Ken Besinger, LA Times
Fix for Civic hybrids' dying batteries may hurt gas mileage, acceleration
Honda says its software patch, which limits the role of the electric motor while boosting use of the gasoline engine, prolongs battery life but 'is not a financial decision.
When Honda Motor Co. rolled out its latest-generation Civic hybrid, it was sold as the automaker's green car of the future.
But five years into production, Honda has discovered that its high-tech batteries can die years early, a potentially expensive flaw that the automaker has been addressing with a software update that many owners claim has made the car less environmentally friendly.
(More at link.)
Early adapters embraced the Civic hybrid, particularly when the redesigned and slightly more powerful 2006 model came out.
Unlike its predecessor, which received few complaints of battery failure, the second-generation Civic hybrid began showing signs of a problem after several years on the road.
A self-proclaimed "hypermiler," Larry Greenfield of Fountain Valley felt justified in dropping $22,600 for his 2006 Civic hybrid because of the 56 mpg he could squeeze out of the car.
But after 3 1/2 years and 40,000 miles — far below the 10-year, 150,000-mile warranty on the components of the hybrid system required under California law — Greenfield noticed that the battery would no longer hold a charge, leaving him, joltingly, without electric assist.
His dealer acknowledged that the battery was damaged but refused to replace it because it was not completely deteriorated, Greenfield recalls. Instead, the car was given a software update, which Greenfield says decreased its fuel economy 20% without eliminating the battery failure.
After Greenfield threatened to sue, the dealership replaced the battery as a "warranty goodwill gesture" last September, according to receipts. But the dealership said it could not reinstall the original software, and Greenfield said he now can get only 46 mpg. "They fundamentally changed the way the car operates," he said.
Honda's Martin declined to say what replacing a battery under warranty costs Honda, but said the current suggested retail price of a replacement is $2,100, not including shipping or installation.
Martin declined to provide nationwide failure rates for the battery because that data is proprietary, but said Honda had noticed some issues with shortened battery life "under certain circumstances," such as with drivers who use the air conditioning constantly and those who drive in stop-and-go traffic.
That's because the stresses of those conditions demand lots of electricity, forcing the battery, which is charged by the motor, to run through more cycles. In addition, Martin said, the chemistry of batteries degrades faster in hot regions of the country, such as Arizona.
Until receiving Honda's letter in the mail recently, actor Adam Pilver of Los Angeles didn't know what to think of the intermittent battery crashes on his 2007 Civic hybrid.
The only problem, Pilver said, was getting up hills when the electric assist conked out. But now that he's aware of how Honda is handling the issue, he said, he'd prefer not to get the update at all.
"It sounds great for Honda but bad for us if we're losing the hybrid part of our hybrids," he said.
Honda says its software patch, which limits the role of the electric motor while boosting use of the gasoline engine, prolongs battery life but 'is not a financial decision.
When Honda Motor Co. rolled out its latest-generation Civic hybrid, it was sold as the automaker's green car of the future.
But five years into production, Honda has discovered that its high-tech batteries can die years early, a potentially expensive flaw that the automaker has been addressing with a software update that many owners claim has made the car less environmentally friendly.
(More at link.)
Early adapters embraced the Civic hybrid, particularly when the redesigned and slightly more powerful 2006 model came out.
Unlike its predecessor, which received few complaints of battery failure, the second-generation Civic hybrid began showing signs of a problem after several years on the road.
A self-proclaimed "hypermiler," Larry Greenfield of Fountain Valley felt justified in dropping $22,600 for his 2006 Civic hybrid because of the 56 mpg he could squeeze out of the car.
But after 3 1/2 years and 40,000 miles — far below the 10-year, 150,000-mile warranty on the components of the hybrid system required under California law — Greenfield noticed that the battery would no longer hold a charge, leaving him, joltingly, without electric assist.
His dealer acknowledged that the battery was damaged but refused to replace it because it was not completely deteriorated, Greenfield recalls. Instead, the car was given a software update, which Greenfield says decreased its fuel economy 20% without eliminating the battery failure.
After Greenfield threatened to sue, the dealership replaced the battery as a "warranty goodwill gesture" last September, according to receipts. But the dealership said it could not reinstall the original software, and Greenfield said he now can get only 46 mpg. "They fundamentally changed the way the car operates," he said.
Honda's Martin declined to say what replacing a battery under warranty costs Honda, but said the current suggested retail price of a replacement is $2,100, not including shipping or installation.
Martin declined to provide nationwide failure rates for the battery because that data is proprietary, but said Honda had noticed some issues with shortened battery life "under certain circumstances," such as with drivers who use the air conditioning constantly and those who drive in stop-and-go traffic.
That's because the stresses of those conditions demand lots of electricity, forcing the battery, which is charged by the motor, to run through more cycles. In addition, Martin said, the chemistry of batteries degrades faster in hot regions of the country, such as Arizona.
Until receiving Honda's letter in the mail recently, actor Adam Pilver of Los Angeles didn't know what to think of the intermittent battery crashes on his 2007 Civic hybrid.
The only problem, Pilver said, was getting up hills when the electric assist conked out. But now that he's aware of how Honda is handling the issue, he said, he'd prefer not to get the update at all.
"It sounds great for Honda but bad for us if we're losing the hybrid part of our hybrids," he said.
So reliable, so green! Way to go Honda! rofl
