accelerator pedal was engaged he noticed that the vehicle was not as powerful as usual. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the integrated motor assist was experiencing intermittent failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The problem had continued to occur intermittently. The vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer where the software system was updated. The failure became progressively worse. The failure mileage was 43,381 and the current mileage was 56,000. The consumer stated the safety issued is that ima batteries lose their ability to hold a charge and the reprogramming implemented by Honda causes the acceleration capability of the vehicle to become extremely erratic. Sometimes, it will accelerate normally and sometimes it doesn't. updated 03/11/11

- Wichita, KS, USA

I have a Honda Civic hybrid 2006, last days I have my ima light and check engine light come up, I went O the dealer O'hare Honda and they refused me to do the a recall update to the software and fix my check engine light and ima light that is related to the electric engine with battery. I will mention that the warranty book says that they need to fix these issues under a federal law 8/80K but they treat me bad and not even open to discuss. When I asked to talk with somebody else they old that no manager was Friday at 12 pm. I mention that my warranty was canceled and car mileage is 78.000, I don't feel comfortable to drive this car is losses power and is dangerous when you try to pass another car or an intersection with these issues.

- Chicago, IL, USA

Great car for the first 2 years of ownership. Started losing hybrid battery power and hybrid assist around 8.09 power and mileage suffer multiple trip to dealer and several software patches installed. Vehicle continues to lose battery at worst possible time and suddenly start at stoplights this is my wife's primary vehicle to drive to work and school by herself in the rideshare line. She no longer drives this vehicle because I fear for her safety on busy California freeways. Hybrid battery finally replaced by Honda after consulting an attorney and mentioning all the folks on the NHTSA site having the same concern. Sudden starts at stops no longer there but still has a total lack of power on acceleration due to new software package designed to save the battery received new recall letter for hybrid system that states it will further reduce hybrid usage, there is no way I am going to have that patch installed this car is useless to my family now and recently tried to trade it in, dealership do not want it due to the rising concern with customer complaints, lousy mileage, etc I would love to talk to somebody about this vehicle and even provide it to you to drive and test. This problem is amplified in warm weather and when the A/C is on. This car did not do this in the first to years of service. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Alta Loma, CA, USA

2006 Honda Civic hybrid with 58,000 miles and the electric assist motor is not working as designed. I have taken the car to the dealer 3 times and they have told me it is a software problem. The car is difficult to drive without the assist motor. I think a recall is in order.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

Several times in the past the acceleration in my 2006 Honda Civic hybrid has failed to provide the extra burst of speed when needed, making me uncomfortable in traffic. When this situation happens as I am leaving my subdivision I feel helpless in a situation of which I have little control. When I need to make turn from my subdivision from a stop, I need to rapidly accelerate to 45 mph uphill. Much of the time there is traffic approaching from the left which I am unable see to until they are on the crest of that hill, approx. 150' away. As you can see, I depend on the hybrid system working properly for that extra burst of speed. When this happens I notice the ima battery charge indicator showing the battery is in a depleted state. I do not know why this occurs so rapidly when 99% of the time it is just fine. I was relieved that Honda motor co. Was proactive in notifying me of a software patch to enhance the performance of the ima system of which I had immediately installed. What my wife and I have noticed since the software patch was installed is the engine revs up higher during acceleration then there is a momentary hesitation before the ima system assisted the engine to get up to speed. Also since the patch was installed, the ima battery level indicator is at or near full charge. I have noticed an apparent decrease in fuel efficiency, but I am still compiling data to make an exact determination of the extent of that problem.

- Orland Park, IL, USA

2006 Honda Civic hybrid drops battery charge and assist suddenly, then slowly recharges, with no warning, leaving car with less power and acceleration than expected. Becomes a safety hazard on freeway onramps, passing or any time you need to move fast to avoid something. Car needs to be revved to 5K to get over 35mph, after that gas engine itself starts to pick up speed. Mileage has dropped from 45+ to middle 30's since it started happening 2 years ago. Happening at least twice a week, some times twice a day. Took to Honda dealer and they forced me to change the 12V battery pack at my cost, which made no difference. I happens more in summer. I cannot reproduce it at will no error codes are stored and no problem lights are turned on, so Honda says there is nothing wrong. Many other owners complain about the same problems in public forums: www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/F51/who-has-daily-battery-dumps-recalls-24632/#post225828 www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/F51/my-07-hch-II-officially-declared-lemon-24744/ the car has put me on several situations where I expected a certain acceleration, and the failure to provide ima assistance did not meet that expectation, creating situations that could have ended on traffic collisions. For example, entering the freeway on a onramp with a light. If it happens then, the car may just be at barely 30mph when entering the freeway, fully revved. Or making a left turn with oncoming traffic, car may move slowly from the stand still instead of producing the sharp acceleration expected to get out of harms way fast. Or when passing on the freeway. On highways I just don't trust the car enough to do it, as I may not get from it what is needed to complete the maneuver before I get oncoming traffic. I'm afraid every time I need to do something like that. Recalibrating happen at least a couple of times a week, some times twice a day.

- Reseda, CA, USA

I have a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid. The problem is infrequent but potentially dangerous. While driving the car losses all power. The engine continues running but the accelerator pedal has no effect. The power steering and brakes continue working but there is no power. It lasts seconds. I have always stopped the car by braking and then started it up. It takes about 30 seconds before the power returns. It has never happened on the highway. This could be very dangerous with traffic around. A few days ago while driving up a 7 mile dirt road going about 15 to 25 mph it happened 3 times in less than 5 minutes. It was near the end of the road. The battery indicator on the hybrid showed it to be about 60% charged. No engine check light went on. Honda has not been able to solve the problem. They have tried. I am concerned about the computer system since there are idiosyncrasies with the system. For example, the battery charge light can suddenly showed the battery nearly uncharged and then suddenly show it normally charged. This should take time since the battery should charge over time. The stalling has happened during the times where the battery charge light shows a sudden change especially when I was running the air conditioning. However, with the 3 most recent episodes no air conditioning was on and the battery charge light showed a normal charge. Also the indicator that shows the mpg I am getting at that moment can go to zero when costing down a hill. I should be registering a maximum mpg reading in that setting.

- Mercer Island, WA, USA

The recent recall of Honda Odyssey and element models made me remember two things about the 2006 Honda Civic that I owned. I experienced the same braking issue on it- I would have to hold the brake pedal down pretty forcefully in order to make sure it wouldn't creep forward while stopped. It was an automatic transmission, and if stopped on an incline on a hill (at a red light or stop sign), when the brakes were released the car would move backward significantly. This didn't happen on a steep hill- I have driven several other cars on this same hill and never had a problem. It was so significant that I would have to prepare myself to accelerate immediately and with relative force to prevent the car from rolling backwards.

- Topsfield, MA, USA

Going up a steep grade the car slows down and eventually stops. Have to wait for traffic to go by then backup into driveway and go down hill. Car RPM up to 5000 but car doesn't move.

- American Canyon, CA, USA

This problem occurs only in heavy rain, specially after hitting a water puddle and getting water splashed on the undercarriage. The engine sounds much louder and the car starts to vibrate violently, the vibration is specially felt in the center armrest. This is also accompanied by a temporary loss of acceleration and a rattling sound that sounds like coming from the transmission or the undercarriage. Issue have been reported on many Civic 8th generation forum (ex: www.8thcivic.com/forums/mechanical-problems-technical-chat/46938-car-loud-during-heavy-rain-help.html). I have contacted my Honda dealer as well as Honda hotline and they don't know what's causing the problem. And since it only occurs in heavy rain, the dealer was not able to reproduce or diagnose the problem either.

- Pearl River, NY, USA

Electronic motor assist (ema) battery failure in a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid. The car had 60,000 miles on it and the battery that powers the electronic motor failed. When the batteries become faulty: Gas mileage is decreased as well as the car's overall horsepower(by about 20-25 hp if I am correct). This makes driving the car unpredictable when in traffic. The $3,000 battery was replaced by Honda through warranty(stops at 80,000 miles). Honda had stated that the batteries should last at least 100,000 miles. The batteries seem to be going be failing in 50,000-70,000 mileage area at an extraordinary rate. I believe this may be my second replacement as in 2007 I had a complete ema failure on the highway. The electronic motor assist failed 100%. all the lights on my dashboard turned on and the rpms shot way up. The dealership had my car for over a week and then told me that it needed a software update which takes minutes to update.

- Lake Worth, FL, USA

2006 Honda Civic sedan with 68,000 miles had two cracks in the engine block causing the coolant to leak and causing the car to overheat suddenly without any warning. Also, the rear tires only last about 15,000 miles before they develop a flat spot. There are two service bulletins issued by Honda on these malfunctions but unfortunately they are not admitted as a problem with the car until after the powertrain warranty runs out. Honda dealerships have acknowledged these are defects in the car and are widely known but Honda refuses to cover repairs or will only pay for partial repairs. The engine block is a casting problem per the dealership and the rear wheels are a control arm problem which causes premature uneven wear and possible blowout. Honda refuses to pay for the control arms at all. Thankfully we did not have any crashes or injuries due to catching the problem before anything happened. Unfortunately, the first dealership I went to tried to hide the problems and would not acknowledge it is widespread in 2006 and 2007 Civic models. I am being forced to pay for a portion of the engine block and all of the control arms to fix the problems.

- Chuluota, FL, USA

2006 Honda Civic hybrid during hot weather the air conditioning was operated on the coldest setting, this caused the high voltage battery to loose charge.when I went to accelerate into traffic the car lost power and had trouble getting up to speed (I was almost hit by another car coming up in the lane) the car was taken into the dealer on 7/17, 8/14, 8/18, 8/27, 9/9 through 9/30/08 during which time no problems were found with the car. On 9/30/08 I took a test drive with the technician and within 5 minutes he was able to duplicate the failure. Upon returning to the dealer his manager told him not to document his findings because Honda, although aware of the problem, did not know how to fix it. Because they would not fix the problem and because I could not sell the car with this problem to someone else I traded the car in. I later found the car on the used car lot for sale.

- Laurel, MD, USA

Honda Civic hybrid 2006 problem with random surging: I was driving on hwy 50 eastbound to sacramento, when traffic came to a standstill, then started to move again slowly. Other cars would fill up the space in front of me-I could not keep a car-lengths distance between myself and the car ahead of me. I was stopped and then as traffic started moving forward, I tapped on the accelerator of my Honda Civic hybrid 2006, and instead of slightly moving forward, my car surged into the car in front of me at a high acceleration-I did not see the exact degree on my dash, but heard the engine revving loudly. I noticed this (to greater or lesser degrees) a handful of times after owning the car for a year and a half, but in those instances, the acceleration may not have been as great and/or I had a much safer distance between cars and I had time to put on the brakes. When this happened I thought, I bought a hybrid-lemon and Honda would have to address this-but I found similar complaints online and other reports that Honda would not address the issue. This may be in part as the events cannot be readily reproduced to have the issue fixed. www.hybridcars.com/forums/hybrid-diesel-T436P10.html I have owned 2 Honda Civics (non-hybrid), and I have been a satisfied Honda customer until I bought this hybrid. My car is currently at the Honda dealer with the damage being assessed (cannot check mileage on the car and other information to fill out all the info you want), and no one yet has called me back from Honda. I am concerned about the safety issue above, and whether or not Honda will address the problem. Although the random acceleration-surges are uncommon occurrences, they may be deadly occurrences. However, these occurrences should be preventable, if the government would investigate. Sincerely, G. melendres,

- Davis, CA, USA