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Honda Civic HybridModel year report

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid Problems

Complaints
64filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,750miles, 48 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
42 mpgcombined, 1.3L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 40 city / 45 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the hybrid battery (IMA) system: lost charge, reduced electric assist, and a drop in acceleration after a dealer software reflash, with some replacing the battery pack at their own cost. The other recurring theme is a gasoline smell around the rear of the car traced to cracks where the filler neck meets the fuel tank. Airbag warning lights and unfinished inflator recall repairs also appear in the sample.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel smell and leak where filler neck meets tank

    • 14 complaints (22%)
    • median 84,393 mi at 7.4 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $971 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2011–2018

    Owners report a strong gasoline smell in the garage, often a few hours or the morning after filling up, sometimes with visible drips or a wet spot under the tank. Shops and dealers typically describe a crack at the seam where the filler tube or inlet pipe joins the fuel tank and recommend replacing the whole tank; quoted costs run from several hundred to well over a thousand dollars. Several owners say they learned of an extended warranty program for Civic fuel tanks but were told their car was not covered or was past the mileage limit. Reported from about 24,000 to nearly 150,000 miles, several of them after refueling on hot days or with a full tank.

    What to check: After a fill-up, park the car and look for dampness or drips at the rear of the tank and around the filler neck, and check whether a fuel smell lingers. Ask a dealer whether this VIN is covered by any fuel tank warranty extension.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “There is a strong fuel smell coming from my car. I took it to a mechanic in august who said they found cracks in the gas tank which was a known issue, and that I should have it repaired at the dealer, as it would be covered under warranty. When I went to the dealer, I was told that my VIN wasn't included, and the repairs would cost $1000. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10676605, filed 2015-01, 60,000 miles

    “I have a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. I came home from a short trip to find that my car had a strong smell of gas and the full tank that I had when I left for my trip was no longer full. I drove the car to my local repair shop ' only to be told that the gas tank had ruptured, and that the repairs were very expensive. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10909318, filed 2016-09, 122,000 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Hybrid battery loses charge / weak acceleration

    • 29 complaints (45%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (25 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2019

    Owners describe the IMA battery dropping from full to a couple of bars within seconds, refusing to hold a charge overnight, or fading in stop-and-go traffic and in hot weather. With the pack low, the car feels sluggish pulling away from a light or merging on a freeway ramp, and some say the gasoline engine alone struggles to keep up. Several report the dealer said the battery was failing but not far enough to replace, or that no fault code was stored; others were quoted a four-figure replacement cost. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 130,000 miles, with many accounts between 40,000 and 100,000 and several noting it worsens in summer heat.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the IMA battery's age and whether it has been replaced, and have a hybrid-capable shop read stored codes and run a battery capacity test. Note that a service bulletin describes extended warranty coverage on the IMA battery module for some 2003-2008 Civic Hybrids, so confirm current coverage by VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The battery on my Honda Civic Hybrid has been failing to charge which means my car has no power to move quickly up hills or accelerate when I need to especially as I am merging onto the freeway. There have been numerous dangerous occasions where I may have been the first car at a traffic light, the light will turn green but my car has no power to make it up the hill. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10453863, filed 2012-04, 50,000 miles

    “I don't actually know when this started. It has been going on for quite some time. Sometimes when I start from a stopped position to enter traffic, even though I have the accelerator floor-boarded, the car barely responds. When I look, the hybrid charge is very low, but I may have just had the car out a short while before and the hybrid battery was fully charged. It seems as if I not only have no acceleration assist from the hybrid battery, but there is almost no power assist at all. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10653752, filed 2014-11, 78,000 miles
  3. Vehicle speed control

    Reduced power and slow acceleration after IMA software

    • 19 complaints (30%)
    • median 59,063 mi at 4.1 yrs old (16 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2019

    Many owners link a change in how the car drives to a Honda IMA battery software update applied around 2010. They say the electric assist now cuts out more readily, so the car bogs down from a stop, on hills, or when accelerating onto a freeway, and some describe the engine nearly stalling on a climb. Fuel economy also fell for a number of them. Dealers reportedly told owners the car was operating within manufacturer standards or could not reproduce the concern. Mostly reported in the 24,000-80,000 mile range, generally after the software update was performed rather than with vehicle age.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the IMA software update was applied and when, then drive the car from a stop, up a grade, and onto a fast road to judge whether acceleration feels adequate. Some service bulletins describe battery control software changes tied to replacement batteries.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I'm concerned with the safety of my family when driving this vehicle due to the poor performance as detailed below. The ima battery drains so frequently and so suddenly(gets worse in the summer) that we've been very close to be involved in a few accidents. When stopped and waiting at an intersection for the green light, the car is either idled or in auto stop mode. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10453882, filed 2012-04, 58,127 miles

    “Honda applied a software patch to extend the ima battery, driving home from the appointment where they updated the software I noticed that at times when I go to accelerate the car will bog down and have no speed. It happens randomly, no set pattern, its a dangerous situation when you are on a 2 lane highway and you pulled out to pass someone and you have no power. Or you are making a left hand turn and all of a sudden you lose power. Then living in minnesota having these issues when you on ice is down right scary! …”

    NHTSA complaint #10546608, filed 2013-10, 35,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag warning light and inflator replacement

    • 11 complaints (17%)
    • median 77,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2012–2019

    Owners describe the SRS light staying on and diagnostics pointing to the passenger or side curtain inflator, with repair estimates in the 1,300 to 1,600 dollar range when warranty was declined. Others write about the passenger frontal inflator recall itself, saying the remedy part was unavailable or the repair had not been completed long after the notice. A few reports describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Reported across a wide range from about 35,000 to 139,000 miles, often when the car was several years old and out of basic warranty.

    Recall 19V502000Recall 19V378000Recall 17V030000Recall 16V3460005 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check that the passenger frontal inflator recalls have actually been completed (a dealer can confirm by VIN), and make sure the SRS light goes out after the bulb-check on startup.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “After driving my Honda Civic Hybrid just over 5 years and with about 50k miles on it, my airbag srs light illuminated. When I took it into the Honda dealership, they told me that it showed error code 33-10 and that the left side curtain airbag first inflator had gone bad and that both it and the left side curtain airbag would have to be replaced. The total cost was $1468. I consider seat belts and air bags to be critical items in my car and have a zero defect expectation for them. I had bought a Honda for two reasons: safety and reliability. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10513557, filed 2013-05, 49,000 miles

    “Good morning, I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate an issue with the airbag inflator in our 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. The srs light was on and we subsequently took the car to our mechanic. He informed us that when he ran the diagnostic, code 33-10 came up, stating there is an open or increased resistance in the left side curtain airbag. My mechanic suggested we go to Honda for more information. During our visit to Honda, they confirmed the issue and informed us that the repair would cost ~$1,600 to fix. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10896527, filed 2016-08

Buying note. Have a hybrid shop test the IMA battery and confirm its replacement history before purchase, since that is the costliest recurring complaint on this model year. Also check for a fuel smell at the rear after refueling and verify that the airbag inflator recalls were actually completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. 48 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,750 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 3 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 21 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (2), Wheels (2), Equipment (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Other or unknown (1), Seats (1), Steering (1), Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “I have owned this car since april 2008 - I don't drive a lot - in 4 years and 3 months I have less than 40,000 miles on the car. I am the original owner - I purchased it new. I noticed a few months back that the hybrid batteries did not appear to be acting right and when I mentioned it during my 30,000 service they said that it was testing ok and there were no problems with it. Over the past few months it has steadily gotten worse - to the point where the hybrid batteries would not hold a charge. …”

NHTSA complaint #10465089, filed 2012-07, 39,600 miles

Fuel system: “On feb 3 I moved car into garage for first time. That evening I smelled an odor of fumes when I returned to the garage. The next day I called my mechanic and took the car in. His invoice afterwards read check and found fuel tank leaking, drain fuel tank, remove and replace fuel tank, invoice available upon request.”

NHTSA complaint #10846209, filed 2016-03, 78,896 miles

Air bags: “In july 2016, Honda sent me an initial letter advising me of an airbag recall in my vehicle. According to the letter and NHTSA's website, the remedy would be available no later than fall 2016. To date, there is still no remedy available and I have not received an additional letter from Honda.”

NHTSA complaint #10939037, filed 2017-01

Engine cooling: “I was stopped with my foot on the brake, about to make a left turn. The engine shut off as the hybrids do. I was rear-ended by a chevy suburban going 30 MPH. The vehicle's back crumpled accordingly, and that structure did well. However the driver's seat broke so where the back could not be set upright without it falling over after the crash. I wonder if my back would have been as hurt if it would not have broken.”

NHTSA complaint #10475889, filed 2012-09, 86,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 48 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 49,000 and 105,902 miles.

0%0–104%10–2523%25–5025%50–7519%75–10029%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (48 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,750 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

2012152014201620182022
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Civic Hybrid · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Civic Hybrid FWD1.3L 4-cyl · hybridCVT404542$1,600

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 21 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 21 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda Civic Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20258—2———Too new
20155117,7290544—Not enough data
2014540,0000544—Not enough data
2013933,0000544—Not enough data
20121243,2141544—Not enough data
20101237,5006—42—Not enough data
20092852,0005—42Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
20086470,7504—42Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20076477,0005—42Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200655105,6187—42Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20054896,5006—41Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200435123,0006—41Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200351126,1026—41Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Honda Civic Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?

Owners of this model year most often write about the hybrid battery (IMA) system: lost charge, reduced electric assist, and a drop in acceleration after a dealer software reflash, with some replacing the battery pack at their own cost. The issues reported most often: Fuel smell and leak where filler neck meets tank; Hybrid battery loses charge / weak acceleration; Reduced power and slow acceleration after IMA software.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 64 consumer complaints for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 19 complaints (30% of the total), followed by fuel system with 19.

Has the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (Civic Hybrid, 1.3L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 42 mpg combined, 40 city and 45 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid reported?

Among the 48 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,750 miles and the middle half falls between 49,000 and 105,902 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.