Time to fix Honda’s hybrid image.
How bad is Honda’s battery problem?
Are Honda Civic hybrids unreliable because of bad battery packs? That’s the focus of some class action lawsuits against the automaker. And, while Honda has tried to remedy this problem with a software upgrade, for many the software upgrade has only made the performance of their hybrid cars even worse.
So, how serious is this problem? Should Honda hybrids be avoided by new car buyers?
According to data from the likes of Consumer Reports, for instance, the reliability of older Honda batteries is a legitimate concern. Compared to hybrids from Toyota or Ford, for instance, Honda’s hybrid batteries have been less reliable. Nevertheless, Consumer Reports notes that most Honda hybrid owners have not suffered serious battery problems according to CNNMoney.
Obviously, that should provide some comfort to many Honda hybrid owners, some comfort.
Quite simply, Honda’s hybrid program has been hammered a number of times by the likes of Consumer Reports, with the most serious complaints focusing on faulty battery packs. Certainly, mistakes happen, but Honda’s inability to remedy this situation for the early adopters of its hybrid technology is alarming – and continues to be.
If, as Consumer Reports suggests, this problem is limited to a small number of hybrids, wouldn’t it be much cheaper for Honda to just replace these battery packs rather then to throw the early adopters of this ever-more important technology under the bus? The negative publicity generated by this problem alone might end up costing far more to overcome – not to mention the loss of repeat hybrid buyers – than a few new battery packs.