U.S. sales of the fuel-saving autos
Honda informed owners of model years 2006 through 2008 Civic
trf Hybrids of the flaw starting this month and asked them to bring the vehicles into dealerships so the software could be reprogrammed. The repairs are being done as a “technical service bulletin” rather than a recall because the problem doesn’t endanger driver safety, said Christina Ra, a spokeswoman for Honda’s U.S. unit.
Ra couldn’t immediately confirm whether any of the nickel- metal hybrid batteries sold in the U.S. failed because of the flaw. The software modification affects how the battery is used and won’t reduce fuel economy for the compact sedans, she said.
Honda trails larger rival Toyota Motor Corp. in both U.S. and global hybrid sales. The Tokyo-based company’s CR-Z coupe arrives in the U.S. this month to aid flagging Civic Hybrid and Insight sales, which are down 31 percent this year to 15,853 vehicles in the nation. Toyota hybrid sales, accounting for 70 percent of U.S. sales of the fuel-saving autos, rose 2.6 percent to 108,356 through July.
