Apart from another ongoing, not related problem. the car developed severe battery failure.

Battery would intermittently almost totally discharge, robbing the car of the electric power needed to accelerate or enter a freeway. Car performance was totally unpredictable and this car was very dangerous to drive. Dealer service dept. agreed with my findings but Honda refused to take any action, claiming that battery failure light had not come on. Service report stated that we will have to wait until battery further deteriorates.

The Hybrid Battery does not maintain its’ charge. When the car sits for a while in a parking lot, etc., then I drive the car the battery discharges completely and very quickly and when the hybrid battery is needed to assist in acceleration, it is not available and I am unable to safely merge into interstate traffic. I purchased an extended warranty from Honda and they said that it would cover any problems with the hybrid system including the hybrid battery. I took the car to a Honda dealer and the mechanic verified the problem and informed me that the computer did not generate any "trouble codes" and that without any codes Honda would not fix or repair anything. It would have been just as beneficial for me to throw my extended warranty dollars in the trash can.

I called Honda customer service and wrote to two of the vice presidents of Honda and received no help. Honda customer service dept said that it was their position that there was no problem because there was no "trouble code" even though a "Honda Trained Technician" verified that there was a problem/issue with the car. The car also loses its ability to achieve its best fuel economy when the engine has to expend energy charging a weak battery that needs to be replaced.

I would not be complaining if I had not purchased a warranty that was supposed to cover this problem. I know and every person with any mechanical knowledge at all knows that batteries wear out and have a life cycle. This is how Honda treats their "valued customer" and fulfills their warranty obligation. Honda does not care about solving the problem or maintaining a good relationship with the customer who has financially supported their company by buying their cars. In their mind "no code" = "no problem" irregardless of what the "valued customer" or the "Honda Trained Technician" says. I will never buy another Honda product and hope that others can and will learn from my experience. I did some research on this subject and found others are having the same problem and are receiving similar treatment from Honda. I have since purchased a Toyota Prius for my wife because I did not want her driving the Civic Hybrid with acceleration problems. I think that it is unsafe without the battery assist when entering traffic (such as an interstate). I do not have any of these issues with the Toyota Prius and it by far out preforms the Civic Hybrid in all areas in my opinion.