When I turned my headlights on, my dashlights go completely off, leaving me with no lights on the interior dashboard; fuel, speed, etc., all lights gone. When I turn my headlights off, the dashlights come back on. There was no accident and this car is way under mileage for its year; I worked at home.
2008 Honda Civic electrical complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 51, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. Upon starting the vehicle, the contact attempted to initiate the air conditioning system but it failed to work. The contact stated that the failure would occur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the air compressor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 91,300.
My 2008 honda civic lx started experiencing door lock problems in march of 2011 (I can provide the exact date, but will need to go through paperwork to find it.). Since that point in time, I have had over a dozen locks replaced. I have the driver's door lock replaced 3 times, the driver's side rear door replaced 4 times, the passenger side front door replaced 3 times, and the passenger side rear door replaced 4 times. This problem has continued even after the extended warranty ran out. There is some kind of electrical short causing the problem. I have had called american honda to get there help and they offered to fix the problem as long as I paid $100 towards the cost of repair. That is ridiculous considering the history of issues. The civic was taken to other service places and they agreed that there was a major problem with the door locks and electrical. In addition, I have had to replace the cv axles twice on this civic. The first was done under warrant at approximately 38,000 miles. I have since had to contact american honda a second time, and because again the car was out of warranty I was required to pay $400.00 to complete the repair. This was not a fair compromise since this vehicle has had multiple issues. The third problem concerns the wheels bearings. The driver's side front left wheel was replaced shortly after the axles were replaced. I now am having the same problem, with the driver's side front left wheel bearing going bad. I spoke with a master mechanic, and he informed me that the problem was caused by the tech at southpoint honda in durham having over torqued the bolt to secure the wheel bearing. I believe the same problem occurred the first time. At this pont in time, I can no longer use the key fob to enter the car, since the door locks do not function properly, and the car is considered to be a lemon by several master mechanics.
Air conditioner compressor not engaging while car is idle and in drive.
Two years ago we went to the honda dealership in cocoa florida because our air conditioner was cutting out and then coming back on, and then cutting out. We purchased a $5 relay switch and problem stopped. A year later it started again, we got another relay switch and problem stopped again, now a year later it happened again, we got a new relay and it did not correct issue. Today I came online and find out it is a known issue however there does not appear to be a recall. Why not? The past year has been awful with this car. We had to get a rental car for a week because honda painted most of the car because there was a recall. We still have places that should have been repainted but honda refused. Then we were traveling on the expressway and the car started overheating, we found out it was another known issue, the block cracked and again we had to get a rental car because my husband and I both work and our civic is our only transportation. We bought it because we had been told honda civics are awesome reliable etc. Now, the air issue. I have had enough.
The air bag light (SRS light) has been coming on and off for about a month. The honda dealer said it was a code 32-10, an open in the front passenger' side airbag inflator. Need to replace the floor wiring harness per sb 10-001, the SRS portion of the floor harness has a poor crimp in it. That is on the dealer work order. The honda dealer said the car is out of warranty, and the repair is about $1300.00. This is not a wear item, wiring harness should not fail and cause a safety issue, inoperative air bag. Thank you for reviewing. I believe honda has a ongoing problem that needs addressing. Also, I've requested the faulty wiring harness. If you would like to see it, please contact me.
The battery dies without warning after the vehicle sits for only a few days. Dealership replaced the battery with a new oem battery. Problem still exists. There are many complaints across many forums about this phenomenon on civics.
The front of hood and fender area . Paint is chipping away. It is called crow's feet. Lines and chips along with cracks are very visible to the naked eye. Honda has a tsb about it, since a lot of people have the same issue but they only claim to take responsibility of the vehicle that have protection plan. When I bought the vehicle they never offered me, nor speak of protection plan. So what can I do?
2008 honda civic hybrid. Consumer writes in regards to poor performance of the hybrid battery *tgw the consumer stated since the software battery upgrade was performed by the dealer on august 9, 2010 the vehicle has been unresponsive, especially when the A/C was running. On hot days, the hybrid battery level fell to one bar, at that time there was no engine assist from the hybrid system, and virtually no power.
2008 honda civic hybrid. Consumer states dying ima battery issues *tgw the consumer stated the dealer performed an update to the battery, but it only worked for a few days and then the same loss of charge would happen again; especially in hot weather. The vehicle would lose the ima charge when going up a hill and when making turns. *jb the consumer stated the vehicle would stall. Updated 10/24/12.
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!
At approximately 30k miles the hybrid battery charging capacity started to decrease. The battery would not hold a charge as long. Honda sent letters out to have a software patch put in to prolong the life of the battery. Therefore they know they have a problem. The software made things even worse by degrading mpg and power on acceleration. The electrical motor torque is not enough to make a diff with the underpowered 1.3 engine this car has. Too many times when starting from a stop the car has no power and there is a actual delay and very slow acceleration. Running the car with the air on is even worse. My wife is afraid to drive this car and honda will not do anything about this . Its pushed from dealer to honda corp back and forth. The car is dangerous to drive.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. The contact was driving approximately 20 MPH when the engine stalled without prior warning. The engine restarted and resumed normally yet the failure recurred intermittently. Also, when driving up an incline the vehicle would not accelerate over a certain speed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer five different times for the identical failure. The computerized system software was upgraded and the technician stated that the vehicle would operate properly yet the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Significant drop in mileage since the "software upgrade" on my 2008 civic hybrid. Electric motor does not always kick in when extra power is needed. I called the honda a local honda dealer...the service rep said he would need the car for several days and needed to drive it 140 miles to diagnose the problem. I next called the corporate office to complain...the rep I spoke with said I should take it to a dealer, but also acknowledged the problem. He said there was no current fix of the "upgrade" and he did not know if it was being worked on. I pointed out to him if they already know there is a problem, going to the dealer makes no sense.
'08 honda civic hybrid experiencing a dramatic decrease in fuel economy. Ima battery suspected. Dealership upgraded software (as per honda recall) and told me that to get better mpg's I should shut off my heater (we live in wisconsin!) and recommended an air filter change. I stated that an air filter and shutting off the heat would not increase my mpg's from 28-31 back up to it's prior performance range of 40-50. Vehicle is still dramatically underperforming. Note: service advisor @ bergstrom honda admitted that in his 4 years there that he has seen many civic hybrids with severe tire cupping (I previously filed complaints on this issue also, vehicle is going on it's 3rd set of tires within 57,927 miles!) and also mentioned the poor performance after the honda software upgrades to fix the ima issues. It is my belief that honda is well aware of the ima issues and is trying to hide them under the software update (to save replacing "x" number of expensive hybrid battery's). I believe that as owners we have lost valuable lifespan on these batterys and that we have lost out on a good portion of our hybrid battery warranty coverage due to honda's design.
2008 honda civic hybrid appears to have problem with battery system; overheats and looses charge. Honda has issued software update to "repair" the problem, however, this update robs the car of acceleration power thus making it dangerous to react to an emergency situation.
I have 2008 honda civic hybrid had no problems until august 2010 when they sent a letter to have a software upgrade for the ima integrated motor assist battery after having the upgrade I had loss of power when acceleration the ima seems towork 50-75 percent less then what it use too also my battery indicator had never been down to 4 bars before the upgrade but after it was done seems like it wants to stay right at 4 most of the time so inturn the ima doesn't use the battery I have lose 10+ mpg I use to get 45-48 now I get 32-35 so now its like driving a under powered civic the worst is when you try to take off or if you need to accelerate to merge on the freeway you might have some ima or not you just don't know.
2008 honda civic. Consumer states problem with the engine and brakes *tgw the consumer stated the air conditioner was not working properly for 20 -30 minutes at a time while driving. The AC knob was turned on, but the blower was not working. When the consumer returned to the dealer, she was informed dye had been placed in the AC system and to return in 3 weeks to see if there were any leaks. The consumer returned 3 weeks later and no leaks were found. The dealer advised the consumer that nothing could be done unless AC/heater blower was not working at the time. In december 2009, while it was raining, the windshield became fogged, because the blower was not working. The consumer was able to get to the dealer in time for them to witness, that the AC/ heater blower was not working, but as the technician went to drive the vehicle into the service bay, it began working again. On one occasion when the consumer arrived at the dealer, the blower was not working, but when the door was closed, it began working again. The consumer believed there is a wiring problem. The consumer also stated the engine would surge when the brake was applied.
2008 honda civic repeatedly has failed to stop (three separate incidents, three different drivers). Honda refuses to replace vehicle. *tr the consumer also stated, the vehicle would not start. Updated 09/20/12
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. While driving 10 MPH the vehicle was not responsive. As he depressed the accelerator pedal the vehicle moved slowly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed him that they were aware of the problem but the vehicle was functioning the way it was designed. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they are familiar with the failure and since it was designed that way there was no way to repair it. The failure mileage was 31,000. Updated 01/12/11*lj updated 02/09/11*lj the consumer stated due to suspected battery failure, honda offered a software update to prolong the battery. The consumer did not get the software update it may have reduced the fuel economy. Updated 03/08/11
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.
I have a 2008 honda civic hybrid since it was brand new, never a problem. In july I received a letter explaining a software upgrade that was to help the live of my ima battery. Since this "upgrade" my ima motor does not assist all the time. Specifically when going up hills and when trying to merge onto a freeway/highway it will not kick in. I would guess 20% of the time it does not engage at all. I have taken it to darryl waltrip honda in franklin, tn. They saw the problem and agreed it was a problem but then after talking with "corporate" have decided it is not a problem. I'm nervous that I do not have the proper acceleration in these circumstances. I have now read numerous similar complaints online. Something should be done about this.
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.
We received a letter from honda stating that there was a recall on the software stating that a software update was needed to be done on the car to help the battery life of the car. So we brought it in to be serviced and ever since, we've lost power to the car, and lost mpg that used to be approx. 38 mpg to now 29 mpg, the same as our '99 civic coup dx, that is not a hybrid. My wife, while going onto the freeway was almost hit, while trying to accelerate. My wife is now hates driving the car she used to love. We live in a hilly area. When trying to accelerate up a hill we drive everyday, if the battery charge is 4 blocks or lower, it doesn't even assist. It's all the gas engine. The battery rarely kicks in so that defeats the hybrid theory and just adds more pollution that honda purports that it doesn't. To put it straight, this is not the car I bought and have been frustrated with the experience. I've brought my car back to honda to try to get the software issue resolved. They stated that there is nothing wrong with the car, engine or battery that everything is fine. When asked for an explanation for the loss of power and mpg, they said that I should try a higher octane of gas or a different brand. I have always used the highest octane gas from different gas stations without any issues before the software upgrade. So that isn't the problem. They have refused to say that there is an issue with their "software upgrade". I have pretty much wasted $26,000+ on purchasing this car. All I can say is this is shame on another big company, trying to save $$ by taking advantage of their own loyal customers. Thank you honda!
2008 honda civic hybrid. Had battery computer replaced per honda request and experiencing loss of power going up inclines and going backwards downhill in low gear. Had family in car and never had this problem before going up this hill. This car will go up this hill with less people but we never had this problem before.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would intermittently lose engine power. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The battery software was upgraded under the a voluntary manufacturer recall. The failure became progressively worse following the repair and the vehicle was not further repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. She received a notice from the manufacturer telling her to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for a software upgrade. Upon receiving the vehicle she was driving approximately 5 MPH when she noticed the vehicle was less powerful than before. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was operated and was not noticeable while accelerating from a stop light on a steep incline. The vehicle was also exhibiting less gas mileage. It was taken back to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified and she was informed that they were aware of the failure but have no remedy. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 10,600 and the current mileage was 10,700.
We own a 2008 honda civic hybrid. The ima battery frequently in hot weather goes down to nothing, and car has difficulty. Received the recall notice from honda regarding update to computer software. When I took the car in, I asked specifically if this would decrease the gas mileage, as the ima battery assist would not come on as frequent. I was told, "no, gas mileage should be the same" well, the gas mileage has decreased approximately 3-4 miles per gallon. The ima battery assist does not come on, and makes acceleration for passing and merging onto freeway difficult. If possible, would prefer to have the old software re-installed. I believe honda did this update on the software, as they were probably not wanting to replace anymore batteries at $3,000.00 a pop. The performance is lacking, and needless to say, we are considering trading the vehicle in. Honda needs to do what is right. We do not want this to turn into a toyota debacle.
2008 honda civic hybrid with 24,000 miles with hybrid battery and performance degradation that is, at times, a real issue. Battery doesn't hold charge very long and very adversely affects acceleration. Problem is very repetitive and very adversely affects acceleration. Honda's recall software update was applied within the last 30 days but battery is still not holding a charge and acceleration degradation and safety remains an increasing concern. Honda should replace these degraded batteries but won't take any action until an ima light comes on - at which time, the battery would be almost fully degraded. Battery degradations happens very often - even after the recent honda software update and many honda civic hybrid owners are very concerned about this performance issue.
My 2008 honda civic hybrid's ima battery is discharging fully and not recharging itself. This occurs often in my hot city. It makes it a major safety problem when trying to merge lanes. When the battery fails to assist the motor, acceleration is near impossible, making it a major safety complaint. This is well-documented in the press. The failure occurs anytime in heat. Software update was performed, and it didn't help the battery to charge. Max battery capacity may have declined as a result of this defect.
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