HYBRID technology is the byword in the automotive industry these days as the Malaysian Government is handing out handsome duty rebates for each hybrid car sold and this time the technology is in the news for the wrong reason.Latifah Emir Ahmad, or better known as novelist Aina Emir bought the car just over two years ago and thought it would be a great way of using less fuel and saving the environment. Just as the vehicle neared the end of the standard Honda two-year warranty period, it began showing signs of problems with the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system.
“My story revolves around how Honda Malaysia have use dirty marketing ploy to sell their hybrid technology that doesn’t work in Malaysia. I, as an owner of a Honda Civic hybrid can testify that they have not only falsified their hybrid advertisements, but also systematically dragged my car’s problem relating to its high voltage IMA battery until it was outside of the warranty.
“Further more, it came to my deep surprise that Honda openly promotes the lifespan of the battery to be at least 10 years, but in actual fact, much shorter and specifically in my case, the high voltage battery died at one year nine months,” she said.
Latifah said the RM15,000 cost of replacing the batteries after 100,000 kilometres means that her purchase is pointless as the Civic Hybdrid only saved RM4,500 during that same period.
After pursuing her case through Honda channels and found no satisfaction, Latifah is taking her case to the Consumer Tribunal. She wants Honda to repurchase her Civic Hybrid and says if the Consumer Tribunal doesn’t agree with her claim, the case will be taken to the Magistrate Court.
“Everyone must remember that the currently hot and popular Honda Insight runs on the same IMA system as my broken hybrid car.” She is also campaigning for the Government to reclaim the tax break that Honda enjoyed with every sale of the Civic and Insight hybrid.
“I am suggesting that the Government can recover at least RM125 million if we assume that the opportunity cost for tax on hybrid car averages at RM50,000 per vehicle and that Honda have sold at least 2,500 hybrid vehicles so far.
“Honda views Malaysia as a third world country whom they can manipulate, cheat, and dump their malfunctioning technology,” said Latifah.
The case went to the Consumer Tribunal yesterday where both sides presented their case. In their defense, Honda said the battery damage happened after the warranty period. Honda also admitted that they expected the battery to last between 10 and 12 years. Interestingly, Honda said if the Civic Hybrid is driven aggressively with the throttle pressed hard, the battery life would be compromised.
The tribunal had earlier asked Honda to make a better offer to the complainant rather than just replace the faulty battery and give it a standard six-month warranty. By the end of the proceedings, both parties could not agree to a settlement and the tribunal decided to adjourn until late August.
The tribunal decided on the adjournment to give the complainant to be more specific with her claim as they can only award according to costs incurred and damage suffered without considering whether there was any misrepresentation of the product by Honda in their communications and advertisement.
Post time 19-4-2011 12:28 PM
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