We have an '05 HCH. I don't know the exact details, but from the beginning we noticed that the heat would get VERY hot (even when we only had it set to the 70-something number on the dial). We would turn the dial all the way to the lowest/coolest setting and it would still run extremely hot (I mean don't-put-your-hand-near-the-vent hot) long enough to make us open the windows in the winter.

(he just got home and quickly explained it to me, so here are the notes Car gets to temperature and if the outside weather is cold enough the vent temp gets to 170. This is when he has heat level down to the lowest dial setting (60-something). Then, as time goes on, it starts acting "normal" almost like in increments. So after a bit of time the lowest level acts normal, but if you put the dial any higher the vent temp is extremely hot again. Wait a little longer and you can get "normal" temps with the dial set slightly higher, but if you go beyond that you get super hot temps again. It can take him about an hour to get the whole range working normally.

The technicians at the local Honda repair shop can't figure it out, one said it's just a "real efficient heating system", etc., and corporate responded that it's normal.

So, anyone else have this "real efficient" heating system in their '05 HCH? I can't imagine those numbers on the dial are just for "play" and don't mean anything, and I can't imagine it's normal for the heat coming out of the vent to be dangerously hot. ? Thanks so much. It's been 3 years going on and I just asked him about it and found out he'd dropped the issue since corporate said it was normal, hence me checking things out with other owners.