2006 Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel System Problems

GAS TANK CRACKED AT 132K MILES, LEAKING GAS, FUMES IN CABIN AND CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN. IT'S UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHEN IT HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY, STATIONARY AND EMITTING FUMES AFTER BEING FILLED UP WITH GAS WHEN I FIRST NOTICED AND STOPPED DRIVING IT. TURNS OUT, HONDA KNEW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS EXTENDINGWARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES BUT DESPITE REGULAR SERVICES AND OTHER RECALL FIXES, I WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE, AND THE TANK WAS NEVER CHECKED FOR CRACKS BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE.

I CAN SMELL A STRONG GAS ODOR NEAR THE REAR OF THE CAR. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND COULD SEE GAS DRIPPING FROM THE GAS TANK WHERE THE FILLER HOSE GOES INTO THE TANK. THERE IS A PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER THE CAR WHEN IT IS PARKED.

I HAD THE HONDA DEALERSHIP PERFORM THE IMA SOFTWARE 'UPGRADE' IN 2010 AS PART OF THE RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE TO FURTHER EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE IMA BATTERY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE IMA BATTERY HAS FAILED TWICE. FIRST IN JAN 2012. THIS BATTERY WAS REPLACED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PART PROVIDED BY HONDA WHEN THEY INITIALLY IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE WITH THE IMA BATTERY. THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED A SHORT 3-YEARS LATER. EACH TIME, THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE OR PERFORM TURNS WHEN ACCELERATION IS NEEDED. EVEN THOUGH THE IMA BATTERY WAS ONLY 3-YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THIS SECOND FAILURE, HONDA IS NOT COVERING THE FULL COST OF REPAIR. THE IMA SOFTWARE 'UPGRADE' HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE FAILURE RATE OF THE IMA BATTERY AND CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHEN ACCELERATION IN UNEXPECTEDLY LOST DUE TO DRASTIC POWER FLUCTUATIONS. *TR

THE GAS TANK STARTED LEAKING AND I FOUND OUT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL BUT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE GAS TANK IN WHICH HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. HONDA KNOWS THERE ARE DEFECTIVE GAS TANKS AND WILL NOT REPLACE THEM IF THE CAR HAS OVER 120,000. WHAT DOES MILEAGE HAVE TO DO WITH A GAS TANK THAT JUST HANGS UNDER A CAR THAT HAS SO LITTLE GROUND CLEARANCE YOU WOULD GET STUCK ON A ROUGH ROAD. THEY KNOW THE GAS TANKS WILL LEAK AND BECOME DANGEROUS AND YET THEY WON'T REPLACE THEM AND GET THEM OFF THE ROAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE BEFORE AND AFTER REFUELING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE I.M.A AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN DRIVING A 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID; AFTER ABOUT A MONTH AND HALF, EVERYTIME SHE FILLS UP THE GAS TANK. THERE'S A ORDER/SMELL OF GASOLINE. SOMETIME IN DECEMBER, WE TOOK THE CAR TO ELK GROVE HONDA FOR THE SMELL OF GASOLINE. ELK GROVE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD US; WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK COSTING ABOUT $800.00. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH; THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED, ON 12-19-11 GAS LEAKS WITH 2006-2011 HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS FUEL TANKS. HOWEVER, IN THE ARTICLE, HONDA IS NOT DOING A RECALL BUT EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES. MY DAUGHTER'S CAR IS NOT TEN YEARS OLD BUT IS OVER THE 120,000 MILES AND NOW WE ARE SUBJECTED TO PAYING THE ENORMOUS $800.00 BILL TO FIX, THE ACKNOWLEDGED HONDA PROBLEM. HOW CAN WE GET HONDA TO PAY FOR THE LEAKING FUEL AND HAVE MY DAUGHTER DRIVE A SAFE CARE? *TR