2008 Honda Civic Hybrid Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 19about this part
- Share
- 30%of 64 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 60,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, 30% of the 64 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 60,000 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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“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“On or around 11/20/2011, the control panel on my 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid lost all power while driving on ih-10 w in houston, tx. As a result, I had no information about my speed, fuel level, RPM, etc. I believe this problem was related to my hybrid battery as it had to be replaced shortly thereafter. Currently, I am having trouble with the replacement hybrid battery and Honda is refusing to remedy the problem under the warranty. I am writing to the NHTSA implore it to take a closer look at issues with Honda's hybrid batteries. …”
NHTSA complaint #10493179, filed 2013-01, 38,000 miles“Upon receiving the 'mandatory' ima recall issued by Honda, I noticed my Honda Civic Hybrid (2008) acted very differently when it came to accelerating from a stop, particularly on a hill. From a stop it takes several seconds before the car will move forward at a reasonable speed (which it did not do prior to the update). Prior to the update, the car would accelerate like a normal car with the ima kicking in to assist the car forward. Post update it's like the gas engine wants the ima to engage but the new firmware won't allow it to. …”
NHTSA complaint #10451804, filed 2012-03, 41,232 miles“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. There has also been incidents when I am merging onto the freeway but can't get my car to accelerate to an appropriate speed as to not be a danger to the cars already on the freeway. …”
NHTSA complaint #10453863, filed 2012-04, 50,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10237952Jun 13, 2023Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver Capacity resulting in a rollover of the internal chip memory; the rollover…
- 10206994Jan 29, 2022ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover"…
- 10142649Jan 18, 2014Service bulletin - Due to improvements in battery manufacturing efficiency, once stocks of original IMA batteries are depleted, new battery designs will be available for IMA…
- 10045879Jun 19, 2013Honda: information on replacement and removal of junction board from old ima battery and new battery mounted before battery is installed. Models 2003-11 civic hybrid, 2011-12…
- 10051509Dec 21, 2012Honda: warranty coverage has been extended on some vehicles for the ima battery module. Models 2003-2008 civic hybrids.
- 10043248Jan 12, 2012Honda: on some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing alternators, installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 13% |
| 2015 | 1 | 20% |
| 2013 | 2 | 22% |
| 2012 | 4 | 33% |
| 2010 | 8 | 67% |
| 2009 | 10 | 36% |
| 2008 | 19 | 30% |
| 2007 | 34 | 53% |
| 2006 | 21 | 38% |
| 2005 | 11 | 23% |
| 2004 | 3 | 9% |
| 2003 | 6 | 12% |
Other parts of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid
19 complaintsAir bags
11 complaintsEngine cooling
9 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsEngine
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsEquipment
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology