In calif car sold in calif and operated in calif,look at the emissions sticker under the hood if it 's a pzev and auto trans i believe the warranty is 10 yrs 150,000 miles on li battery and a whole host of other parts, jeff

 

I havent read through all of this posts on this page, just the first one. As in a previous thread I read that the hybrid batteries are not like cell phone batteries in that the car keeps the battery charged at least 50%. Once it gets to that level, it's supposed to recharge. Apparently you used it to the extent that it couldnt recharge fast enough and it dropped below 50%. As the other thread stated, this makes less wear on the battery. However, you have to look at the battery like a muscle. If you work out a muscle it stays strong. If you dont, it gets weak and can fail. I have found that you can ruin cell phone batteries if you do not run them dead once in a while. You are supposed to use all of the battery to give it a good workout and remain healthy. It's the case with a cell phone battery, and it sounds the same with your car battery. It still functions properly, hasnt really failed. The problem is just that the system in place doesn't allow the complete battery to get a full work out, only the upper half.
I am considering purchasing a 2007 honda hybrid now, and it is very good to know about this issue. Thanks!

 

Wow, it seems like everyone is having issues with the hybrid. Funny thing is i got 3 different prices for the battery w/ labor from three different Honda Dealerships. They want to take you for everything you got. Then you tell them you got a voucher and they say "oh i cant give you that price if Honda if going to pay $2400 of it" Really? Really? 4 Hondas later, IM NEVER BUYING FROM THEM AGAIN. TIME TO SWITCH TO THE LESSER EVIL bc they all are nasty dealerships.

 

The warranty is pretty meaningless when the mfg is the only referee of whether or not the battery is defective.

Even when the battery has clearly lost most of its capacity (like six or seven recals in a day), the IMA light won't turn on. Well, it used to turn on, but a firmware update turns it off and you're sent on your way with the very same deteriorated battery.

So the warranty can be 1,000 years and of no help if you can't collect on it.

 

Similar symptoms on my 2007 Civic. The first dealer wanted the IMA light and gave me all this BS about Honda requirements to replace the battery. I actually believed them too at the time.

A few weeks later, I taped my phone to the steering column, recorded the fluctuating battery, followed by a video to another dealer. Be sure to include the odometer reading on the video, so there won't be any questions about the validity. After about 20 minutes of diagnostics, they said the battery was bad and needed to be replaced [under warranty]. They even suggested not drive it until it is fixed, for safety concerns.

The dealer you choose actually makes a big difference.