Used 2008 Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A) Consumer Reviews
Used Civic for sale
engine
disgrace, 11/09/2010
Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
i purchased a brand new 2008 Honda Civic ex in 2008. At 34,000 miles, my engine blew. Of course Dean Honda tried to fight me on the warranty, but my dad was able to convince them to replace the engine under warranty (like it should be). It is now a month later, but my tire pressure light and the check engine light are both on. I take it in the Dean Honda today and they call to tell me i need a "software update" that is not relevant to the engine so i have to pay. Although the fee is only $24, it is the principle. What sense is a warranty if they don't honor it for anything. Not to mention the month they were rebuilding my engine, they provided no loaner and i wasted 2 hours of my work day up
Long-term review based on 9 years of ownership
stlpilot, Saint Charles, MO, 06/26/2017
updated 12/28/2018
Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
We purchased our 2008 Civic EX brand new about 9 years ago. We are big fans of Honda cars and would like to pass along our ownership experience to the rest of you concerning this car. Unfortunately, owning this car hasn't been without headaches. We experienced the same re-occurring maintenance issues mentioned in most of the other reviews. The big ones were paint defects and defective engine mounts. Our car is black, and my understanding is the 2008 and the 2009 Civics and Accords had many paint issues. Our Civic was repainted three times (three different sections), due to paint defect. All this was covered by Honda, but only after many hours on the phone with Honda. This was a major headache and if Honda did not cover the costs, this would have been very expensive for us. The second big issue is the faulty engine mounts. We replaced our engine mounts about 12,000 miles ago and the problem seems to be coming back. If you are considering purchasing this car, please keep in mind the costs associated with replacing the engine mounts. Regarding everyday driving, this car is perfect for your short distance drives to the store and back, returning great fuel economy. However, you will regret driving it on long multi-hour drives. It is loud and the seats aren't comfortable. We are in our 30s and very fit, however after a single road trip in the Civic, we will never take it out for another road trip. We will keep this car until it has 180 or 200k miles on it before selling it. This could be a great car for a college kid, but I think you could buy a slightly newer Civic and avoid all the above mentioned problems. This is an update to our original review. We sold the car after owning it for 10 years. We purchased a Mazda CX-5 and we could not be happier.
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Beware of the automatic transmission
cartmaniskool, 02/28/2008
Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I wanted to let others know that I love everything about this car except for the automatic transmission. It shifts too harshly while in D. When driving above 25-30 mph and then slowing down or braking under 20 mph, then quickly stepping on the gas, the transmission will jerk or buck forward and you'll hear a very loud clunk sound. It is not a normal jerk at all, it is a very violent jerk and the transmission will clunk. It's pretty bad and I've learned that it's common in all 2008 civics with automatic transmissions. There was a problem with the civic si 3rd gear and there is a problem with the 2008 civic automatic transmission as well. Honda needs to issue a recall ASAP!
Nice car
Ken, 11/11/2008
Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Auto trans would downshift out of 3rd and 5th gears under light acceleration. Turns out transmission "adapts" to driver and I had babied it during break in period. Reset computer by holding pos and neg cables together for 2 minutes and then reconnect and let car idle for 10 minutes. Then I drove the car with a heavier foot for about 100 miles and now the shift points are much improved. Am a little wary of maintenance minder. There is no set maintenance schedule and the dealer will nickel and dime you at relatively short intervals. Otherwise, fun to drive and looks great at 30 mpg in mostly city driving.
Expensive 2008 Civic
civic08owner, Trenton, NJ, 03/03/2014
Honda Civic EX 2dr Coupe (1.8L 4cyl 5A)
4 of 8 people found this review helpful
I found my 2008 Honda Civic to be more expensive to maintain than my 2000 Chrysler Sebring. Here are the part replacements that needed to be done on my Civic in between 60-80k miles: 1. Driver's side sun visor 2. Main upper engine mount 3. Ventilation fan motor 4. Middle brake light At 84k miles, there is another rattle/grumble from the engine when idling. I suspect it may be the lower engine mount. Also, I average 25-27 mpg during winter months and 29-30 mpg during summer months, with mixed back road and highway driving. My Sebring only needed wheel bearings and tie rod ends to be replaced. I'm not impressed with Honda quality.