There are 3 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2008 Honda Civic Hybridin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS DRIVING AROUND 3:00 PM WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I MANAGED TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. IN THE THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, THE ENGINE REVVED AS IF THE ACCELERATOR HAD BEEN FLOORED AFTER I PUT IT IN PARK AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (IT NEVER HAPPENED AFTER THE DRIVE TO WORK WHICH WAS IN LESS TRAFFIC AND TOOK LESS TIME). IT DID NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME. MY WIFE WAS WITH ME ON ONE OCCASION AND EXPERIENCED IT ALSO.
I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHEN THIS STARTED. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SOMETIMES WHEN I START FROM A STOPPED POSITION TO ENTER TRAFFIC, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE ACCELERATOR FLOOR-BOARDED, THE CAR BARELY RESPONDS. WHEN I LOOK, THE HYBRID CHARGE IS VERY LOW, BUT I MAY HAVE JUST HAD THE CAR OUT A SHORT WHILE BEFORE AND THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. IT SEEMS AS IF I NOT ONLY HAVE NO ACCELERATION ASSIST FROM THE HYBRID BATTERY, BUT THERE IS ALMOST NO POWER ASSIST AT ALL. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET BUT FEAR IT MAY HAPPEN, AS I FREQUENTLY HAVE TO PULL OUT ONTO A VERY BUSY TWO LANE ROAD. *TR
AFTER THE 2010 SOFTWARE UPDATE FROM HONDA ON THE IMA MOTOR, THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR WHEN THE IMA BATTERY IS IN THE LOW METER IS DANGEROUS. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH SPEED TO GET ON THE FREEWAY OR HAVE THE NECESSARY AVOIDANCE IN NORMAL EVERYDAY TRAFFIC. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026