RoadVitals

2008 Honda Civic SI Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest Mar 30, 2019
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
5
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Honda Civic SI, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Airbags225.0%
  • Body & structure225.0%
  • Engine225.0%
  • Other / unspecified112.5%
  • Visibility112.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

TAKATA RECALL. HONDA REFUSES TO COME TO MY CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE AND REPLACE MY RECALLED PASSAGER SIDE AIR BAG ACTIVATOR-SEEMS MAYBE DISCRIMINATION- AGE RELATED. MAYBE- OR MAYBE JUST MEAN.

NHTSA ID 11192584 · filed Mar 30, 2019

THERE IS A RECALL ON THE PASSENGER AIR BAG. KA5

NHTSA ID 11015400 · filed Aug 15, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

ON MY 08 HONDA CIVIC SI IN FIJI BLUE PAINT, THE CLEAR COAT IS DETERATING ON THE ROOF AND NOW WHEELS ARE PEELING CLEAR.. MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND WELL MAINTAINED. I DID SEE WHERE HONDA WOULD REPAINT AFFECTED AREAS, SO ON MY LAST VISIT TO DEALER I ASK THE SERVICE LADY TO PLEASE PLEASE FIX. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE WOULD DOCUMENT SAID AREAS AND E-MAIL ME WHAT TO DO NEXT. IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS WITH NO SOLUTION. I HAVE MET A COUPLE OF OTHER HONDA OWNERS THAT HAS HAD THE AREAS REPAINTED. SO I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. I DID SEE THAT THESE CERTAIN COLORS WERE IN A CAMPAIGN FOR THIS REASON. I WAS INFORMED THAT A DEADLINE WAS PLACED, BUT IS THE DEALERS DISCRETIONON WHICH CARS TO RE PAINT AND SINCE MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT THE SPOTS ARE NOT AS LARGE AS OTHER PHOTOS IVE SEEN. BUT LATELY IVE NOTICED AREAS ARE GROWING. SO I GUESS IM ALSO ASKING ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO GET THIS RESOLVED..I DO LIKE MY CAR. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP.

NHTSA ID 11043619 · filed Nov 6, 2017

VEHICLE IS A 2008 CIVIC SI MUGEN PAINTED IN FIJI BLUE PEARL. PAINT AND CLEAR-COAT ARE OXIDIZING, CHIPPING AND PEELING. WHEN WE'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO THE AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, THE EXISTENCE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM HAS BEEN DENIED AND IT'S BEEN STATED THIS ISSUE IS 'NORMAL WEAR & TEAR', WHICH IT CLEARLY IS NOT. WE JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TSB (TSB 14-034) PUT OUT ON THIS, ALONG WITH A WARRANTY EXTENSION THAT IS NOW EXPIRED. ACCORDING TO THE TSB, OWNERS WERE BEING NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION AND AS STATED ABOVE, WHEN WE'VE COMPLAINED, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE COST TO FIX THIS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AND AS TIME GOES BY, THE PAINT ISSUE IS BECOMING WORSE.

NHTSA ID 11000735 · filed Jun 22, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

COOLANT LEAK FROM THE RADIATOR. NEW HEAD GASKETS, NEW SEALS. MYSTERY COOLANT LEAK, COOLANT PUSHES FROM THE RADIATOR TO THE OVERFLOW, LEAVING RADIATOR LOW COOLANT. NEW SEALS AND NEW WATER PUMP, NO DRIPS OR INDICATION OF LEAKING

NHTSA ID 11157000 · filed Dec 8, 2018

MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC SI HAS BEEN LEAKING COOLANT FOR THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS. IT IS CURRENTLY AT AROUND 115,000 MILES. I NOTICED ALL OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY INFORMATION ABOUT THE 06-09 HONDA CIVICS AND CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATE MYSELF. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE MY MODEL WAS NOT THE BASE MODELS BUT THE SI THAT IT WAS A DIFFERENT ENGINE AND THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. HOWEVER I AM GOING TO GET THE CAR BACK FROM MY MECHANIC TODAY WHO ESTIMATED THE REPAIRS WOULD BE $4500 TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE ENGINE. HE ALSO BROUGHT UP THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUE AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT HONDA AGAIN BECAUSE THE PRESSURE FRACTURES ARE IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE AS THEY ARE ON THE BASE MODEL 06-09 ENGINE BLOCKS. FROM MY KNOWLEDGE AND THE MECHANICS THE ENGINES MAY NOT BE THE SAME BUT THE BLOCK IS MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL IF NOT THE EXACT SAME BLOCK. THIS IS COSTING ME MY CAR AS A WHOLE AND THE $4800 LOAN I STILL OWE ON IT. I AM NOW OUT OF A CAR UNLESS I DRIVE IT AND REFILL THE COOLANT WEEKLY UNTIL THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SEIZES AND STOPS WORKING. THIS WILL PUT A HUGE AFFECT ON MY JOB, FINANCIAL SITUATION, AND MY CREDIT SCORE AT THE AGE OF 19. THIS IS INSANE AND SHOULD BE HONDA'S JOB TO TAKE CARE OF CONSIDERING THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE ENTIRE ISSUE FOR THE OTHER MODELS ON THE LOWEST OF LOWS THEY CAN TO AVOID PAYING FOR ALL THE NEW ENGINES. A COMPANY THIS LARGE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THIS MANY PEOPLE OUT OF VEHICLES AND AFFECT THEIR DAILY LIVES BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS A RELIABLE AND SENSIBLE BRAND.

NHTSA ID 11073579 · filed Feb 19, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

ON MY 08 HONDA CIVIC SI IN FIJI BLUE PAINT, THE CLEAR COAT IS DETERATING ON THE ROOF AND NOW WHEELS ARE PEELING CLEAR.. MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND WELL MAINTAINED. I DID SEE WHERE HONDA WOULD REPAINT AFFECTED AREAS, SO ON MY LAST VISIT TO DEALER I ASK THE SERVICE LADY TO PLEASE PLEASE FIX. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE WOULD DOCUMENT SAID AREAS AND E-MAIL ME WHAT TO DO NEXT. IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS WITH NO SOLUTION. I HAVE MET A COUPLE OF OTHER HONDA OWNERS THAT HAS HAD THE AREAS REPAINTED. SO I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. I DID SEE THAT THESE CERTAIN COLORS WERE IN A CAMPAIGN FOR THIS REASON. I WAS INFORMED THAT A DEADLINE WAS PLACED, BUT IS THE DEALERS DISCRETIONON WHICH CARS TO RE PAINT AND SINCE MY CAR IS GARAGE KEPT THE SPOTS ARE NOT AS LARGE AS OTHER PHOTOS IVE SEEN. BUT LATELY IVE NOTICED AREAS ARE GROWING. SO I GUESS IM ALSO ASKING ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO GET THIS RESOLVED..I DO LIKE MY CAR. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP.

NHTSA ID 11043619 · filed Nov 6, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

SUN VISOR WAS RCALLED AND FIXED BUT IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THNG IT WAS RECALLED FOR.

NHTSA ID 11138831 · filed Oct 6, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .