2008 Honda Civic Transmission Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10575589

Incident

Apr 1, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN SHE REALIZED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR LOCAL MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 10/21/11

NHTSA ID

10425050

Incident

Jun 12, 2011

Mileage

30,000 mi

CANNOT CHANGE INTO 3RD AND 6TH GEARS PROPERLY. GRINDING AND EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GO INTO 3RD, MUST REPEAT ATTEMPTS TO GO INTO 6TH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10417980

Incident

Aug 8, 2011

Mileage

46,000 mi

DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY THE SAY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ABUSED THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT COVER THE TRANSMISSION. HONDA HAS HAD NUMEROUS COMPLAINS REGARDING THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND THE FAILURES THAT THEY'VE HAD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10408591

Incident

May 26, 2011

Mileage

37,000 mi

2008 HONDA CIVIC SI, 16,000 MILES HAD CLUTCH FAIL AND MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO COVER THIS ITEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10402973

Incident

May 27, 2011

Mileage

16,000 mi

OUR STANDARD 2008 CIVIC EX (BOUGHT JUNE 2008) STARTED TO HAVE VARIABLE VIBRATION/SHUTTERING ISSUES FROM IDLE/STOP TO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AROUND 28,000 MILES (NEW CIVIC, WE ARE THE ONLY OWNERS, NO ACCIDENTS). THE SHUTTERING STOPPED AFTER THE CAR WAS IN HIGHER GEARS. THIS VIBRATION ISSUE WORSENED AND WE COULD NOT SAFELY ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE WHEN SHIFTING FROM AN IDLE POSITION INTO 1ST GEAR - DUE TO EXTREME VIBRATIONS, WHICH BECAME MORE FREQUENT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AROUND 35000 MILES ON NOVEMBER 17, 2010, TO DETERMINE/CORRECT THE SHUTTERING/VIBRATION ISSUES. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE. THE SHUTTERING/VIBRATION CONTINUED AND WE DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL OF OUR TIRES AT OUR COST AROUND 40,000 MILES TO SEE IF THIS WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE VIBRATION/SHUTTERING CONTINUED AT VARIABLE TIMES. AT 41,000 MILES, THE VIBRATION/SHUTTERING BECAME IMPACTFUL AND WE COULD NOT SAFELY ACCELERATE FROM AN IDLE POSITION WITHOUT THE CAR SHAKING/NOT ENGAGING EFFECTIVELY. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 3, 2011 AND THE TECHNICIAN REPLICATED THE ISSUE WITH US IN THE CAR. THEY INDICATED THEY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE MOTOR MOUNTS AND "LOOKED" AT THE CLUTCH (NOT INSPECTED). THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT AND IT WAS DUE TO THE WAY WE DROVE THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THEIR TECHNICIAN REPLICATED THE ISSUE. THEY SAID HONDA DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS ISSUE VIA THE PHONE TECHNICAL LINE. WE DID NOT TAKE THE CAR BACK DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND IT IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AS IT WILL NOT ENGAGE/ACCELERATE PROPERLY WITHOUT SHUTTERING WHEN SHIFTING FROM IDLE INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10380170

Incident

Nov 17, 2010

Mileage

28,000 mi

WHILE PRESSING THE CLUTCH IT HAS STARTED GRINDING AND POPPING, IT CAN BE HEARD AND FELT OUT SIDE THE CAR WITH HOOD UP. AND CAN BE FELT ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359603

Incident

Sep 24, 2010

Mileage

55,000 mi

2008 HONDA CIVIC SI. GRINDS IN 2ND AND IN 3RD AND POPS OUT OF BOTH GEARS, SOMETIMES UNDER POWER AND OTHERS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER AND HONDA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359602

Incident

Sep 6, 2009

Mileage

15,000 mi

MY HONDA CIVIC 2008 GETS STUCK ON GEAR. I STOP AND THEN IT WILL SWITCH GEARS BUT IT WILL NOT REV PAST 2RPM WHICH CAN MAKE ME CRASH. HONDA HAS NOT MADE A RECALL FOR THIS BUT THEY SHOULD AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ON 8THCIVIC FORUMS AND OTHER PLACES. SO BASICALLY THE CAR BUCKS FORWARD AND THE TRANSMISSION JERKS HARD AND SO IT WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL YOU HAVE TO TURN THE CAR ON OR OFF. IMAGINE IM ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT HAPPENS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10346025

Incident

Jul 16, 2010

Mileage

10,000 mi

CURRENTLY I HAVE 32,277 MILES AND DON'T DRIVE IT, IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I TAKE A BUS :) 1# TRANS LOCKED AT 60MPH ON HWY AND CAUSED ALMOST A FATAL CRASH! AT 23,000 MILES. CAR WAS ABLE TO DRIVE UP TO 15MPG HAVING APPX. 6000RPMS. CAR LEFT AT DEALERSHIP AND ONLY PCM SOFTWARE WAS UPD. NO LOCKUPS ARE OCCURRING, BUT TRANS IS WEAVING, HARSH START/STOP OFTEN!/UNEXPECTED SHUTDOWN. DEALERSHIP FOUND SERVICE BULLETIN #08-014 (HARSH ENGAGEMENT), UPD. THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND SYMPTOMS ARE MUCH WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY. LOWER MPG ( 25-28 ), MUCH WORSE PERFORMANCE, UNEXPECTED BATTERY DISCHARGE, WEAVING, LOW ACCEL. DEALER DUPLICATED PROBLEMS, BUT SAID "IT'S OK" AND PROBLEMS IS UNTOUCHED. SINCE THEY UPDATED THE SYSTEM, THE HYBRID OPTION IS NOT KICKING IN AS BEFORE. PREV. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY ONLY ON HYBRID, NOW I CAN'T. NO ACTIONS ARE TAKEN TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. ONCE THEY CHANGED THE IMA BATT PACK, BUT THIS DID NOT HELP AND I SEE NOT A DIFFERENCE. COMPLAINED AGAIN, AND ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE. BRAKES ARE MALFUNCTIONING. BRAKE FLUID IS MISSING, DEALER SAID "[XXX], IT'S A MYSTERY". DEPENDING ON OUTSIDE TEMP, BATTERY CHARGE LEVEL AND CAR TEMP BREAKS WORK DIFF! OCCASIONALLY WHILE SLOWING DOWN, THE BATTERY LEVEL REACHES FULL AND YOU MUST PRESS THE PEDAL AS HARD AS YOU CAN TO STOP. THIS HAS CAUSED SMALL CRASHES AND ONCE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, OR I PRESSED TOO LIGHTLY ( COLD OUTSIDE WITH FULL BATTERY ) AND UNFORTUNATELY I COULDN'T STOP ON TIME AND RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN. SHE IS BADLY INJURED AND SUING MY INSURANCE COMPANY! DEALER REC. TO "CHANGE CAR, BETTER TO BUY NOT A HONDA AND DON'T BOTHER THEM IF NOTHING IS BROKEN." POLICE REPORT READY TO PRESENT. THESE ARE ONLY THE MAJOR ISSUES I'M HAVING. I WOULD NEED MUCH MORE SPACE TO WRITE 20 PGS ESSAY. MINOR ISSUES: - SUPER FAST TIRE WEAR ( AFTER 20,000 ) AND NOW AGAIN AT 32,000 - NOT WORKING CLIMATE CTRL SYSTEM - CHECK ENGINE, IMA LIGHT, BRAKE SYSTEM AND AIRBAG LIGHTS ON. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10326185

Incident

Feb 28, 2010

Mileage

14,000 mi

PROBLEM HAPPENED WHEN CAR IS DOWN SHIFTING WHEN COMING TO A STOP. EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHEN STOPPING AT OUR STOP SIGN THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO DOWN SHIFT THEN THE MOTOR BEGINS TO REV UP TO 4000 RPMS WITH NOTHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY 4 TIMES IN THE 2 YRS WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR AND I WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE TROUBLE TO THE HONDA REPAIR MAN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10313988

Incident

Feb 24, 2010

Mileage

19,000 mi

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION GEARS WILL GRIND WHEN SHIFTED INTO SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10313963

Incident

Jan 31, 2008

I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC. I WAS PULLING INTO THE CHURCH PARKING LOT AND TURNED TO PARK IN THE GRASS NEXT TO ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN I LOST THE STEERING AND THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE ABOUT 10 FT IN FRONT OF ME. I THOUGHT THE GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK BUT THE ADJUSTOR WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. I NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL-I WAS BRAKING AND GOING LESS THAN 10 MI/HR AT THE TIME. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO LEAP FORWARD AND ACCELERATE. I HAVE HAD NO OTHER INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE PUT AROUND 35,000 MILES ON THE CAR MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10296733

Incident

Nov 22, 2009

Mileage

35,052 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON A DOWNGRADE ON I-15 SOUTH OF THE BAKER GRADE SOUTH OF LAS VEGAS OUR 2008 HONDA CIVIC AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFTED CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY AND OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. VEHICLES TRAVELING BEHIND US HAD TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS TO KEEP FROM HITTING US. I HAD TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL TO KEEP THE CAR FROM SLOWING DOWN ANY FURTHER. FROM WHAT I'VE READ IT IS THE FAULT OF HONDAS GRADE LOGIC CONTROL SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSE TO WORK ON UPSLOPE BUT IS ALSO MAKING INCORRECT DECISIONS ON DOWNSLOPES. ITS HAPPENED TWO DIFFERENT TIMES NOW IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND IS A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE TO OVERCOME THE % OF THE FREEWAYS GRADE. I WILL REPORT THIS TO MY DEALERSHIP WHEN I RETURN TO BE CHECKED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10290439

Incident

Oct 27, 2009

Mileage

15,000 mi

INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. FIRST TIME HAD ONE PASSENGER, A/C WAS ON, TERRAIN WAS FLAT. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. 2ND TIME: HAD 2 PASSENGERS IN REAR, A/C WAS ON, GOING UPHILL. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. ENGINE REVVED AND CAR CREPT UPHILL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10283311

Incident

Sep 4, 2009

Mileage

24,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON A DOWNGRADE ON CA HWY 101 NORTH OF SANTA BARBARA, OUR 2008 HONDA CIVIC AUTOMATICALLY DOWNSHIFTED CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY AND OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL. VEHICLES TRAVELING BEHIND US HAD TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS TO KEEP FROM HITTING US. I HAD TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL TO KEEP THE CAR FROM SLOWING DOWN ANY FURTHER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND IT IS THE FAULT OF HONDAS GRADE LOGIC CONTROL SYSTEM THAT IS SUPPOSE TO WORK ON UPSLOPES BUT IS ALSO MAKING INCORRECT DECISIONS ON DOWNSLOPES. HONDA SAYS THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10280343

Incident

Jun 15, 2009

Mileage

11,000 mi

THERE HAS BEEN NO WRECK OR FIRE---THIS IS A COMPLAINT FOR YOUR TSB COMPILATIONS....WE HAVE AN 08 CIVIC LX: THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY, AND WITH DELAYS. SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING LIGHTLY CAUSES A DELAY----AS IF THE TRANSMISSION/CONTROL MODULE CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHICH GEAR TO GET INTO--- AND THEN A ROUGH ENGAGEMENT. FROM D TO REVERSE, THERE IS A HARDER ENGAGEMENT THAN SHOULD BE. IT'S AS IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CONTROL MODULE OR THE TORQUE CONVERTER. MY DEALER SAYS ALL THESE THINGS ARE NORMAL IN A CIVIC AUTO TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE AN 07 ACCORD EXL AND IT HAS NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS, NOR DID ANY OTHER VEHICLES I'VE HAD IN THE PAST WITH A.T. IT SEEMS THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING OR SOFTWARE PATCH FOR THIS TRANSMISSION. ALSO, AS A SAFETY PROBLEM, IT IS HARDER TO SEE OUT OF THIS WINDSHIELD DURING RAIN, ESP. AT NIGHT, THAN ANY CAR I'VE DRIVEN. POSSIBLY THE EXTREME SLANT OF THE GLASS? AS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AS WELL, THE BRAKES HAVE A SOFT PEDAL, AS WELL, AND REQUIRE MORE FORCE THAN OUR ACCORD(MUCH MUCH MORE)OR THAN ANY CAR I AM USED TO, EXCEPT ONE WITH AIR IN THE LINES....DEALER SAYS THIS SOFT PEDAL IS NORMAL, AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10263888

Incident

Jul 27, 2008

Mileage

353 mi

I AM THE PERSON WHO FILED CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI CASE NUMBER: 10252727. I WENT TO THE APPOINTMENT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO SEE THE CAR JERKING. AS I STATED, IT HAPPENS PERIODICALLY. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS, SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. ALSO FOR EVERYONE'S KNOWLEDGE. MY "HYBRID" IS CURRENTLY GETTING AN AVERAGE OF 27.2 MPG. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255111

Incident

Jan 14, 2009

MY 2008 CIVIC HYBRID HAS A POWER TRAIN ISSUE. OFTEN, WHEN ACCELERATING, THE CAR JUMPS OR JERKS. IT IS ALMOST LIKE YOU ACCELERATE THEN BRAKE THEN ACCELERATE AND BRAKE OVER AND OVER WHILE YOUR FOOT IS ONLY ON THE GAS. THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF THE VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE OR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HAPPENS PERIODICALLY. IT MAY HAPPEN ONCE A WEEK, ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS OR THREE TIMES A DAY. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT FIXED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND SAID THE PROBLEM IS UNDER WARRANTY. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ALSO MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT A RECALL. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF A RECALL AND THIS WEBSITE IS NOT SHOWING ONE EITHER. JUST A HEADS UP FOR OTHER HYBRID OWNERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10252727

Incident

Dec 12, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THERE IS CONSTANT TRANSMISSION NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS SIMILAR TO A LOUD SMACKING SOUND. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 23,000.

NHTSA ID

10243335

Incident

Jul 30, 2008

Mileage

23,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE UNTIL IT REACHED AT LEAST 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 730 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600. UPDATED 05/19/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SHAKE FEELS AS THOUGH THE CLUTCH IS BEING RELEASED TOO FAST, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. UPDATED

NHTSA ID

10225261

Incident

Apr 14, 2008

Mileage

600 mi