Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions

1…67891012»

Comments

  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Print this link and take it to the DMV. They are typically uninformed.

    The following vehicles have been exempted from biennial and change-of-ownership Smog Check inspections until January 1, 2010:
    Honda Insight – all model years
    Honda Civic Hybrid – all model years
    Toyota Prius – all model years
    Ford Escape Hybrid - all model years
    Honda Accord Hybrid - all model years
    Lexus RX 400h - all model years
    Note that this exemption DOES NOT include all Honda Civics and all Ford Escapes. Only Civic Hybrids with VIN characters 4 through 8 being either “ES956” or “ES966” are currently exempt, and only Escape Hybrids with VIN characters 5 through 7 being either "U95" or "U96" are currently exempt.

    Technicians: Do not conduct a Smog Check inspection on these vehicles whether directed by DMV or for change of ownership. Have the motorist contact a DMV field office if they have been directed by a DMV registration notice to obtain a Smog Check.

    NO hybrid smog check
  • calvinkarencalvinkaren Member Posts: 6
    Thank you very much for the information. I am going to show to DMV. :D
  • gibraltarlagibraltarla Member Posts: 9
    I’ve been getting close to 51 MPG since I purchased the vehicle in April; however, during a trip to Hollywood I noticed my car lost considerable power struggling to climb a small 45 degree hill near the corner La Cienega and Sunset. In fact the RPMs were close to 5000 as the car barely made it to the top of the hill. What surprised me most was that the Civic started to roll back when I took my foot off the accelerator; reminded me of driving a manual. Is this a defect or is the HCH a weak climber?
  • allcarsrcoolallcarsrcool Member Posts: 113
    the civic hybrid does not come in manual
  • niceguy333mniceguy333m Member Posts: 2
    i have a 2001 that i got wrecked and restored, i have never driven it yet I am plating it today. The battery problem light is ON and the battery does not have an alternater but gets charged off the IMA SO if the battery problems and IMA problems are RELATED ( or the same ) I have 2 repair books and I am trying to figure out the problems. I can not AFFORD a high priced dealer repair and i am not sure they even KNOW how to fix this stuff ? I will tell you after i finally figure out what this problem is niceguy@bloomington.in.us :lemon:
  • niceguy333mniceguy333m Member Posts: 2
    i have a 2001 honda insight and I read where the car doesnt start at intersections. So this is common. I just buy wrecked cars and fix them to drive. I got this one for $3000 THEN had the parts for $1000 but the guy already SOLD the parts and I have $7000 in this one NOW and I could have got a 2004 in Florida with just a dent in the hood for $4500 ( but I didnt want to pay $4500 so I got $7000 now :cry: CA is one of the only states where private people can buy at the wrecked auctions GA is the other ALL other states the dealers buy the cars from the insurance auctions and ad like $1000 or $2000 profit and resell them. Get a car with a dent in the hood for $5000 at the sale
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Welcome to the Forum. I think you are learning an expensive lesson. Honda spent more building the Insight than they sold them for. Parts are very expensive. You may end up out what $$$ you have in that car. Too many specialized parts that only come from the automaker. Sorry to hear of your dilemma.
  • jw05pilotjw05pilot Member Posts: 3
    The air conditioner features a hybrid compressor unit powered by either the engine, an electric motor, or both. When the engine is in Idle Stop mode, the motor powers a small compressor. If rapid cooling is required, an additional compressor powered by the engine engages also. When the interior temperature is stable, air conditioning is provided by the motor alone for both improved comfort and fuel savings.

    New Honda Hybrid System Modes of Operation

    Vehicle stationary:
    The engine is turned off and fuel consumption is zero.
    Startup and acceleration:
    The engine operates in low-speed valve timing mode with motor assist.
    Rapid acceleration:
    The engine operates in high-speed valve timing mode with motor assist.
    Low-speed cruising:
    The valves of all four of the engine's cylinders can be closed and combustion halted, the electric motor alone can power the vehicle.
    Gentle acceleration and high-speed cruising:
    The engine operating in low-speed valve timing mode powers the vehicle.
    Deceleration:
    The valves of all four of the engine's cylinders are closed and combustion halted. The motor recovers a significant portion of the energy normally lost during deceleration and stores it in the battery.

    JW
  • keswickkeswick Member Posts: 3
    on thursday afternoon i dropped my 06 hch off at the airport for a long weekend away. on sunday night i came back to a completely dead car. no battery power at all. the next day i went back to the parking garage and jumped it. runs fine, charged all batteries and drove home a $100.00 poorer for the rental. any ideas? i know the only one i could come up with is interior light left on by mistake, if not that, what else?
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    Dear Keswick,
    My brand new '06 HCH refused to start after leaving it for a couple of hours last December. The dealer towed it, charged it, and then told me they could find nothing wrong with it. I threatened to return it for a full refund if they didn't at least unplug and re-seat all of the interconnects. They did it, and the car has been perfect ever since.
  • frustrated45frustrated45 Member Posts: 1
    Last week, my 2003 (manual)civic hybrid started hesitating during accelaration, especially in the lower gears -- sort of a shuddering... then my IMA light went on, then my SRS light, and my emergency brake light -- I brought it into the dealer, they recharged the battery pack, said I was all set. Drove it for a day, it started bucking again and then the IMA light went on again -- brought it in, they had it for two days and now they say they "think" it is the ABS which is somehow related to the IMA? and they need to order the part, which by the way is $900 bucks. Said they didn't know if that would solve the problem but the computer codes indicated that the ABS was a likely candidate. But my ABS light never came on. I have 84,000 miles on this car and at this point I just want to sell it. Any advice?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Any advice?

    If you don't have an extended warranty you might be best off to trade it in. Selling it to a private individual is a bit unethical. Let the Honda dealer figure it out. Otherwise you are behind the 8 ball. It may be any number of things. You know the old saying "No Problem that Money cannot Overcome". That could be you.
  • jif5jif5 Member Posts: 1
    Well I am , or should I say was, using someone elses civic hybrid. I believe the car is about three years old. I drove the car from Miami to The Everglades Nat'l Park and the the next day the car would not restart. I jumped it and drove it for about an hour making sure the battery status bar indicated it was fully charged. I made sure of the obvious, no lights on and the like. I even turned off everything like the radio, the A/C, the cruise control button. It happened a third time and the trip was cut short. Both the car and battery were fine as long the car stayed running. This has happened a total of four times. Although I am rather car savy- for a girl, I am not hybrid savy. In a normal car I would say this is an alternator problem. Seeing as the car is not mine I am desperate for a solution. Please!?!? If anyone can shed some light on this situation I would be grateful. Thanks bunches in advance for the help.
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    This just happened to me this morning. I have had the bucking for a couple of weeks, now those same lights were going off on the dash, plus I couldn't start the car. This really sucks, I only have 38,000 miles on my car. I'm seriously considering selling the car, but who wants to buy a car with problems like that.
  • mwowmmwowm Member Posts: 4
    our 49k mile 03 has just gone back back for the same thing this time less than 2k miles from when they replaced the computer because they were trying to avoid replacing the transmission AGAIN!!!
    good thing we got the 100k mile warranty.
    anyone have an email address for corporate or customer care?
    all I can find online is a fax.
  • filmlabratfilmlabrat Member Posts: 13
    I have a 2006 HCH with Navi. I have a growing number of little circles showing up on my Navi screen. I believe they are the ones that show that you are not on an official street. When I cross a big parking lot, they define my track. The trouble is that they also show up around places that I've been to a lot like work and home. They may represent what the Navi thinks is off-road but are actually glitches around common locations. They don't seem to go away on their own. So how do I get rid of them??? I can't find anything in the manual.
  • dantheman4dantheman4 Member Posts: 10
    I think what you are seeing is what they call "breadcrumbs." Like you guessed, they are associated with traveling where the Navi doesn't think there is a road. You can turn them off under Setup->More->Vehicle->Off Road Tracking = Off. Look in the index of the Navi manual under breadcrumbs to learn more.
  • dantheman4dantheman4 Member Posts: 10
    Has anyone tried the automatic door locking features in their 2006 HCH? One mode locks all doors when the car exceeds 9 MPH. A second mode locks the doors whenever you take the car out of Park. And of course the third option is the factory default: don't lock the doors automatically.

    My problem is that I've tried at least 10 times to make the 9 MPH door lock mode work, but it never does! I am able to make the take-it-out-Park mode work, but that's not what a prefer. Does anyone know if the multi-step instructions in the owners manual are correct? Has anyone else had success with the 9 MPH mode? Thanks.
  • garyr5garyr5 Member Posts: 5
    Have only owned car for a week. Have 800 miles on car. When accelerating on freeway on ramps car revs very high before shifting to second. Motor running like all get out, no power to the wheels, IE going nowhere fast. I did put 17" wheels on it.

    On a normal car would take to the dealer. Am I alone here?
  • dantheman4dantheman4 Member Posts: 10
    Do you have an '06 Hybrid? My understanding was it only is available (in the US) with the CVT transmission. That begs the question, what do you mean when you say "before shifting into second?" Maybe you have an '05 or don't have a Civic Hybrid at all?
  • garyr5garyr5 Member Posts: 5
    God I hope it is a civic and it has a sticker that says hybrid and it is an 06 and I do get to drive in the HOV lanes in CA as that is the main reason I bought it.
    I don't know what a CVT transmission. Could be other than second gear, just revs high before shifting.
  • dantheman4dantheman4 Member Posts: 10
    CVT is a constantly variable transmission. The computer controls it to keep the engine RPMs at an ideal level for the type of driving that is occurring. For example, when you are just cruzing along being very fuel efficient, the CVT will keep the RPMs pretty low. maybe 2000 - 2500. When you romp on it, it will jump up to the range where there's much more horsepower 5500 - 6000.

    Even when you're at peak horsepower - the car isn't going anywhere fast. The civic hybrid is one of the slowest horses in the honda stable.

    So, does your car have a problem? If it only jumps up to 5500 when your accelerating hard but then returns to something calm at steady speeds, I'd say no. And unless the tires you have are much bigger diameter than stock, I don't think the 17" wheels are a contributor. But if you're still in doubt, there's no harm asking the dealer.

    Hope that helps.
  • filmlabratfilmlabrat Member Posts: 13
    Wow, Dan, you ARE the Man! That was it. It gathered up all my "breadcrumbs" and made a whole loaf and tossed it. Thanks.
  • garyr5garyr5 Member Posts: 5
    As the other person said you are the man Dan. I did not get your reply till just now. I did in fact go to the dealer, he explained the same as you did but took a look at it anyway. I thought they might have to tighten the rubbers bands to make it shift sooner but it is good to go. Rookie hybrid owner. He also stated the wheels should not have any effect.Thanks.
  • vlado1vlado1 Member Posts: 4
    I went to purchase my "new" 2006 Civic Hybrid today at Salinas, CA Honda. To my dismay the sticker was removed from the window and was resting on the rear seat, in addition there was no price listed on the sticker, it only had "cva" written instead of the actual $22,700 sticker price.

    I have asked a few other dealers about this and received a less than adequate explanation, the majority mentioned this was a car intended to be a demo unit. All of them told me not to buy this car and I followed their recommendations.

    Any thoughts on this one, sounds like a scam and that this dealer could actually be fined for this.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    I cannot imagine a legitimate Honda New Vehicle Sticker not having the price on it. Why would anyone want to entertain purchasing this vehicle or dealing with a dealership that had removed the sticker from the vehicle's window?
  • sfcivichybridsfcivichybrid Member Posts: 3
    I noticed that when I accelerate up a short hill and I'm going about 60 MPH and the RPMs are below 3000, the engine accelerates and decelerates quickly -- like its trying to go faster but can't. After 3000 RPMs it is not a problem, it accelerates fine. Is this a transmission problem? I am not sure if this could be the same thing as post #594 from frustrated45. I just got it serviced back in April at 30,000 miles. Luckily, I have the extended 100K warranty. I will be taking it in but wanted to see if anyone else has a similar issue and how it was resolved. THANKS.
  • vlado1vlado1 Member Posts: 4
    Agreed, however none of this information was disclosed to me over the phone. The dealer is located about an hour from my house and his price was $1k less than all others, still $1k over what I expected the MSRP to be. Bottom line is that there are nefarious dealers all over the country and they will take advantage of unsuspecting buyers, especially of cars in such high demand. Still looking for answer as to what "cva" means when it is displayed instead of price. So user777 your post was essentially useless....
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    So user777 your post was essentially useless....

    i apologize if my post was a waste of your time. i was merely suggesting the advice you got to pass on the vehicle sounds apropos. no legit honda sale would involve a corporate window sticker with the vehicle VIN without a price that i can imagine. i guess you came to the same conclusion before making your post, and now I understand you just want to know what CVA means.

    maybe it was a demo for the "convention visitor's association". who knows?

    you're not getting "useful" responses to your inquiry are you?

    perhaps you might be more successful asking a different population of forum readers and posters, perhaps:
    Stories from the Sales FrontLines or
    Buying Tips: How do I get the best deal

    or something else under the SmartShopper heading.
  • bronxalbronxal Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2006 Civic Hybrid today. As I drove it off the lot, the salesman gave me the cheery news that it is the most stolen car in America. Thanks buddy. So what is the best anti-theft device, how much is likely to cost and what is the best way for it to be fitted please? He mentioned Lo Jack
  • garyr5garyr5 Member Posts: 5
    I opted out of the antitheft. Instead since I put no money down on the car, I got my loan financing from my credit union and purchased GAP insurance. That way when the car disappears, the coverage will pay off the difference between what you owe and the pittance the insurance company will give you thereby leaving you in a position to get yet another new car. You should not have to pay more than $300 for it. FYI, this is a very profitable venture for your dealer and theirs is no better, they still pay the loan off.

    As a point of full discloure, I am an exec in the credit union with GAP being one of the products I am responsible for.
  • garyr5garyr5 Member Posts: 5
    Make that disclosure. My bad
  • secondrigsecondrig Member Posts: 21
    We have a 2003 Civic Hybrid that's been terrific. Then, a few months back, it began to have a significant but intermittent problem. In brief, the key won't move and can't be removed, the transmission won't move, the dashbord indicators all light up and spin, and the car, therefore, can't be started. This happened the first time after a long drive. Within a short time the key could be removed, but the immobilization continued until the following morning. Since then, and after the dealership could find no problem, the issue has happened a handful of times under varied conditions (as soon as the car was turned off, it wouldn't restart; after an hour or so, it wouldn't start, etc.) We tried using a different key, thinking something in the key might be the problem, but no luck. We thought at first it was connected with the cooling fan running after the car was turned off, but the immobilization has happened when the fan wasn't running, too. Has anyone had a similar experience and found a solution?
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Check your under the hood battery, things starting going funny for me when that was dying.
  • unathunath Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 06 HCH and prior to buying the vehicle, I had done some research as I wanted Blue Tooth and a decent Navigation system with traffic. I live in LA and traffic seemed like a useful feature. I settled on the Pioneer AVIC - Z1 which is an expensive unit. My installer found that there is a kit for the Civic, but in calling Pioneer, found out that there is no digital interface kit available for the climate control unit which is linked to the Radio. Since the original Radio has to be pulled, he says that I will not be able to control my air conditioner / climate control unit. Has anyone installed a non-Honda Navigation system with Blue tooth that plays DVDs and CDs?
    Any advice would be useful. Apparently the Civic does comply with a double din?? mounting and hence the aftermarket units need some special mounting brackets.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    The question about the nav display being stuck on the open screen has been moved to the Honda Civic Hybrid: Navigation System Questions discussion.
  • captb93captb93 Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone experienced this?

    I consider this problem to be very serious. I recently drove from Phoenix to my residence in Central AZ (about 100 miles) and experienced the rear right seat and seat back become very warm. Too warm to sit on. I noticed the A/c failing to maintain cabin temps and then a passenger in the rear noticed the hot seat. I checked the trunk and the right side was very warm. When it is 100 degrees outside - the hot seat is a big problem. This is the second time that the A/c has failed to cool properly on the same trip. The trip consists of an elevation change of nearly 5000 feet which is very draining on the engine & A/C. I learned that the A/C indirectly cools the battery pack - so a problematic A/C leads to the hot seat.

    Has anyone else experienced this? Have you taken it to the dealer. My dealer has checked out my A/C and reports that it is working properly. A pure guess by the service rep - the computer is detecting the hot engine & is turning off the A/C to conserve power. They can not duplicate this in the shop

    Very frustrating.

    Ed
  • mwowmmwowm Member Posts: 4
    give up on getting an answer from Honda. Their customer service is pathetic. They may have fixed my wifes hybred (for now) but my communications via fax and phone -w- their customer care have gone unanswered and the dealer support is nil. :lemon:
  • ricardogricardog Member Posts: 2
    I've found a very annoying design flaw in the way the 2006 HCH's roof rain gutters function. anytime there is water on the roof and I have my windows cracked, when I make a left or right turn a cascade of water comes pouring into the cabin soaking the door panel, armrest, controls, seat, and passenger/driver. It is truly astounding that something like this can get through the entire design process. :mad:
  • cybunnycybunny Member Posts: 2
    Can you say what year your Hybrid is? I have an 06 and haven't noticed this..
    thanks in advance,
    Steven
  • dantheman4dantheman4 Member Posts: 10
    For those of you tracking problems with new HCH's, here's a rare one:

    Ever since I took delivery of my 06 HCH in July, I've been hearing this creaking sound coming from the left-front suspension. You can really hear it below 20MPH. I kept hoping it would go away as the car loosened up - but it didn't. Last week I returned from vacation and had left the car in my garage for 10 days. After the car was out, I noticed a small puddle of oil where the front left tire sat.

    Curious, I took the front wheel off to see if it was brake fluid and found the brake connections were dry and clean. I followed the oil trail up the back of the strut tower to the shock.

    At the dealer this morning I demonstrated the creaking sound to the mechanic. After their analysis in the shop, they agreed the cause of the oil leak and the creaking could all be traced back to the shock. They have ordered a new shock (which apparently coming from Japan since no one has had to replace 06 shocks yet). In a couple of weeks I should be good as new.

    On another note, I just finished my 4th tank and got 53.75 MPG and 594 miles. I worked hard to get that. With my new tank I'm driving like a normal car to see what kind of FE I get. After 40 miles its about 38 MPG. This is interesting since the people who complain their HCH doesn't make the numbers usually see something similar. This supports my hunch that the cause of the poor FE complaints is driving habits.
  • mlv2mlv2 Member Posts: 1
    Might be same problem I just experienced - IMA light comes on when driving and if parked overnight or after several hrs, has to be jump started. After 2 trips to dealer, discovered there is "parasitic battery drain" problem published by Honda in which weakening 12v battery can cause IMA draw with subsequent relay(s) failure - I have 03 HCH with 62K. Resolution seems to be replace 12v battery and relay(s).
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Do you have an extended warranty? If not what will it cost you?
  • captb93captb93 Member Posts: 3
    Just wanted to let you know that my local dealer had my car for 2 days and I found them to very responsive and concerned. They updated at least two computers on my car: A/C Compressor and the CVT Transmission. Since then I no longer have the rear seat overheating problem and the CVT works smoother.

    So all of you (especially in Arizona) in warm weather states should look into getting the newest A/C update. Should help you with more efficient cooling.
  • vuqphanvuqphan Member Posts: 1
    did you ever figure out the problem? I have a 2006hch for which I am trying to get a navigation as well. Thanks for your help.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    You may have noticed all the new discussions being added all over the forums. What we're doing is moving away from large discussions like this one, and moving towards smaller, more focused discussions. For example, tire and wheel questions should now go in the Honda Civic Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions discussion.

    I'll be closing this one down pulling some posts out of here to get new discussions rolling, so if you think some have disappeared, they been moved to start up the newly created discussions.

    Please check the discussion list here in the Honda Civic Hybrid Group to find the approriate discussion for your posts. If you have an issue or a question for which there appears to be no discussion, feel free to add a discussion. We can correct any duplicate discussions as we go along.

    Thanks for your understanding and help as we slide the furniture around a bit! :)
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles