AI Damage2008 Honda Civic SI: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Honda Civic SI filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 29% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 29% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 14% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 14% of all complaints
- Air bags: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Engine: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (29% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Components owners complain about
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Takata recall. Honda refuses to come to my climate controlled garage and replace my recalled passager side air bag activator-seems maybe discrimination- age related. Maybe- or maybe just mean.
Coolant leak from the radiator. New head gaskets, new seals. Mystery coolant leak, coolant pushes from the radiator to the overflow, leaving radiator low coolant. New seals and new water pump, no drips or indication of leaking
Sun visor was rcalled and fixed but it is still doing the same thng it was recalled for.
My 2008 honda civic si has been leaking coolant for the past couple weeks. It is currently at around 115,000 miles. I noticed all of the extended warranty information about the 06-09 honda civics and contacted both the dealership and corporate myself.
On my 08 honda civic si in fiji blue paint, the clear coat is deterating on the roof and now wheels are peeling clear.. My car is garage kept and well maintained. I did see where honda would repaint affected areas, so on my last visit to dealer I ask the service lady to please please fix.
Vehicle is a 2008 civic si mugen painted in fiji blue pearl. Paint and clear-coat are oxidizing, chipping and peeling. When we've complained about this to the authorized service departments, the existence of a known problem has been denied and it's been stated this issue is 'normal wear & tear', which it clearly is…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,538 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Civic SI has 10 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 7, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
- Civic SI 20023 sources
- Civic SI 20064 sources
- Civic SI 20078 sources
- Civic SI 20103 sources
- Civic SI 20126 sources
- Civic SI 20158 sources
- Civic SI 20168 sources
- Civic SI 20177 sources
- Civic SI 20188 sources
- Civic SI 201913 sources
- Civic SI 20209 sources
- Civic SI 202277 sources
- Civic SI 202369 sources
- Civic SI 202412 sources
- Civic SI 202511 sources
- Civic SI 20264 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Honda Civic SI?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, structure. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Honda Civic SI?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Honda Civic SI from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.