Honda Hybrid Lawsuit May Not Be Able To Run On Battery Alone, So To Speak
Remember Heather Peters, the attorney who is suing Honda? Well, if a recent article by Automotive.com’s Jacob Brown is any guide, her lawsuit might be the equivalent of Honda’s IMA hybrid system: unpopular, mostly ignored, and unable to operate without serious help from outside forces.
Brown reports:
The Friday hearing debated damages, the purportedly diminished resale value of Peters’ Civic, and the fuel economy numbers a car like hers could achieve. Peters has said that she is averaging 29 mpg in a car rated almost twice that. But it came up Peters wouldn’t let her local Honda dealership test her car for fuel economy because Honda said it didn’t want her to post footage of it on her site before the appeals court date.
In the hearing, Peters claimed the Honda’s battery in its Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system would not hold a charge, dropping her fuel economy well below its factory-rated 50 mpg. Technical expert Neil Schmidt countered in testimony that, according to records from her Honda dealership, Peters’ car had never had service problems and that her tires showed excessive wear on their outside shoulders, a sign of aggressive driving. Peters said she was not a lead-foot driver, but Honda attorney Roy Brisbois introduced the fact that her last four cars were two BMW Z3 roadsters, a BMW X5, and a Mazda RX-8—none of which are exactly vehicles for the unsporting driver.
Mr. Brown appears virtually alone among the automotive media in his willingness to genchi-genbutsu. Ironically, that’s a Honda catchphrase, meaning “go to the actual spot, see the actual situation”. We will keep you posted on his coverage as it appears.
More by Jack Baruth
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One of my big pet peeves about drivers is their impatient habit of "creeping" forward at a red light. With Honda's IMA, this bad habit totally defeats the "Idle Auto Stop" function of the system. My take is this is one reason many people don't meet the expected MPG ratings. As mentioned in another story, this woman is supposedly re-activating her Bar-license so she can now represent other Civic Hybrid owners. Was this just a big publicity stunt to attract potential clients?
One side of the story I've heard, but CANNOT confirm, relates to the battery. With the original factory setting, the battery would recharge fully, but in some cases, that caused the battery to fail within the 7 year warranty period. This could prove costly to Honda. During regular service, the dealer reflashed the car's rom to use the battery less, thereby prolonging the life of the battery beyond the warranty period. This saved Honda from warranty service, but as a result, mileage suffered. And this reflash was done without informing the owner. If -- and this is a big if -- this is true, then Heather Peters' case is legitimate.
There is/was a Product Update Campaign to update the IMA Software to "prevent IMA battery deterioration". It would/should not have been performed without the customer's approval. It's debateable whether this software update effects fuel econ. The last time I looked at the www.fueleconomy.gov website, the average reported MPG for 06-up Civic Hybrids is within range of the window sticker. Some get better, some get worse, just like every other car on the road.
Ms. Peters needs to try using 100% gas-- no ethanol. I get almost 10% better mpg with it and better pickup.