Home / Auto News / News article: Consumer Reports Blasts Honda Civic Hybrid Reliability
 |  Mar 08, 2:36 PM 7 Comments

Hybrid vehicles are considered a risky long-term purchase by some, with unknown reliability of hybrid batteries and worries of possible replacement costs. While those fears may be exaggerated, Consumer Reports has found some damning evidence on one particular model: the Honda Civic Hybrid.

For Consumer Reports’ April 2013 issue, the magazine finds that while other hybrid vehicles have an excellent reliability report, the Civic Hybrid has been plagued with serious problems.

“The Civic Hybrid, which has been a reliable car overall in most years, has a big problem with its drive battery,” the report starts.  ”The 2009 model was the worst: Almost one in five owners needed a replacement hybrid battery in our 12-month survey period.”

The issues aren’t limited to just the 2009 model either. “But more than 10 percent of owners of the 2003, 2004, and 2010 models also needed one.”

Honda offers an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty for Civic Hybrids, which can also go up to 10 years/100,000 miles depending on the state. Many of the models above should still be covered under warranty, but if they aren’t, a replacement battery isn’t cheap, coming in between $2,000 and $4,000.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s SaferCar.gov website, there are 9 complaints on 2009 Honda Civics, the majority of which cite the electrical powertrain as a potential safety hazard.

Honda has no official response, though the automaker did share with AutoGuide an email sent to Consumer Reports after the report was published.

“We are sorry to read that some of your Honda Civic Hybrid subscribers have experienced IMA battery issues during their ownership,” it reads. ” While the majority of Honda owners experience very few problems with their vehicles, we regret the inconvenience that any repair imposes on our customers.”

Honda also claims that a software update was issued to protect older models of the car from premature battery failures.

“Honda provided a software update to owners of 2006-2008 Civic Hybrids to help extend the life of the IMA battery and will continue to provide the most updated technology to our customers as it becomes available,” continues the email.

While Honda has yet to comment on how many battery replacements have been issued, the company did issue a technical service bulletin (TSB) in late 2012 which extends the IMA battery warranty. On vehicles that were covered for 10 years/100,000 miles, the battery is now covered for 11 years/137,000 miles. The TSB also helps vehicles that were covered for 8 years/80,000 miles, which are now covered for 9 years/96,000 miles. Replacement batteries that were bought are covered for 36,000 miles, or three years.

Honda switched to a new lithium-ion battery pack in 2012-2013 Civic Hybrid, (as well as Acura ILX Hybrid), and neither Safercar nor Consumer Reports have any reported complains with the electrical system.

Discuss this story at 8thCivic.com

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  • J Johnston

    I’m not too trusting of anything Honda Corp says. Honda Canada promised to compensate Honda Civic Hybid owners in Canada once the US class action was settled. That was last October, and not a peep from Honda Canada, with Honda customer care “knowing nothing”.

    I launched a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and Honda Canada wouldn’t even respond to the BBB, let alone try to deal with the issue.

    Watch out for Honda and what it claims.

    Jim H.

  • Ecrowder1

    I got my $100 from class action suit last month

  • NeverWillBuyHondaAgain

    Honda is full of it. My 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid battery concked out after only 39,700 miles. Honda wanted $3000 to replace it and I complained being it had such low mileage. I had taken it in numerous times with the IMA light going on starting at 3 months after purchase. The warranty, 8 years or 80,000 miles, had literally expired about 9 months time wise, 2012 when this happened. When I told Honda I wrote for an online web magazine, they replaced the lemon battery with a new one (In an after market case) for $500, instead of the $3000 they originally wanted. I also was told that new battery only had a warranty of 12,000 miles or one year, but subsequently found out it is 3 years or 36,000 miles because my car was purchased before they lowered their replacement warranty. The car only gets 29 mpg. SO much for their “technology”. Should have purchased a Toyota Prius.

  • NoThanks

    ” While Honda has yet to comment on how many battery replacements have
    been issued, the company did issue a technical service bulletin (TSB) in
    late 2012 which extends the IMA battery warranty. On vehicles that were
    covered for 10 years/100,000 miles, the battery is now covered for 11
    years/137,000 miles. The TSB also helps vehicles that were covered for 8
    years/80,000 miles, which are now covered for 9 years/96,000 miles.
    Replacement batteries that were bought are covered for 36,000 miles, or
    three years.”

    So wait, now Honda owes me $500. They made me pay for my replacement battery when it was 8 years/80,000 miles last year in 2012.

  • Honda Hybrids STINK!

    I bought a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid and thankfully it gave me 144,000 miles before the IMA conked. Now it is past it’s warranty and they want $3,000.00 to fix it. The fact that the IMA battery has a finite lifetime and would definitely have to be replaced at some point was never disclosed to me, and it should have been. There should be a class action lawsuit on these cars. If you were told when you bought it, that if you drove it in hot weather, with the air conditioning on, it would degrade the lifetime of the battery, would you have bought it? I have numerous repairs for my vehicle over the years. Trying to be “Green friendly” was the biggest mistake I every made. These cars are LEMONS. PLEASE DON”T EVER BUY A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID! It’s been a non-stop nightmare from the beginning!

    Honda Finance are nothing better than common thieves!

  • Honda – dishonesty unaceptable

    Honda 2010 Insight uses the same drive train as the Civic Hybrid. Here is my experience – Honda’s “Fix” destroyed my mileage I went from 62 MPG from Phx to LA and back on two separate trips to 37 MPG on each subsequent trip. I returned the car to Honda and asked what was going on as they had just “serviced” the car – they denied having any kind of a problem and I was left to pay the full lease of the car with no satisfaction on the mileage I have read a number of articles about Honda’s chip “fix” they all neglect to mention the mileage issue that the chip fix appears to cause. BTW I use the cruise control to maintain a constant legal mileage on all trips.

  • Happy with Honda

    I have a 2003 Civic hybrid with 190,000 miles on it. I’ve had NO problems with the IMA battery. My only problems have been an oxygen sensor failure and the air conditioning compressor bearing went out. Lifetime mileage has dropped from 40.5 when new to 39.5 mpg. That’s not the 48 mpg Honda claimed on its sticker 11 years ago, but it’s not bad.