I've owned my '07 since december but for about a week now when I exit the car and touch the door to close it, i get zapped.

love the car, averaging 38 - 40 mpg in cold ny weather. When it was warmer 45- 50 mpg.

 

I use it to see which passengers are not paying attention when exiting the car (or, I don't touch the door but touch my friend first and surprise them). I've had this every time I exit the car since Aug '06. At first it was annoying but now it makes me wake up after getting out of the car <smirk>.

 

My guess is that static is building up because it is dry. Chances are that it has nothing to do with your car being a hybrid. See if this still happens in the wet spring.

PS be careful when filling your car with gas. Ground yourself before touching the pump. Do not get back in your car during the fillup because this can recharge the static on your person.

They did a study shown on Mythbusters and young females are the most likely to get burned up because they tend to re-enter their car and get a static charge on them. When they touch the pump the spark ignites the gas. Men tend not to get back in the car and old people tend to grab the car (to give themselves a boost) safely discharging the static...

 

Partially correct - it was only discovered that the women were more "dangerous" in the MythBuster's study because they often get back into the car for their purse or cell phone or tissues or gum or anything while the men usually have their wallet with them, their cell phone with them, etc. Also, my previous car had leather seats and this is cloth so I know that is a difference as well. I get shocked from August to March in dry weather and rain and snow and just find it as an undocumented feature of the car.

 

This is electrifying news. I got a real jolt reading about this and was shocked to find that it is a current problem .

 

Orient Express
Your post is pretty revolting and groundless. There is ample evidence to infuse this story with a lot of staticistics and earthiness. Watt do you think?
Isaac Newton

 

That was my first thought too. I also get zapped everytime I close the door after getting out. But my Prius and two other cars don't zap me. My work car, which is full of electronic gadgets doesn't zap me. I've gotten used to it so now I hold my house key and watch the arc when it gets about 1/2" from the door. It's actually pretty cool at night.

Good point made about grounding yourself prior to fueling. A 1/2" arc at the tip of the nozzle can certainly make for an interesting fueling.

 

Rest your hand on the door as you slide out of the seat.

This will provide a path for current to continuously discharge.
Even though current will be flowing you won't feel it because it will be a relatively small amount of current.

This will prevent the original complaint in which a large voltage built up and discharged all at once when he finally touched the door.

 

I get zapped too. I get zapped in all my vehicles, though.
But more so in the hybrid. It *might* be because it has cloth seats, while my 3 most-recent other vehicles all have/had leather.

 

Interesting, I used to get zapped all the time in my old 95 Camry. So far I can remember I've only been zapped once in my hybrid. Kenny might be on to something as the Civic is lower to the ground than my old Camry such that I use the door to lift myself up and probably grounding myself that way.