repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2008 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 916 owner complaints about the 2008 Honda Civic, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-502 the manufacturer reports only 36% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 17, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2008 Honda Civic has problems
916 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
177Air bags48 crash/fire/injury
156Engine4 crash/fire/injury
112Visibility1 crash/fire/injury
99Suspension2 crash/fire/injury
85Structure5 crash/fire/injury
55Engine and engine cooling
52Power train
51Electrical system
30Tires
20519 other systems27 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 177 | 48 |
| Engine | 156 | 4 |
| Visibility | 112 | 1 |
| Suspension | 99 | 2 |
| Structure | 85 | 5 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 55 | 1 |
| Power train | 52 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 51 | 3 |
| Tires | 30 | 0 |
| 19 other systems | 205 | 27 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2008 Honda Civic recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
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.
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2019 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2018 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2018 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
no report yet
Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE BRACKET MAY BECOME LOOSE WHICH COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL HOSE CONNECTOR.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
80kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 83 air bags complaints. 59% were reported before 100,000 miles.
13under 30k miles49under 100k miles34100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine
15 owners mentioned a cost$3,500median
Middle half: $2,500 – $5,300
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2008 vs. every other Civic year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Civic median. How we score
00000011195153539466991110981461351993053734353382871,0797034993503161,4041,2049163963981694563192933811,0836067504442391498862601278232
'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2008 Honda Civic safety ratings
2008 Honda Civic GX (CNG) 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Civic owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced by a dealer under an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number related to the airbags. After the recall repair, the passenger airbag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. A dealer was contacted regarding the…
Got mail that my car needs to have the airbag recall done and I took it to Honda dealer in Selma for the recall, got the car back and noticed the passenger airbag light was left on. I called and talked to the service attendant that worked on my car and they said they couldn’t not do anything about…
The contact owned a 2008 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. After the vehicle was restarted, the air bag warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact…
Own a 2008 Civic?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.