Dear Car Talk:
On Jan. 1, 2022, the date/time reading on the screen of my 2008 Honda Civic reverted to 1 p.m. Jan 1, 2002. Ever since then, it resets to 1 p.m. Jan. 1, 2002, each time I start my car.
From what I read on the internet, this is a common problem with older Hondas with navigation systems, and there is no known solution.
Do you know if Honda is planning to fix this? — Richard
I think it’s just Honda’s way of making your 14-year-old car feel ultra-modern, Richard. If you think it’s 2002, having a 2008 Civic is pretty futuristic, right?
I’ve gotten a lot of letters from Honda owners about this problem, and they all report the same thing: The dealer doesn’t know how to fix it.
We reached out to Honda, and they told us they’re aware of the issue and are working to address it. They couldn’t give us a timeline. As you note, it’s been eight months already.
Presumably, it’s a software glitch of some kind, and the fix will involve loading a software update. But, given the ages of the affected cars, distributing that software update might require sending Honda engineers to yard sales to buy up all the floppy disks and CD-ROMs they can find.
Honda says the best thing to do is to contact your Honda dealer and ask them to let you know when a fix is available.
You should also contact Honda Customer Service and have them create a case for you. By asking both entities to notify you when there’s a fix, you’ll double your chances that one of them will remember to do it.
You can create a case with Honda by going to automobiles.honda.com/information/customer-relations and clicking on “How Do I Contact Honda.” Or “Help, I’m Stuck in a Honda-Induced Space-Time Warp, and I Can’t Get Out.”
Good luck, Richard. Hope they figure it out soon.
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