Civic Hybrid owners: 'Fix' ruined my car - CNNMoney
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Faced with complaints of battery packs in Civic Hybrids dying prematurely, American Honda Motor Co. offered a free software upgrade last summer to fix the problem. The software patch followed years of complaints that battery packs on the Civic Hybrid were failing prematurely. But many people posting on Internet discussion boards complained that Honda Civic Hybrid battery performance faded after just 30,000 to 50,000 miles. "I have a 2007 Civic Hybrid that began exhibiting gradually degrading battery performance at around 40,000," wrote one person on the Edmunds. In some cases, Civic Hybrid owners were able to have the battery replaced under warranty. When not covered under the car's 8-year/80,000 mile hybrid component warranty, a replacement battery costs about $2,000, plus installation charges. A Honda spokesman would not discuss the Civic Hybrid battery and software issues because they are the subject of lawsuits against the automaker. Consumer Reports' surveys show that, while battery problems occur in only a few Civic Hybrids, the car has a higher rate of battery trouble than do Toyota Prius Hybrids or Ford Escape Hybrids, said David Champion, heading of auto testing for the... Source: money.cnn.com
