2008 Honda Civic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50, 60, OR 73 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED IN THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE FAILURE; THE VEHICLE WAS ALIGNED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WASN'T CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT A PROPER ALIGNMENT SHOULD CORRECT THE FAILURE AND HAS DECLINED TO FURTHER ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR COST. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED; THEREFORE HE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIR TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. THE UPPER RIGHT MOTOR WAS REPLACED. THE MOUNT COLLAPSED AND WAS SITTING ON THE FRAME CAUSING VIBRATION AND RESONANCE. UPDATED EVOQ 02/15/12 UPDATED 02/17/12 THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS NOTICED CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT VIBRATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE STEERING WAS FIRM. UPDATED 03/09/12

WE PURCHASED A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID NEW, AND WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE PERFORMANCE AND THE PICKUP WAS EXCELLENT. THE COMPANY PERFORMED A "MANDATORY" SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO IMPROVE BATTERY LIFE IN SEPTEMBER 2010. SINCE THAT UPDATE, THE CAR HAS DRASTICALLY DIMINISHED RESPONSE TIME TO ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN ATTEMPTING A SUDDEN BURST TO CHANGE LANES OR TURN THROUGH INTERSECTIONS. THE ENGINE ACTUALLY HAS ALMOST STALLED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START FROM A DEAD STOP. THIS RESPONSE TIME RESULTED IN A NEAR MISS WHILE ENTERING FREEWAY TRAFFIC DUE TO THE SLUGGISHNESS OF THE ENGINE WHEN REQUESTING ACCELERATION THAT, PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE CHANGE, WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN A PROBLEM. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE THAT HONDA HAS FORCED UPON THE OWNERS OF THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IS A DETRIMENT TO SAFE DRIVING, AND SHOULD BE REVERSED AT THE SOONEST OPPORTUNITY BEFORE SOMEONE FORGETS AND IS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT THAT INVOLVES SERIOUS INJURY IF NOT DEATH. *TR

2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IMA DASH LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AT APPROXIMATELY 31,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST LIGHT ON THE DASH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I STOPPED AND READ THAT THIS INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE INTEGRATED MOTOR ASSIST AND THAT PERFORMANCE WOULD BE AFFECTED WHICH IT WAS. ACCELERATION WAS SLUGGISH AND SLOW FROM A STAND STILL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND WAS ASKED IF I HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE WHICH I SAID I HAD NOT. THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT REQUIRED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE. I LEFT THE CAR FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND WHEN I RETURNED THEY SAID THAT THEY FLASHED THE COMPUTER AND DID AN UPGRADE. AFTER THIS THERE WERE NO MORE PROBLEMS. I HAVE LOOKED AT NHTSA AND HONDA SITE AND THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM OR A RECALL LISTED ON ANY SITE. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

HAVE A 08 CIVIC HYBRID WITH 89K MILES. GOT THE RECENT BATTERY SOFTWARE UPGRADE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. HAVE HAD A SUDDEN DROP IN BATTERY CHARGE DOWN TO ONE OR TWO BARS, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE UPGRADE. RECOVERY USUALLY FAIRLY QUICK, DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, 72 MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN DASH WENT DARK AND ENGINE STOPPED. NO WARNINGS OR LIGHTS BEFOREHAND. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ABLE TO RESTART IMMEDIATELY. HAPPENED TWICE MORE OVER THE NEXT 30 MINUTES. THESE TIMES PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED AS I COASTED. TANK ABOUT 1/3 FULL WITH SHELL GAS. FILLED THE TANK WITH OFF BRAND GAS AND DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY OK. TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER. THEY CHECKED ENGINE (NO CODES) AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NOTHING FOUND. HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR EVERY WEEKEND FOR 400 MILE ROUND TRIP. CONCERNED ABOUT UPCOMING WEEKEND. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC EX (N/A). THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 45 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN LOSING POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED SO THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE HAD A CRACK. THE SERVICE MANAGER THEN CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADERS AND THE RADIATOR WAS MELTED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 32,000.

BASIC COMPLAINT IS UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS SEEMS TO BE DUE TO THE IMA SYSTEM OPERATION. NOT BEING ABLE TO DEPEND ON CONSISTENT ACCELERATION HAS DRASTICALLY CHANGED THE WAY YOU HAVE TO DRIVE VEHICLE TO PREVENT CRASH. IF YOU NEEDED THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY AND SAFELY, YOU CANNOT COUNT ON THIS VEHICLE TO PROVIDE IT. IT OCCURS ALMOST DAILY WHEN ACCELERATION IS NEEDED MOST, TURNING ACROSS TRAFFIC AND MERGING IN TRAFFIC/HIGHWAY ON-RAMPS. AT THE START OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE, NO PROBLEMS NOTED. CAR OPERATED GREAT! IN LAST 5-10K MILES CAR HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE. IT HAS HAD ALL SOFTWARE UPDATES. MPG WAS ALWAYS 42-45. NOW RUNS AROUND 35 MPG. *TR

IN AUGUST 2010 I TOOK MY 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A PURPORTED SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE BATTERY SYSTEM WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME UNTIL AFTERWARDS. IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING THE DEALER, I NOTICED A PROFOUND REDUCTION IN POWER AND ACCELERATION. ON THE FREEWAY PORTION OF THE DRIVE HOME, I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED TWICE AS I DROVE IN THE SLOW LANE UP A MINOR GRADE WHERE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR (WITH THE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED IN THE PASSING GEAR)-- PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAD DRIVEN MY VEHICLE FOR ITS PRIOR 20 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP UP THAT SAME GRADE AT 70MPH. ADDITIONALLY, PRIOR TO THIS DATE I HAD NEVER EVEN UTILIZED THE "S" GEAR ON MY TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE HONDA'S SOFTWARE UPDATE MY CAR HAS BECOME A SEVERELY UNDERPOWERED ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I AM REDUCED TO DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE ON THE FREEWAY WITH VEHICLES FLASHING ME AS THEY APPROACH A 40-45 MPH VEHICLE AT 60-70 MPH FROM BEHIND. I HAVE CALLED THE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AT SEVERAL LOCAL DEALERS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, AND GET A UNIVERSAL RESPONSE- "WAIT FOR YOUR SYSTEM TO ADJUST TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE" OR "YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR DRIVING". WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN? I DROVE THE VEHICLE FINE FOR 20 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SOFTWARE UPDATE AND NOW IT DRIVES LIKE A 20 YEAR OLD 4 CYLINDER ENGINE WITH 2 BAD PISTONS. THE DECREASED POWER AND ACCELERATION ARE A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT IN THE MAKING. I AM FEARFUL OF BEING REAR ENDED. THIS IS AN EVERY DAY PROBLEM THAT WAS CAUSED BY THIS "SOFTWARE UPDATE" AND I SUSPECT THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO EVERY 2006-2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID THAT GOES TO THE DEALER FOR THIS SOFTWARE UPDATE. AN ADDITIONAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ALLEGED "SOFTWARE UPDATE" IS A PROFOUND DROP IN GAS MILEAGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 37 COMBINED MPG PRIOR TO "UPDATE" TO 29-30 POST "UPDATE". I HAVE NEVER LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH ANY ORGANIZATION BEFORE, BUT LIKE I'VE PREVIOUSLY STATED, THIS "UPDATE" IS A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. *TR

THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED ONE TIME SO FAR BUT I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC LX THAT I JUST BOUGHT USED WITH ABOUT 25,500 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP IN SOUTH FLORIDA. IT IS A "HONDA CERTIFIED" VEHICLE. IT ALMOST STALLED AT A STOP SIGN WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT DID THIS BUT IT WORRIES ME. I HAD TO RELEASE THE PEDAL AND RE-PRESS IS SLOWLY TO GET THE CAR TO GO AGAIN. WHAT IF I NEED TO GET OUT INTO TRAFFIC? *TR

I HAVE A 2008 HONDA CIVIC WITH A LITTLE OVER 20,000 MILES. INITIAL SYMPTOM WAS A/C FAN WOULD SHUT IT'S SELF OFF AND ON. DEALER REPLACED A PART IN THE FAN MOTOR. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER IT BEGAN AGAIN. THEN ON A SUNDAY THE A/C BEGAN TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THAT I NOTICED WHEN AT HIGH SPEED A/C STOPS WORKING BUT WORKS AT LOW SPEED WHEN EXITING HIGHWAY. DEALER SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN AND RAN A COUPLE OF SOFTWARE UPDATES AND SAID IT WAS WORKING AGAIN. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY. THIS TIME THE DEALER DETERMINED IT WAS A CRACKED BLOCK. THEY SAID IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM AND IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR IT WOULD HAVE OVERHEATED AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALERSHIP WAS VERY HELPFUL AND GAVE ME A CAR TO DRIVE WHILE MINE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THEY SAID THAT THE NEW BLOCK WILL CONTINUE TO BE COVERED UNDER THE DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A KNOWN ISSUE, IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN AND I WILL BE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD POSSIBLY WITHOUT WARRANTY COVERAGE. *TR