Software problems of the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid - part 1

Due to poor performance after a recent Honda ima hybrid battery software update, the electronic battery had turned itself off in order to extend its life. When the battery turned off, the primary electronic brakes were also turned off. When an accident happened on the opposing direction of traffic, it sent debris across the freeway barrier into my lane. I attempted to decrease my speed in order to maneuver around the debris, but I did not have sufficient braking power. If the brakes were not disabled in order to extend the battery life and decrease Honda of America's financial responsibility to replace batteries under warranty, I would not have ran over the debris that almost sent me straight into the median wall. I had seen the accident with plenty of time to slow down and I would have made it safely around the debris if I had proper working brakes. The brakes remain intermittent sometimes working as they should, other times not at all as stated above.

After my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid received an integrated motor assist (ima) software upgrade in 2010, if the car is parked for one day (such as a Sunday, if I do not drive the car) the ima battery will drain within one half mile of leaving my home the next day, on a level roadway, even if the ventilation system and radio are off to reduce electrical load. Fuel economy also dropped about 10 mpg after the software upgrade. Without ima, the car has slow freeway acceleration, especially when traveling uphill. The Honda dealer says they cannot do anything because the ima system light does not illuminate (obd does not show a fault) although the dealer can reproduce the problem after keeping the car overnight. How do you know the ima software upgrade does not prevent the ima light from illuminating when there is an ima battery fault, therefore not requiring Honda to replace the ima batteries under warranty?.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the integrated motor assist light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the hybrid battery was deteriorating. A new software system was installed in order to save the battery. The failure continued and the contact also stated that the vehicle did not always accelerate once the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure mileage was 76,000.

The integrated motor assist (ima) hybrid system loses power with no known precipitating factors or advance indication of failure. The vehicle will immediately reduce power train output prior to the dash gauges indicating a near-complete loss of ima battery charge and function moments later, with only the internal combustion engine providing motive power. Within 3-4 miles of driving, the ima battery charge, as indicated by the dash meter, will then immediately jump to a completely full level in a similarly unexplained fashion. Independent of these transient but regular failures of the high-voltage hybrid system, the vehicle functions as expected. Currently, I have documented over 160 instances since 4/22/11, occurring an average of once every day the vehicle is driven, increasing to 2-3 times daily since mid-November, 2011 (data available on request). Symptoms occur independent of ambient temperature, nature of drive (high/low speed) and despite changing the 12 volt battery and disconnecting or turning off all power accessories possible. Following a satisfaction campaign by Honda in late summer/fall, 2010 that involved a software update installed at a Honda dealership and replacement of the DC-DC converter portion of the hybrid system under recall shortly after, the episodes of loss of power impairing vehicle operation have increased in frequency. An additional software update by Honda completed on 11/10/11 has further exacerbated the rate of transient failures of the ima system and impacted vehicle driveability. Multiple software updates pertaining the the ima hybrid system have also been installed on the vehicle by Honda dealer technicians over the previous 3 years.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. While driving at an unknown rate of speed, the low beam head lamps shorted and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast the vehicle into a parking lot. The vehicle stalled again and was unable to be restarted. The contact was unable to determine if the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v106000 (electrical system). The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who replaced the DC/DC converter, but the failure recurred. The ima warning light and the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle restarted with hesitation and stalled again. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the ima battery module and updated the pcm with new software. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure several times and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 58,028.

Honda performed an ima software update on 12/22/2010. Since that time the availability of electrical assist has been greatly reduced. Even when the battery reads full, I cannot be sure that electrical assist will be available, or, if it is available, how long it will last. Several times it has suddenly failed in the middle of a merge or lane change.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact noticed that the battery was rapidly discharging and failed to charge fully, causing the gas motor to run longer. The dealer was notified who advised the contact to have a software upgrade performed. The contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle was repaired. The current mileage was 77,300 and the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. Updated 02/10/11 the consumer stated he did inform the manufacturer of the failure and a warranty claim was made to the dealer and the manufacturer. The vehicle was given the Honda software upgrade by the local dealer. Since the software upgrade, the mpg continues in the 30 mpg range, down from the pre-failure mpg of 42 mpg. Current, post-upgrade is measured over the last 200 miles by the vehicles the on-board mpg device. The battery continues to discharge rapidly, the rpm idle increases from about 750 to 1500. The vehicle uses the starter motor instead of the ima battery. Updated 04/21/11.

Battery began performing what is know as a calibration where all motor assist ceases and the battery recharges. Once in a while this is okay however it gradually got more and more frequent to the point it became a daily routine or even occurred multiple times within the day. One cold morning the ima (battery light) came on. After taking the car into Honda, they performed 6 software updates. Since that time calibrations have increased in frequency. The battery will now calibrate after sitting for as little as 1 hour and will often calibrate several times within a single commute. At one point over the course of the day, about 80 miles, there were 5 calibrations. A few days later the car performed 4 calibrations in a 20 mile stretch. The ima light has not came back on at this point but I did take the car to Honda. They were unable to reproduce the condition. At this time nothing has become of the calibrations. While they have been merely annoying I am concerned that they pose a high safety risk as should the calibration come at the beginning or in the middle of a heavy acceleration, the car will loose significant power and can potentially cause a hazardous situation that could easily result in a collision. (when the battery calibrates, getting the car to accelerate is like pushing a freight train).

Honda hybrid recall (summer 2010) to update software to address battery problems has resulted in major degradation in what little power existed in getting up hills. Car 'freezes' and struggles to get up hills. Extremely dangerous driving in street of san francisco. Recently struggled to go up a highway onramp at 25-30mph - no load in car other than me. Not until 15+seconds on the flats could I slowly manage to get to highway speeds. In the few months since the notice, there are many accounts on the web of other owners experiencing same power problems. I know I bought a car with hardly any power but this is dangerous. Honda technician drove it with me and saw the problem. Attempted to diagnose and I got a call back that this is 'normal' as a result of the software recall update.

I have a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. The car no longer is getting assist from the battery. . Which causes it to not be able to accelerate when needed. Further, it sometimes surges, without notice when I am putting my foot on the gas. I got the "fix" that we were informed was a software update that would prolong battery life. Instead it got rid of the electric assist, making it unsafe.

Honda's software reflash of the ima system in 2010 has caused my car to operate erratically. The hybrid battery is often completely unavailable to assist the regular motor when needed to accelerate to merge into high speed traffic, to pass other vehicles, or to avoid collisions. Additionally, when taking off from a stop the car sometimes hesitates to start moving, stutters, jerks or lurches. I have not been able to achieve more than 29 mpg since the software update, approximately 10 mpg less than I was getting before the update. California small claims court awarded me $9,867. . Read more...

I have a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. I brought it in for a software update to the ima system and since then, the gas mileage and performance is down a good bit. The acceleration is the dangerous thing - sometimes the acceleration is quite sluggish and this is due to this software upgrade designed to make the battery pack last longer so they don't have to replace it.

1. Honda Civic Hybrid battery loses power, does not perform idle stops that recharge integrated motor assist battery, inability to accelerate on freeway onramps or when driving circumstances necessitate acceleration, decreased gas mileage. 2. At 34,347 miles began noticing ima battery doesn't last long and makes acceleration difficult. At 62, 430 miles I am concerned for myself and my family's safety. Car extremely difficult to accelerate even on streets. At 69,388 problems continue with a noticeable dip in gas mileage. At 90,747 miles ima battery sensor indicates a problem. Battery not working properly. 3. Per Honda at each service only software was updated. No parts replaced. Therefore, battery is still only charges up to halfway. The battery isn't consistently dead to start with but it does die down again with driving.

I received a notice from Honda that my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid needed a software update to stop premature battery failure. Had update performed. The vehicle is no longer a hybrid car. This car is dangerous to drive in nyc traffic as it now has no battery assist when the battery is at a 50% charge.

In response to a recall notice, I took my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid in to "update the software to extend the life of the battery. " unfortunately, my car no longer drives like a hybrid: the motor does not stop, even if I am stopped for several minutes, whereas, before, it stopped every time the car did. The battery does not assist nearly as often, and the gas mileage has decreased significantly. I called the dealer, freeway Honda in tustin, and requested that they reinstall the old software, but they refused. I purchased the car largely because of the excellent mileage: I would never have chosen to basically turn it into a regular, non-hybrid, civic, which is what the software did. The Honda case # is [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Honda Civic Hybrid--2006. Ima assist abnormalities following most recent Honda repair campaign. My 2006 Civic Hybrid was given a software update by Honda on 8/5/2010 following a campaign initiated by Honda to address loss of power and performance due to ima hybrid battery deterioration and failure. Prior to the update the vehicle would often lose battery charge suddenly, resulting in a significant loss of power and at one point stranding me in an intersection while turning left in front of oncoming traffic in July, 2010. The most recent update (I have had several from Honda in over the 4. 25 yrs of ownership) has not fixed the issue of sudden loss of power from transient battery failures that occur without warning, often when accelerating up steep inclines or attempting to merge into traffic. In addition to the ongoing issues, the hybrid battery now fails to provide adequate assistance when accelerating, merging into high-speed traffic, etc. And experiences wide fluctuations in charge, jumping from 1/3 charge to completely full with sudden drops of a similar fashion. These fluctuations continue to occur regardless of driving conditions, ambient temperature, accessory or a/c use or other extenuating factors and occur multiple times per week, and multiple times per day on occasion (6 battery failures in the last week alone since the update). I have experienced at least 1 near-miss accident in the last 30 days due to sudden loss of power and Honda's multiple attempts to address the failures from a software perspective have been unsuccessful.

I received a notice from Honda that my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid needed a software update to stop premature battery failure. Had update performed. The vehicle is no longer a hybrid car. It basically runs off the engine. The only time the integrate motor assist unit works is when the car is first moving from a stop, and even then it is relatively useless. The vehicle previously was excellent. Motor assist worked great. Honda issued recall update to reduce the number of claims for early battery failure. They have shut off the hybrid system in order to stop battery failure which would have cost them over $2000 per car to replace. They have not extended the warranties of existing owners like myself who have 60,000 miles. The battery will now last to the end of the warranty period because it no longer needs to work. According to the dashboard, the car is constantly charging the battery, even when I push the pedal to get onto a highway. This is not the hybrid car I purchased and used for the past 4 years. It is basically a gas engine with 40 hp. The car hit over 6500 rpm to get up a hill with one passenger, and the motor assist didn't turn on. . But the power bars stayed at the middle range and Honda says it should. How does a vehicle reduce ima assist when hitting the gas? what is all this reserve battery for? probably to keep the flashing lights working when someone hits me in the back thinking I am actually moving. This update is not safe.

My Honda hybrid 2006 looses all its indicators when the weather is either hot or cold; I loose air conditioning, and speed indicator; ima system and check engine alarms goes off. Checked several times by Honda dealer; could not figure out the problem. This has been going on for about one year. After recent recall and software update installed yesterday, the car could barely start at a light (rpm up to 6000, drive engaged, barely any move forward), and not even an alarm light on anymore; this represents a major safety issue.

In response to August, 2010 recall notice from Honda for 2006 Civic Hybrid, I had the integrated motor assist (ima) software updated at the dealership on 8/4/2010. Since then, the software has been executing the ima battery recalibration routine with increasing frequency, to the point now where the recalibration is occurring 1-2 times per day at unpredictable times during my commute to and from work. During the recalibration period of about 5-7 minutes, the ima is not available to assist acceleration. The acceleration is suddenly sluggish when recalibration begins, and does not resume its normal characteristic until the recalibration finishes. The car is severely underpowered and can be dangerous when the expected acceleration for entering a freeway or making a turn across traffic, does not occur. Honda does not define this behavior as a failure, so no corrective action taken.

Honda has performed a software update on my 2006 Civic Hybrid. The results are tantamount to having replaced my car with another that has markedly inferior response, performance, and gas mileage: * about 10 mpg decrease since the 8/4/2010 ima software update * rare iva assist on starting from 0, resulting in a noticeable lag between depressing the gas pedal and movement from a stopped position - this is a safety issue. * responsiveness of acceleration at highway speeds inconsistent and unpredictable - since this affects driver reaction and responsiveness this is a safety issue note: the software update renders the electric motor practically moot. Since in my case the battery drops its charge radically over a 24 hour period if not used, the update appears to be doing little more than preventing an already compromised battery from failing.

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, battery software update. I took car to dealer for this update and it was installed. After the update I've seen an erratic change in the battery assist and this is a driving safety hazard. The battery assist disappears and there is no acceleration. I've taken the car back to the dealer twice after the software update and they insist their computer says all is ok. This vehicle was sold as a hybrid and there was a income tax credit but this software update just about makes it a non hybrid in addition to the safety hazard by losing the battery assist thereby losing acceleration. For instance waiting for a break in traffic to make a left turn, if what they call the ima battery assist is not working then you don't get the acceleration you expect and leave you vulnerable to being in an accident while making the turn.

I own a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Approximately two weeks ago I had a software update on the ima system and since that time the acceleration of my car has dramatically (and perhaps dangerously) decreased. Honda claims it was done in order to preserve the life of the battery however at no time did they say it would adversely affect the performance of the car. The gas mileage has also suffered badly. Prior to the software update the car was running fine and I was getting excellent mileage.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact stated that she received notification of an unknown manufacturers recall pertaining to an engine software upgrade. The recall repair was performed by an authorized dealer however following repairs, the hybrid battery became non-functional and would not hold a charge. The vehicle began to exhibit poor gas mileage and the vehicle would sluggishly accelerate. The manufacturer advised that they were in the process of designing an additional software upgrade. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000 and the current mileage was approximately 82,000.

On at least four occasions, once while moving at about 30 mph, the entire car shut down. The gas engine shut off, power steering and brakes went dead, and the dash went blank. I had to place the car in park, and then remove and reinsert the key in order to restart. This has happened once, though not while moving, since the ima software update.

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.

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid -- this vehicle relies on battery assistance for an additional 20+ horsepower but is now severely compromised by battery degradation that Honda is trying to cover up with a "software update" that only decreases vehicle's dependence on the battery thus ensures less horsepower than advertised. The car has become very dangerous due to the inability to rely on it responding appropriately when the accelerator is pressed, sudden losses of power, dying battery, and more.

My Honda Civic Hybrid ima battery (not the regular electrical system but the integrated motor) will not retain charge. When driving begins, the motor assist battery quickly (within 5 miles) will drop to zero charge leaving the car with absolutely no acceleration power. At times it is unknown if the battery is depleted until it is necessary to put my foot to the floor to avoid a problem on the road. At that point, the battery refuses to respond. Several times I have needed to accelerate to avoid an accident and the car will not respond. Honda has looked at my car and has decided that "without the ima light coming on, there is no way to diagnose the problem," this problem occurs almost every day I drive the car (documented every day for 2 months. ) I have nearly been hit 3 times, once with my children in the car. Honda refuses to do anything except "software updates" and refuses to "throw parts" (direct Honda quote) at the problem.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the battery began to lose power and the acceleration was sluggish. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the software was updated. The failure continued and was becoming progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to another dealer who stated that there was nothing wrong. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000 and the current mileage was approximately 64,000. Updated 02/08/lj the consume stated the hybrid battery began frequently discharging at least once a day in early June 2010. The frequent discharging of the battery resulted in sudden and unexpected loss of acceleration. The consumer obtained the software upgrade from Honda in late August 2010 and it did not improve the functioning of the ima battery. The ima battery continued to discharge at least once a day and sometimes three times a day. Updated 04/29/11.

The integrated motor assist (ima) battery is failing prematurely on my car, the assist works sporadically. When passing traffic on the highway I have to really mash the gas pedal to the floor, because the assist is absent for lack of power. Honda installed a software fix(bulletin 10-034) that greatly reduces the battery ability to function at full capacity, so they could make the battery last longer and not have to replace them under warranty. I get the code p0a7f (one of the blocks in the battery pack has deteriorated: its dynamic resistance is too high) on my car computer. Honda erased it manually and sent me home without replacing my ima battery. When coming to a stop the car surges as I make a complete stop, because the car is regenerating power to replenish the spent battery. The so called patch 10-034 is really making the car unstable to drive, the engine reeves very high without much power produced in passing or entering highways situations. When the car was working fine, a little touch of the gas would have been enough to pass traffic or climb steep hills. Now the assist only works sometimes and keeps me guessing if I will have enough power to pass or not. The ima battery is definitely not up to the job.

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.

Hybrid battery immediately & without warning loses its entire charge (from full to zero immediately) causing a forced major recharge of hybrid battery, giving the car almost no power with no warning (under normal conditions it never reaches zero--a mild recharge will kick in once it gets half-full). But now it goes from full to zero immediately with no warning. Almost caused accident this month when it happened again while on freeway (almost got smashed into when lost power on fwy). Honda's techs verified the problem with my car but because they receive no error code they refuse to do any fixes and replace the batteries even though problem is well-known (just search the hybrid car forums for others with the exact same problem). Happens a few times each month now, always without warning, always immediately from full (or near full) to zero. This is not the same as a normal gradual depletion as you use the hybrid system under normal use. It suddenly discharges the hybrid battery from full to zero and forces a major recharge pulling away most of the car's power that can easily cause an accident. But even though Honda has verified the problem on my car themselves and it's a known problem, they refuse to replace the hybrid battery because they don't get an error code (and in calif by law, hybrid battery has 8-10yr warranty). Their answer to me was to just keep driving the car no matter how unsafe it is because without a code they won't fix it (too expensive for a "blind" fix). For others who've reported the same problem, Honda got "rid" of the problem by "updating" the car's software to basically turn off the hybrid system so the defective battery won't even be used). This is not a fix. They don't want to fix problem even though they're obligated to. Happens numerous times now. They've verified it. And recently 2 times that almost got me smashed into. Latest 2 times was sept 2009, but has happened for about the last 8-9 months. Honda admits problem, but refuses to fix.

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.

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).

I would very much like to share my concerns over the safety of the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid that we purchased new from a dealer. The car performed well for a few years, until Honda decided to tell me to go to the dealer and "upgrade" the software controlling the hybrid motor-battery system. Immediately following the software update, the car was utterly devoid of power, and dangerous to drive when merging on the freeway, even when driving alone without other weight in the car. If I drive my two young children with me, it's very scary as the car must be absolutely floored the entire time while merging. No doubt this is strongly affecting the fuel economy of the car as well, as it gets only in the mid 30s, when originally advertised much higher. Also, I can't imagine anyone ever buying this car with the pathetic level of power it exhibits, therefore the resale value is now next to nothing. I would be happy to have a software downgrade and get back to original performance, but Honda tells me this is not possible for whatever reason. I urge you to begin or continue an investigation concerning the detrimental safety impacts of the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid software update. */01/2012 updated bf updated 03/16/12.

Honda Civic Hybrid - 2006 model. Battery assist loses charge and drains of any battery life leaving gas powered engine to supply all power during driving. The batter can drain at any time and at any speed. Happens 2-3 times per day and has happened going uphill where 1. 3ltr engine is not capable of maintaining safe speed with rest of traffic. This was very dangerous. This has occurred since 2006 on a once per day frequency and now 2-3 times per day frequency after getting "software upgrade" from factory that was supposed to extend battery life in August 2010. Honda claims that this is "normal operating conditions". If no ima trouble indicator comes on, then it's "normal". I have video of battery drain if desired.