Problems with 2008 Honda Civic SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. the rear control arms have failed, which caused excessive tire wear. this conditions made the tires tilt inward. this also caused the vehicle to drift when driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not aligned the rear wheels to the correct specifications. the honda manufacturer stated that they would investigate the failure. he never received a response. the failure mileage was 11,800. the consumer stated honda california called and said they investigated and found there as no problem. the consumer asked why on the alignment report it stated that both rear wheels showed the negative camber outside of range that they allow. his response was that he didn't see a problem, but would put the consumer on record. the consumer contacted the dealership and was told they would investigate his complaint off the record. the consumer was offered 4 new tires, which does nothing to correct the problem of keeping the vehicle in a straight line on the highway. the consumer stated the vehicle needed an adjustable rear suspension arm to correct the problem, before the tires become worn out. updated 11/16/09 *jb updated 11/17/09 *bf updated 11/18/09. *jb

Rear tire cupping on 2008 honda civic hybrid- dealer changed rear upper control arms @ 12,000 mile. i changed tires @ 15,000 -- new tires are doing the same problem. *tr

Although have had tires rotated and balanced at 10,000. at 13,000 noticed tire noise and discovered cupping and uneven wear on rear tires. honda dealer in lancaster, pa said could do nothing, not even check alignment unless i paid. i had alignment checked at another garage. all is within specs. he said a lot of the civics have this problem. he put the best 2 tires on front. i inflate my tires to 36 lbs so that tires ride on center and make less noise. present mileage 18,000. *tr

2008 honda civic hybrid has excessive rear tire wear, tire cupping, and annoying noise inside car.honda's lackluster response is to make it an owner problem. it is suggested that dissatisfied owners submit complaints to the bbb, state consumer protection and consider action under the lemon laws for honda repurchase of the vehicle. honda motor co torrance ca is generally of little help, and plays dumb about this issue. *tr

Severe tire cupping, early tire failure. dealer unable to fix cause of problem, they state that it results from a design flaw (non-adjustable cambers/arms). tires failed at 20,000 miles and are failing again at 44,000 miles. i had to fight with honda to get them to go 50/50 on the first set of replaced (dunlop) tires. they argues that i had enjoyed using them for 1/2 their life, so 50% was their maximum dollar match. i was also told to "rotate" my tires more frequently, even though i had service records showing that i do rotate on a routine basis at the dealership. from what i am researching online, honda has a big problem going on with tire cupping on the civic hybrids. my hope is that this is researched by the nhtsa more thoroughly. i am seeing numerous complaints on your website about this issue.....some are filed under "tires" while others filed under "rear suspension". i'm guessing the choose to file under "rear suspension" because dealers like mine are stating that this is a camber issue. on a side note, and this is odd to me, the dealership could not bring my alignment into manufacture recommended "spec" either. the numbers are significantly "off" where honda says they should be. ironic??? *tr

I have a 2008 honda civic coupe at approximately 18,000 miles rear-end noise started, at 20,000 miles it became unbearable. the car was taken to battle creek honda and they told us the rear tires were cupped and the rear wheels were out of alignment. had to align the car and replace tires with 20,000 miles. the car also handles very poorly in snow and wet road conditions. *tr

I don't know where to turn for help my problems is that i bought a honda civic last year 2008, for business use. my wife was using it to commuted from home to business every day. it happened yesterday (aug/12) while she was driving down i-15 and bangerter hwy she heard a snap sound very loud under the car, she then slowed down to 60mph. the car behind her passed along side her and signaled her to pull the car over immediately. she pulled over and got out to inspect the vehicle, and she found out that the axle (suspension support) had broke off. the only thing that held the shaft from flying off the road were the brake cable and electrical cable. thank god, nothing happened to her and my 10 month old son and my second child on the way. she immediately called me to let me know what was going on. i had her called the tow truck and to take the vehicle to larry miller honda for now. on the same day i had to fly back to salt lake to take care of the problems. i called honda consumer public affairs for assistance but they told me that they couldn't help me. i don't know where to turn, can you help. thanks a million. updated 08/19/09 *bf *tr photos received. updated 08/20/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. while driving at various speeds ranging from 35 to 65 mph, he noticed a vibration in the rear end of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the vibration was due to a negative camber. the current mileage was 13000 and the failure mileage was 5500.

Front suspension steering there is a clunking or snapping sound when turning or making a u turn left. took it to the honda dealer and there was no cause for the noise. the dealer replaced the entire left front assembly; left drive shaft, cv joint, hub and bearings. then the dealer checked the rack and pinion and found that they were not torqued correctly and was reset to factory specs. well one year later the clunking and snapping sound slowly returned. and while making slow left turns. it happens on and off. now its passed warranty.

2008 honda civic hybrid purchased new, it now has 22k miles, tires were rotated at 17k miles during dealer work to replace defective rack and pinion. following this repair i noticed a pronounce road noise inside car at speed range from 30 to 55 mph. on 7/20/09 dealer advised that lack of timely tire rotation and alignment is the cause of excessive tire wear noted on one tire. tire is worn smooth on inside portion of the tread. dealer stated that corrective action is not covered by warranty. i contend that excessive tire wear on one tire is a safety issue. conditions found should not exist on tire that has only 22k miles. i expect honda to take appropriate measures to correct this problem at their cost. *tr updated 07/31/09.*jb

My 2008 honda civic hybrid has excessive tire wear, cupping and tire noise at 17000 miles. tony honda of hawaii stated problem caused by improper and timely rotation of tires and alignment. furthermore it would not be covered under warranty. weight equal to 85% capacity was placed in car during alignment at tony honda. rear camber exceed specified range by 1 degree negative camber. honda's answer is to rotate tires every 5000 miles. it is easy to conclude that tire rotation will not eliminate the accelerated tire wear. *tr

Experienced severe vibrations/uneven and rapid tire wear, flat spots and cupping on rear tires within first 20k. replaced with two new tires, then experienced the same severe vibrations and symptoms at around 45k. tsb for '06-'07 describes same symptoms and new control arm to resolve issue. have taken car to several honda dealers with this issue and all state that my '08 vehicle has the updated control arm and that car is "fine". obviously this is a wide spread problem for the '08 as well and the vehicle is not "fine". *tr

1. after normal 30k mileage service and tire rotation/balancing 5/23/2009, with highway handling car shook extremely and wobbled at speeds 60 and above, pulls to the right going downhill. 2. problem remains with 2008 hybrid past 35k, reproducible at highway speeds (60mph-70 mph, 2000 rpm to 2500 rpm) going on straight stretch and downhill. front of car pulling sideways is reproducible in rain or when breaking going down low/medium grade hill. 8/18, the problem continues to occur, is a safety concern when on highway,especially going downhill or on straight stretch. 3. reported to dealer, went in for check, dealer contacted warranty and replaced transmission fluid. problem still occurs, dealer recommends change front tires now as tires rippled between may 23rd and june 3rd, 2009. paid for 2 new tires to replace old per dealers recommendation friday 6/11. dealer goes through extended warranty to replace transmission 6/11. the problem dissipated 30%,but shaking occurs. return vehicle to dealer to verify if software updates were made 6/24 after transmission was replaced. dealer made software update 7/6 received car back and problem showed up within a day. reported issue. dealer received honda recommendation to disconnect egr valve 7/31. problem reduced by ~20% but still remains at 60mph etc. 8/8 follow-up with concern of driving in rain dealer recommends contacting honda corporate customer service. dealer contacts factory rep, whose recommendation is there is nothing further that can be done. there was no inspection made for any joint/bolt/belt slippage etc. honda customer service contacted dealer and factory representative and stated nothing else can be done 8/18 as f.rep has closed the case, cannot override f.rep, and does not have statistics to confirm either way whether the problem exists in other 2008 hybrids with similar mileage. dealer is unaware of the root of shaking/steering problem (software/d/drivetrain/cooling/exhaust just a worn belt loose bolt etc.). *tr

2 sets of tires wearing prematurely cupping vehicle maintained properly honda dealership said it was the tires and found no problem with the car tried to blame the tires turns out it's a suspension problem with the passenger control arm and is also due to the weight of the vehicle according to other complaints on line that sound just like this car. *tr

Faulty "rear cambers" on 2008 honda civic hybrid. cambers caused premature and severe tire cupping. dealership has no solution/fix for faulty rear cambers. honda has offered 50% off of replacement tires as the only solution. car is still under 3 year 36k warranty. no service bulletin available or genuine honda parts are available to replace faulty rear cambers. *tr

A roaring noise from the rear tires started while on a road trip. when i got home, i took the car to the dealership to have it looked at. before i went in, i had done quite a bit of research about this problem so i was pretty sure it was the control arm defect that many other people are having. i told the people in the service department about service bulletin 08-001 which says that 06-07 civics have defective control arms. as expected, they told me that the rear tires were cupped and that i needed an alignment which is not covered under the warranty. first off, honda does not do anything about the service bulletin unless you print it out and give it to them. they know it is a safety issue but wont do anything about it until they get sued because someone loses control of their car and gets hurt. *tr

Rear tires worn out at 12,,000 miles with flat spots. the dealer said this was caused by not rotating tires at 10,000 miles. the dealer also claimed that the front end was out of alignment. i do not believe any of this. it looks like honda is telling everyone the same story. this started on 2006 honda civics and the problem still exists on my 2008 civic. everyone i talk to has had tire problems. can you help before someone gets killed? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. the contact stated that the rear suspension was causing the tires to wear prematurely every 20,000 miles. in addition, when driving over wet or inclement road surfaces, the vehicle would become difficult to control and spin abnormally. the original tires were replaced in december 2008 and the replacement tires were replaced in july 2009. there were no recalls for the tires. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure but provided no further assistance. the current mileage was 59,800 and the failure mileage was 22,000. updated 03/24/11*lj updated 06/30/11

The rear tires had excessive and uneven tire wear that caused premature tire change. also it caused a vibration and loud noise level at highway speeds. the problem is the cost of tire replacement. also the was not made aware of this problem by honda. *tr

My daughter lisa adkins and i own a 2008 honda civic lx. i sent this to the dealer that worked on it and based on my own investigation there seems to be a serious production defect with some of those vehicles. my daughter lisa adkins took her/my 2008 honda civic lx to your service dept on memorial day. to say i'm mad is just not a good enough description of how i feel. the car had a loud knocking noise, high vibration and back tires basically wiped out. now you guys did provide service however little that was and false advice which is worse than none. 1) the service dept lied to my daughter about the problem which seems to be inherent in an unknown percentage of 2008 honda civics. i don't know why. maybe they came off the same assembly line with a bad frame alignment or what ever. i do not know but i am going to find out. 2) the service guy said the tires weren't covered by the warranty. that really bleeped out off. there is a production problem with that car and you guys know it, and tried to hide it from my daughter with '!@#$% and tried to say it wasn't covered by warranty so she would have to pay for it. 3) you kind of made my daughter feel like this was her fault. well kiss my ?!@#$% we'll see about that. i told her to return it to you guys and me/you/honda and the national transportation safety board will sort out the bodies. 4) in the 1980s i found a similar type thing with a tire called brigestone and never let it go until, well you know fella. as far as i am concerned you and your dealership have no regard for the safety of my daughter, my grandson or anyone else that rides in that car so just wait and see what happens you under a rock ?!@#$%. *tr

Uneven tire wear on the rears tires of a 2008 honda civic hybrid and excessive road noise. *tr

Faulty rear upper arms in the 2008 honda civic hybrid causing rear tires to become severely cupped. i spoke to honda corporate manager who said that they do not care about the tires. *tr

I have a 2008 honda civic 4 door. has the exact same problems as the 2006 and 2008 civics. less than 20,000 miles on tires and car. rear tires are demolished! tires have excessive wear and road noise. dealer says that i should rotate the tires more often. this is not wear from failure to rotate this is due to the suspension. this is an outrage that the same problems that happened over a year ago and the have failed to fix them. *tr

At about 15,000 miles, we had to replace the original 2 rear tires due to uneven wear. we replaced the tires and had to replace them again at 40,000. now, at 60,000, the rear tires are unevenly wearing again so much so that the car is nearly undrivable on the highway due to the shaking. we've had the alignment and balance checked multiple times and nothing has been off and the tires have been rotated at every other oil change.. we've tried different brands of tires and nothing seems to be helping the problem. every time we've contacted honda, they've insisted the tires haven't been balanced correctly (even though it was done at their dealer) or that we've gone 500 miles too far past getting them rotated and thus won't replace them. needless to say, we'll be buying a toyota or ford next time. *tr

Increasing road noise and vibration as tires were worn irregularly over the first 14 months of operation. vehicle became increasing unstable at highway speeds, particularly in wet or snowy road conditions or when windy. vehicle felt as if it was darting from side to side, requiring continuous minor steering corrections, and until ultimately a reduction in speed is required to regain stable control of the car. honda acknowledges rear suspension is the cause, but does not notify owners. *tr

I purchased a 2008 honda civic new from the dealer. at the present time i am on my second set of tires and my third rear driver side tire. i keep these tires inflated properly and rotate them at 5000 miles. the driver side rear tire begins to cup after a few thousand miles. i drive in a reasonable manner and am not abusive to the vehicle. on replacing the driver side tire my auto repair facility suggested that they check the alignment of the vehicle. the alignment numbers on the rear were way out of specification and my mechanic said the new tire would not have lasted long .this has been a problem since the vehicle was new. this premature tire wear presents a serious safety issue on these vehicles. my repair facility advised me there is a kit repair for this problem. why hasn't honda addressed this problem? *tr

My 2008 honda civic lx coupe has under 8000 miles and is experiencing a noticeable drift to the right. i had the vehicle serviced at a honda dealership and the alignment was corrected. the problem was resolved for a couple of weeks but has now surfaced again. the vehicle is pulling to the right and the steering wheel must be held to the left to compensate for the problem. the vehicle has not been involved in an accident or event that would have damaged any components. this appears to be a manufacturing defect. *tr

My 2008 honda civics lx, had my first tire rotation completed by my dealer and was told that all 4 tires were cupped. i have not owned the car a year. i purchased this car 05-31-08. i have less than 11,000 miles on this car. the car now vibrates and roars when driving down the street. the 2006-7 civics had problems with the rear suspension which caused the cupping damage to the tires. i have the same problem and the dealer said it was due to lack of rotation. they have serviced the car since owned and never said there was any problem with the tires. two weeks after my last service all tires are damaged and the car shakes when driving. it is very loud and feels unstable on the ground. the dealer has yet to take action to resolve this case. *tr

At under 18,000 my vehicle is vibrating and i hear loud tire noise at highway speeds. took my car to dealership and was informed that all 4 tires have excessive inner tire wear (cupping). *tr

My wife purchased her honda civic brand new from the dealer. approx. 50,000 we started to notice humming and vibration in the front end along with excessive wear on the tires. since then i have replaced several sets of tires. have approx 75,000 on the car and were having front end problems that cannot seemed to be corrected. at various speeds we get a pulsating or vibration out of the right side; and we've had to have several brake jobs as a result including replacing the rotor, caliper, etc. the tires have been rotated multiple times and the vibration is still present. it appears that now the newer set of tires we have are now cupping. it's my understanding there is a tsb from honda on these issues in particular the upper camber which causes the onset of the problems i'm experiencing right now with my car. it's my belief there should be a recall on this car for this reason. i'm out alot of money and i believe honda should be held accountable for fixing their design flaw. honda tsb 08-001 mazie slater katz & freeman, llc are collecting information for a class action lawsuit to protect civic owners. the lawsuit alleges the oem rear upper control arms are too short and cause tire misalignment. it also alleges that honda knew this when it published a tsb and a redesigned control arm part. *tr

Noise in the rear end of my car and a vibration in the rear end, the tire wear cupped by a bad camber that has no adjustment made this way by honda. they say they set the camber now and i had to pay for the alignment and tires. honda knows they have this problem and i called they are doing nothing to help the people that bought their car. *tr

2008 honda civic, rear end making horrible sound. realize after looking online that honda has issues with rear arm controls. took car to dealer, they stated that my car has the "c" stamp updated rear arm controls. rear tires severely cupped. they recommend 4 wheel alignment and purchase of two new tires. even though this appears to be same problem that others have had they will not replace arm controls and had to pay out of pocket for repair replacement. *tr

Rear end alignment problem with honda civic hybrid, tires wear excessively, cupping etc. *tr

Uneven and unusual tread wear on the inside part of the rear tires. this causes the vehicle to handle erratically at times. this condition appears to have started several months ago and has gotten worse. this vehicle has received regularly scheduled service. there is a service bulletin 08-001 dated 02/08 on 2006 civic model. has this model changed over the past two years? these models appear pretty much identical. *tr

I have a 2008 honda civic hybrid and a 2003 honda pilot. both vehicles have had inner rear premature tire wear. now both vehicles run rough and drive like 10 year old vehicles. i see other reports of other owners having the same issues. more people should log their issues here. *tr

At 13000 miles my rear tires on a 4 month old car were so worn , (flat spots) that in the near future i feel they would be a future road hazard possibly causing an accident or death. in my little bit of research on internet this is a on going problem for years. dealer replaced my back tires after several trips to different repair,tire shops. even when some shops put it in writing that excessive wear was due to mechanical failure they still said nothing wrong with car. i have a feeling i'll be back to dealer before 5000 mi more for same thing. this is truly and unsafe situation for people when if they listen to dealer and they tell them nothings wrong when clearly something is causing the uneven wear. *tr

Premature rear tire wear. *tr

I had my tires rotated according to schedule. i left the dealer and immediately heard a very loud roaring sound from my tires. i returned to the dealer and was told the tires were not wearing evening. my vehicle only had 12,000 miles. i was later told that other honda civics had a control arm problem which caused the same problem but was told my vehicle was not included in this service bulletin. however, my vehicle is displaying the very same symptoms. *tr

Ever since i bought my 2008 honda civic sedan ex-l i have had a vibration, tire cupping and sever noise in the rear end suspension and wheels. honda claims it is because of improper tire rotation intervals. tire cupping is not due to improper tire rotation. it is due to lack of proper shock absorbing. i have had my civic back for this problem every 10,000 miles with no solution from honda. at 26000 miles i replaced the rear tires because they were badly cupped. now my new tires are cupped as well. after repeated wheel balancing, alignments and many attempts to have honda fix it i replaced the rear shocks with heavy duty shock to no avail. the last car i owned that showed signs of rear tire cupping was my 1970 fiat 850 racer. i replaced the rear production shocks with koni adjustable shocks and the cupping ceased. again honda refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem. there is definitely a problem and needs a remedy. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact heard a loud whining noise coming from the tire area. the noise became audible while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and they recommended that the tires be rotated. the tires were rotated, but the noise continued. on a separate occasion, four tires were replaced, but the failure still continued. the tires required constant rotation. the contact stated that the failure was not associated with defective tires, but possibly a malfunction with the vehicle's suspension system. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 12,000 and current mileage was 34,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. while the contact was driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle began to fishtail, as a result of rear suspension failure. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated that the vehicle was within the alignment requirements and the failure was due to a design flaw. the failure mileage was unavailable. the current mileage was 30,000. the vin was not available.

I bought my honda civic exl in march of 2008. after 9 months (approx 18 k miles) of use i am finding i have to replace my tires due to unusual wear. i took the car to a tire dealership who told me that there was no warranty except defects for oem tires on this car and directed me back to the dealership where i purchased the car. i had the tire place rotate and rebalance the tires ' the problem worsened to the point where the vehicle severely vibrated (low and high speeds)and made noise. i took the car to the honda dealership where purchased and who said the tires in question were worn and had flat places probably due to skidding (this car has never been 'skidded') and that if i had issues with the tires i should go to bridgestone (the oem for el400). i went to firestone (bridgestone dealer) and was told it was the car causing the problems. i went back to the dealer and after much discussion and getting nowhere convinced them to check alignment and suspension. they did and found the rear tire alignment off. they aligned the rear tires (the front tire alignment had no issues) and sent me on my way with no obligation to replace the worn/defective tires. i replaced the tires at my own expense to avoid potential hazard of keeping the car on the road and fearful for safety of myself, my family, and others. new car ' new tires in 9 months ' this ain't right. i was shocked at the fact that the oem tires had no mileage warranty and were only warranted by the tire manufacturer for defects. i was also concerned why the honda dealership would not provide such information to the consumer at the time of sale. i have grave concern that some folks who cannot afford new tires after 9 months or sooner will continue to use and drive their car in this unsafe condition. after research i found out that a similar problem existed on 06 and 07 honda's ' honda put out a service bulletin so stating with a repair offer. also found out others with 2008 civics are having same problem as i have. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. while driving 35 mph, the contact heard a howling noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. he took the vehicle to the tire shop to have the tires rotated, which did not remedy the issue. the contact went to the dealer and they test drove the vehicle. the dealer stated that the wheel bearing was defective and failed. the wheel bearing was replaced on the passenger side; however, the contact was informed that the wheel bearing on the driver side was also defective and needed to be replaced. the dealer ordered the second bearing for the driver's side repair. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 5,900 and failure mileage was approximately 5,700. updated 07/29/08 *bf updated 07/29/08

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. the contact heard a loud clunking noise whenever she made a left turn. the noise grew louder and began to affect the vehicle when making right turns. the noise could be heard from both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. the dealer replaced the left front struts and upon leaving the dealer, the noise continued. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, they called the manufacturer for further assistance. the manufacturer advised the contact to call a different dealer. the second dealer stated that the cv shaft needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 1,000 and current mileage was 13,510.

Bought car 12-31-07 bad rear tire wear causing horrible shaking at byway speeds very dangerous in 3-15-08 replaced rear tires and control arms 6-12-08 same problem occurring again dealer to replace rear control arms and all 4 tires. *tr

Uneven tire wear and noise on rear of 2008 honda civic hybrid. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 honda civic hybrid. the front tires had worn out rapidly. the mechanic stated that they couldn't replace the tires since the problem was related to the cambers which caused them to wear and cup. they also advised her that the solution was to have the tires rotated after each oil change. she stated that the failure wass due to a manufacturers defect. the failure mileage was 17,000 and the current mileage is near 40,000.updated 01/20/10. *lj updated 01/21/10.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda civic. the contact stated that the tires were wearing prematurely and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an alignment where the dealer located a failure within the rear passenger control arm. the control arm was not the correct size and was entirely too short for the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired with an aftermarket control arm. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 72,000.

Like many of the tire wear complaints for this vehicle, rear tires developed irregular flat spots, and rear tires were very noisy. talked with ken in torrance, ca (american honda) but honda refused to accept any responsibility. after two sets of tires in 33,000 miles, ken agreed to pay 50% of next tire purchase. if there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, then why would ken agree to pay half of next tire purchase?