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.
2008 Honda Civic transmission problems
52 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 35,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 52
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 35,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission13
- Manual transmission8
- Driveline2
- Axle assembly1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Civic transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Honda Civic transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2008 Honda Civic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
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
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. The contacted stated that the transmission would pop out of third gear intermittently and without warning while driving. The contact also noticed an abnormal grinding sound while the vehicle was in third gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (lamacchia honda, 932 w genesee st., syracuse, ny, 13204), but they were unable to duplicate and diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were times that the contact called and went to the dealer for regular maintenance, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. Over time, the popping noise worsened and the vehicle was currently unable to move. The failure mileage was approximately 17.
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.
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.
I was driving and switched into 3rd gear; popped out. Also 3rd gear gets stuck and can't shift into 3rd gear.
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.
Questions about the 2008 Honda Civic transmission
Does the 2008 Honda Civic have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 52 complaints about the transmission of the 2008 Honda Civic, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2008 Honda Civic transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 35,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Honda Civic transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Honda Civic have bad transmission?
The Honda Civic model years with the most transmission complaints are 2001 (403 complaints), 2002 (185 complaints) and 2015 (177 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 2008 Honda Civic problems
Engine 207Airbags 177Visibility 133Suspension 99Body 85Electrical 51Brakes 42Tires 30Acceleration 29Steering 24Wheels 24Fuel system 15Seat belts 9Seats 7Lights 6Driver assistance 4Locks 4
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Honda Civic?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history