2008 Honda Civic Powertrain & Transmission Problems

Car experiences 'judder' which is identified in the Honda Civic Hybrid Service Technician's Manual as an identified issue with this transmission. Their suggestion is to change the transmission fluid, which does not fix the problem. When the car starts from a complete stop it shudders and shakes and does not engage the transmission so there is no acceleration, leaving the car in a position to be hit by traffic. This car has had this problem from about 50k. There is a TSB 08-014 which Honda will not allow a consumer to access, even though this is a documented problem. There are numerous complaints on this website regarding this issue. The dealership and Honda corp state there is no safety recall for this VIN and therefore the problem does not exist, even though it does. There are no warning messages and the vehicle does not recognize there is a problem. It is worse when going up a hill or accelerating rapidly. If the transmission fluid is changed it improves slightly for a limited time, usually less than 1,000 miles.

I WENT TO A MECHANIC TODAY, I HAVE 'PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT FLASHING' HE TOLD ME HONDAS HAVE RECALLED FOR AIRBAGS IN DEALERSHIPS SO I CHECKED MY VEHICLE REPORT IT SAYS THAT I HAD 2 RECALLS IN 2019 AND I DID THEM BUT I DIDN'T. 'RECALL SUBJECT: AIR BAGS: PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL REPORT RECEIPT DATE: 06/27/2019 NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 19V502000' I BELIEVE I HAD THAT PROBLEM WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR, MY PASSENGER LIGHTS OFF BLINKING WHILE I'M DRIVING EVEN THO NO PASSENGERS THERE. SO I WAS TRYING TO CHECK MY RECALLS ON THE HONDA WEBSITE IT SHOWS THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY. ALSO, I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN I DO REVERSE ENGINE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING P0812 CODE BUT NO PROBLEMS EXCEPT CODE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS THEN SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO O'MALLEY HONDA (3405 STEWART AVE, WAUSAU, WI 54401 (715) 842-2131) BUT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS NOT COMPLETED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000. *TR

THIS CAR STARTED LEAKING COOLANT ON THE DRIVEWAY. ONE DAY LATER MY WIFE DRIVES CAR AND WHEN SHE RETURNS HOME STEAM IS COMING FROM ENGINE AND A LOT MORE COOLANT IS LEAKING ON DRIVEWAY. TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. TURNS OUT THERE IS A FACTOR DEFECT CAUSING ENGINE BLOCK TO CRACK PREMATURELY. LUCKILY ENGINE DIDN'T OVERHEAT AND LOCK-UP WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. SCARY THAT THE SYMPTOMS AND ONSET OF CRACK WERE SO SUDDEN. ONLY STARTED DRIPPING ON DRIVEWAY ONE DAY PREVIOUS TO NEAR OVERHEAT. NOT SURE IF MY WIFE OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IF IT OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY.

MAP FOR MY CAR, NAVI FOR MY CAR

I WAS DRIVING AND SWITCHED INTO 3RD GEAR; POPPED OUT. ALSO 3RD GEAR GETS STUCK AND CAN'T SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR.

TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT AFTER 105000 MILES APPROXIMATELY; MECHANIC TOLD ME HE COULD ESTIMATE HOW MUCH LONGER I HAVE IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HE SAW MORE OFTEN, BUT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING HE SEES OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WOULD RUN HEAVY, AND I WAS TOLD AN ENGINE MOUNT WAS BAD AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THERE IS STILL A TENDENCY FOR THE CAR TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE AS I DRIVE BETWEEN 17-30 MPH, AND ATTRIBUTE THIS TO THE ISSUE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE ALSO DOES NOT SHIFT WELL, AND CLICKS ON CERTAIN SHIFTING POINTS. DEALERSHIP STATED THE CAR IS OUTSIDE OF THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUES STARTED PRIOR TO THE END OF THAT WARRANTY.

ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS (THE MOST RECENT BEING 6/24/14), TWICE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND TWICE WHILE SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HAS SURGED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO UNEXPECTEDLY MOVE FORWARD. ON THE TWO OCCASIONS IT HAS OCCURRED WHEN SLOWING DOWN, I WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE. WHAT HAPPENED WAS AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP (ONCE AT A RED LIGHT, ONCE IN A PARKING LOT), THE RPM INDICATOR UNEXPECTEDLY SHOT UP TO APPROXIMATELY 2500RPM, THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD, AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN POWER MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. HAD THERE BEEN ANY VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME IN EITHER OCCURRENCE, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. ON THE TWO OCCURRENCES AT HIGHWAY SPEED, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, AND SHE REPORTS THAT THE RPM INDICATOR AGAIN WENT HIGH AND THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD A FOOT OR TWO. *TR

2008 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE BLOCK FAILURE . *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE BLOCK PROBLEM SHOULD BE TREATED AS A RECALL DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND STALLED, HE LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. AT THAT POINT, THE STEERING AND BRAKES BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. THE CONSUMER STOPPED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY SHOWED HIM THE 4 PROBLEM AREAS OF THE ENGINE WHERE THE LEAKAGE OCCURRED. ALSO, THE BEARING ON THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR PULLEY STARTED MAKING A NOISE. THE ENTIRE COMPRESSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND AFTER 10 SECONDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD START. ON OCCASION, HE HAD TROUBLE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT, AND HE HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND START IN FIRST GEAR. *JB UPDATED 04/10/14

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE UPON SHIFTING GEARS AND PROGRESSED WHEN DOWNSHIFTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THIRD GEAR SYNCHRONIZER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED WHEN THERE WAS HIGH RPMS. THE DEALER ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT WHILE DRIVING MY CAR. ONLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

I EXITED FREEWAY AND WAS WAITING AT A RED SIGNAL LIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE ON ITS OWN SPEEDED UP TO 3000+ RPM. IT HELD AT THIS ELEVATED RPM FOR ABOUT A MINUTE WHILE THE CAR REMAINED STOPPED (FOOT BRAKE WAS HOLDING). THE ENGINE DROPPED BACK DOWN TO IDLE ON ITS OWN. HEADLIGHTS AND OCCUPANT HEATER WAS ON WITH FAN AT LOWEST SETTING. RADIO WAS ON. FLOOR MAT WAS NOT OUT OF PLACE. MY FOOT POSITION REMAINED UNCHANGED EXCEPT FOR APPLYING EXTRA FORCE DURING THE ELEVATED RPM EVENT. *TR

SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR GRINDS AND SOMETIMES 3RD GEAR POPS OUT WHEN SHIFTING AT FAST SPEEDS, OBVIOUSLY WHILE ROLLING. I WENT TO THE O'HARE HONDA DEALERSHIP IN DES PLAINES, IL WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR BRAND NEW WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO REPAIR IT. I ASKED, WHAT IF THE MATTER TURNS INTO A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT? THEY COULDN'T GIVE ME AN ANSWER. PLEASE HELP ME. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE PASSENGER CV JOINT AT THE WHEEL BROKE APART RESULTING IN THE CAR BECOMING NOT DRIVABLE. IT HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE SCENE. *TR

OWNED THIS 2008 HONDA CIVIC SI (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) FOR ONE WEEK BEFORE THE CLUTCH QUIT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND TOTALLY UNEXPECTED FOR A CAR THAT WAS JUST INSPECTED BY A HONDA DEALER (WHO HAD LISTED ANOTHER CAR DEALER AS THE PREVIOUS OWNER ON THE NYS RETAIL CERTIFICATE OF SALE). THIS HONDA DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THIS CAR AS THEY WERE FLAT-BEDDING IT TO AN AUCTION HOUSE THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE LAST OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE FOR THEM TO REPAIR IT. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA BECAUSE THE AUCTION HOUSE REPAIRS ARE LIKELY TO VOID THE REMAINDER OF THE HONDA WARRANTY BUT THEIR REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT AMERICAN HONDA DOES NOT GET INVOLVED WITH LOCAL HONDA DEALER ISSUES. AMERICAN HONDA ASSIGNED CASE # [XXX] AND ALSO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED THAT A SAFETY REPORT WOULD BE FILED WITH THE NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WHILE SHIFTING THE CAR INTO 3RD GEAR, THE GEARS GRIND. THE SHIFT KNOB IS LINED UP EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD BE TO GO INTO 3RD GEAR. THE CAR WILL ALSO POP OUT OF 3RD GEAR AT RANDOM WITHOUT EVEN STEPPING ON THE CLUTCH TO PROMPT IT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM TO HAVE IN A STANDARD CAR, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE MAKE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ONLINE. I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THE CAR FIXED, NOT THEIRS, AND THAT THEY BASE MOST OF THEIR CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT ON MILEAGE AS WELL AS HONDA CUSTOMER LOYALTY. THE GENTLEMAN THEN PROCEEDED TO ASK ME IF I HAD OWNED A HONDA BEFORE AND INSINUATED THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE FIRST HONDA THAT I OWNED THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM REIMBURSING WOULD BE SLIM. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. I DID NOT CHOOSE FOR MY TRANSMISSION TO BE BUILT WITH A FAULTY PART, AND I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM WHEN MY SAFETY IS CALLED INTO QUESTION. *TR

MY CAR WAS STOPPED IN LINE WHILE WAITING TO GO THROUGH US CUSTOMS. TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, ENGINE STARTED TO REV. PLACED TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL POSITION. ENGINE REVVED THREE TIMES, EACH TIME HIGHER. ON THIRD REVVING, RPM REACHED 4000 RPM. TURNED OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTED. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE REVVED AT HIGH RPM AGAIN. TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS. RESTARTED ENGINE AGAIN, AND ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY. TOOK CAR TO HONDA DEALER ON 7/23/12. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY TROUBLE CODES IN THE ENGINE COMPUTER. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO AT APPROX MILEAGE OF 45,000 MILES. ENGINE STARTED REVVING WHILE STOPPED AT A SIGNAL. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. DEALER CALLED IN AREA REP WHO REVIEWED PROCESS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *TR

MY WIFE WAS HEADED HOME FROM WORK (APPROXIMATELY 5 PM) WHEN SHE HAD TO STOP IN TRAFFIC ON A FAIRLY STEEP HILL, WITH AN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AT, OR NEAR, 100 DEGREES. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO RESUME FORWARD SHE PRESSED THE GAS ON HER 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID AND THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER CAR. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE, SHE SWITCHED TO THE LOWEST RANGE, STILL THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. AS A RESULT, SHE HAD TO WAVE CARS BEHIND HER AROUND WHILE ALL SHE COULD DO WAS HOLD THE BRAKES UNTIL SHE COULD MANAGE TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THIS HILL TO SAFETY. SHE THEN CHANGED ROUTES THAT HAD SUBSTANTIALLY MORE CONGESTION, BUT SMALLER HILLS. HILLS ARE A WAY OF LIFE IN THE ATLANTA METRO AREA, SO ARE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN JULY. SHE HAS MENTIONED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS TERRIBLE ACCELERATION ON SOME LESSER HILLS IN HOT WEATHER OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING AS DANGEROUS AS THIS INCIDENT.THIS MALADY HAS BEEN REPORTED A MINIMUM OF 2-3 TIMES TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP SHE PURCHASED IT FROM, HERITAGE HONDA, ROME, GA. I WOULDN'T ALLOW HER TO USE IT UNTIL HONDA SORTED OUT THE MALFUNCTION. WELL, I SPENT THE DAY THERE, THEY DID COMPUTER ANALYSIS, TECHNICIAN INTERFACED WITH HONDA TECH LINE, EVEN SENT A "SNAPSHOT" OF THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER DATA WHEN IT ACTUALLY RECREATED THE SAME CONDITION FOR THE MECHANIC ON A STEEP HILL. NONE-THE-LESS, I LEFT THERE HOPEFUL THAT HONDA WOULD RESOLVE OUR DILEMMA. AFTER A DAY AND A HALF OF WAITING FOR SOME FEEDBACK, I WAS FINALLY INFORMED THE CAR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. APPARENTLY, THE HYBRID BATTERIES REACHED A HIGH TEMPERATURE, WHICH FOR "SAFETY REASONS" DISABLED THE CIRCUITRY THAT "ASSISTS" THE CAR VIA THE "HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR" WHICH IN TURN LEAVES THE CAR COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THE UNDERSIZED GASOLINE ENGINE. IN THIS CASE, NOT NEAR ENOUGH POWER TO MOVE HER CAR. HONDA SAYS IT'S OK TO DRIVE! WE NEED HELP, PLEASE HELP US! *TR

THE FIRST TIME THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WAS IN JUNE OF 2012 WHEN SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR THERE WAS GRINDING SOUNDS. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO POP OUT OF 3RD GEAR WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT INTO A HONDA DEALER TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS INTERNAL M/T MALFUNCTION SAYING THAT MY SHIFT FORK AND 3RD GEAR S SET NEEDED REPLACING. SINCE I PURCHASE THIS CAR USED AT A DEALERSHIP THAT I WORKED AT THE TIME THEY FIXED IT AS A COURTESY TO ME. I HAD TO FIGHT WITH THEM TO FINALLY AGREE TO FIX IT FROM THE BEGINNING. ONCE AGAIN NOW IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014 THE SAME THING HAS HAPPEN AGAIN TO MY CIVIC WHICH THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS AROUND $3,000.00. BEING A TRAINED MECHANIC I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL SILENT RECALLS AND TSB RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF THE POCKET TO FIX A RECURRING PROBLEM. *TR