YearToAvoid

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 12 Civic Hybrid years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid has 64 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 100 out of 100 — the highest of 12 Civic Hybrid model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is electrical system (19 complaints, 30% of the total). Complaints report 5 crashes, 3 injuries, and 1 death.

Complaints
64
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
5 / 0
Injuries / deaths
3 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
42
40 city / 45 hwy

Top 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System19 (30%)
  2. Fuel System19 (30%)
  3. Engine17 (27%)
  4. Airbags11 (17%)
  5. Structure & Body4 (6%)
  6. Brakes3 (5%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain3 (5%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers3 (5%)
  10. Other2 (3%)
2008 Honda Civic Hybrid complaints: complaints filed per month8Oct 2011Sep 2012Jun 2013Jun 2014May 2015Jun 2016Apr 2017May 2018
85 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2011 to Nov 2022; peak Feb 2012 (8).

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

  2. NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

    Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

  3. NHTSA 17V030000Jan 10, 2017Airbags977,708 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic NGV vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2009 Acura TSX, Honda Fit and Pilot, 2008-2009 Honda Accord, 2006-2009 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, and 2007-2009 Honda CR-V vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2008 Honda Accord, 2006-2008 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV and 2007-2008 Honda CR-V vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KE1 and KE2.

See all 4 recalls for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid →

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid fuel economy and fuel cost

City
40 MPG
Highway
45 MPG
Combined
42 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,550
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2008 compared with other Civic Hybrid years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Caution7355742
2007Avoid9164542
2008Avoid10064442
2009Caution5528542
2010Good3612642

All Honda Civic Hybrid years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid ranks worst among Civic Hybrid model years (Complaint Index 100/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 64 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (19 complaints), fuel system (19 complaints), and engine (17 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 70,750 miles.
Does the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid, most recently reported 2019, covering airbags.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?
EPA rates the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid at 42 MPG combined (40 city / 45 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,550. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.