CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2008 Honda Accord has several serious defects: poor brakes, excessive oil consumption, & uncomfortable seats.
BRAKES: There was a class action lawsuit against Honda in 2010 for premature & excessive brake wear. See our page on Honda's brake problems for more info.
OIL CONSUMPTION: Honda issued a TSB about this in late 2011, claiming it could be fixed through a software update to the VCM (variable cylinder management). There are class action lawsuits pending. See our page about the Accord oil consumption.
UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS: Owners have consistently reported uncomfortable seats with the entire 8th generation (2008-2012) of Honda Accords. Complaints range from back pain to leg circulation problems due to bad lumbar support, cushioning, & seat angle. Complaints aren't limited to only a certain body type -- the seat comfort problems are from a wide spectrum of owner height & weight. The common theme we hear is "we never noticed this during the test drive." Unfortunately for unwary buyers, the seat pain is noticeable after 15-20 minutes.
7.6
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$230
Average Mileage:
26,150 miles
Total Complaints:
1094 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replaced brakes (567 reports)
have 2008 Honda brake system recalled (278 reports)
not sure (85 reports)
replaced brakes and rotors (44 reports)
repaired under warranty - sort of.. (25 reports)
replacing rear OEM pads with ceramic pads (23 reports)
YouTube: Honda Accord rear brake pad change - Great 6-minute clip explains how to replace the rear brake pads yourself on any 8th generation (2008+) Honda Accord. Looks really easy.
Honda Accord Premature Brake Wear Repair Guide - Shows you how to resolve the premature brake wear problems on 2008-2010 Honda Accords. Easy DIY repair involving swapping/re-greasing upper & lower caliper pins along with changing to ceramic brake pads - all for about $26.Did mine, works great!!
I had to replace my rear brakes at 28,561 miles. I was never told that there was a problem with all 2008 Honda Accords. Honda told me that they would not help me. I will never but another Honda.
The dealer supposedly did the brakes, but I had to have the brakes done after driving it only 8,000 miles. The pads were down to 20%. They said the brakes were in the condition as if I had driven the car with the parking brakes on; which was not the case. I found out about the class action suite against Honda nearly a year after this occurred.
Was surprised when when I heard indicator noise from the rear brakes and had only 30,000 miles on the vehicle. Had the brakes checked and was told they had to be replaced. I'm hoping that Honda will consider this information as part of their recall and make some kind of reimbursement.
At less than 24,000 miles, needed brake pads and rotors replaced at over $570. Additionally, told the bushings and sway bar links need replacement- at $542.76! I have owned Honda cars for over 30 years.This is the first one with expensive repairs so early. I was told I may get $150 for the brakes and need the bushings re-evaluated. I will never buy another Honda!
I pretty much have to replace my brake pads every 5 months or less. It is annoying and a pain but luckily I know how to replace them myself. can't wait to get rid of this POS!
- Renee V.,
Virginia Beach, VA, US
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I had replaced the brake pads at a friends mechanic shop the first two times because Honda wanted an arm and a leg to repair this. The first time, my car did not have even 9000 miles on it. The second time 12000 miles and then the third time, I went to National Tire and Battery and had new rotors and ceramic (lifetime) pads all the way around. The dealer wanted way too much money. And, they did not offer any warranty to my knowledge. So, I am out another 650 dollars.
This is a factory BS defect affecting 2008-2010 Accords and some 2010 Acura TSXs. First off, Honda used a softer organic brake pad. Then, to compound this shameless and inexcusable screw up, the upper and lower rear caliper pins were installed in reverse - meaning flat pin on top and round pin on the bottom. This caused the inside rear brake pad to drag slightly on the rotor, thus causing the premature wear on that pad only. So, the fix is to A: switch the top/bottpm caliper pin positions and re-grease using a good ceramic brake pad type grease. B: replace the OEM pads with a quality, longer lasting ceramic pad. I got mine on Amazon for around $26 with free shipping including the grease packet.The part # is AC Delco-17D1336CH. You can see/download the complete repair process in pics. and words at: http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/2008-2010-Honda-Accord-Premature-Rear-Brake-Pad-Wear-Repair-Guide/.Once you get the car jacked-up, the repair should be done in less than 1 hr. for both rear brakes.This isn't a difficult fix and most people with just a little mechanical sense and experience should be able to do it with ease. Thus saving yourself some serious coin and having the pride of doing it right yourself. Feel empowered and don't be a victim of dealership pricing of over $200! I hope this helps any and everyone that had this problem. SideShoBob-O"....OUT!!!
because the brakes were replaced before the recall, the local dealer would not reimburse my cost. So many things wrong with this car have convinced my to never buy a Honda again.
Bought the car at 38000k, im at 53000k now...why am i replacing REAR rotors n breaks before my front? Not to mention the fact that i have replaced the oil pump, actuator, valve gaskets (twice), and a battery not to mention I'm leaking and still burning oil...i hate my car, I'm scared to drive it anywhere cuz i think the engine will seize.....needless to say I'm not a happy honda owner.
Had to replace rear brakes at 24,433 miles and now it needs to be done again at 50,500 miles. It is absolutely ridiculous that rear brakes should have to be done that often. At least for the last one Honda had the decency to offer a refund. No such luck this time yet. Their brakes are a major problem that Honda needs to acknowledge and rectify ASAP.
Great to know that I'm not alone. This website is a great resource!
Update from Apr 24, 2012: I had the brakes & rotors replaced. The total cost was $378.88 however Honda reimbursed me $150.00 for the brakes. Though the brakes portion actually cost a little more, Honda said that they could only reimburse me for the same amount as the original recall 2 years ago. I took the money gratefully.
Had brakes replaced at 34,000 and now at 64,700 brakes need replacing again what a joke this is not a honda car we all have grown to love.will never buy another honda again
I bought the car in Feb of '09 and serviced it at the dealer till the warranty was up. I wanted to get back to a mechanic I trust.... NEVER TRUST THE DEALER'S service center.
Anyway, after a couple years I noticed an oil consumption problem, which I brought back to the dealer so they could "reflash the VCM" and start the "oil consumption test" process. In that process, they also performed a oil change and supposedly inspected the brakes... two days later the passenger rear pads wore through and the caliper siezed... GREAT inspection job Honda! This all happed around 78k miles, which wouldn't be an issue if it were not for the fact I had the rear pads replaced by a reputable mechanic less that 10k miles ago! Honda refused to compensate me as I had the rear brakes done the first time by an outside mechanic. I'm aware of the class action suit on this, but I believe I became aware of the suit too late. The front brakes have never been touched. The bill for the rear brakes was close to $550.
I had a Toyota Camry for 12 years and 140,000 miles. I only replaced the rear brakes twice for the duration. I had to replace the Honda Accord rear brakes after 23 months of ownership at 24,433 miles. My driving habits haven't changed so this doesn't make sense!!!
Long time Honda Accord owner going back to 1994. Never had any problems to report until now. I had replace rear brakes on my 08 accord today. I looked online and saw all the complaints, and was shocked when Honda said "Oh, that's fairly normal that they would have worn out at 30,000". WTF? I must say that I am very disappointed, even though the cost to replace the pads was oly 170 bucks, this is still unacceptable. Honda Corp, get your act together.
I went to the dealer for a recall related to the computer. After that was fixed, the technician came out to tell me I needed new rear brakes pads and resurfacing of discs/drums. I almost fell off the chair. The car only had 17,700 miles on it and it already needed a brake job? I've had many cars and @ that mileage the brakes were still practically new! Cost - $323 ! She made a big deal out of me being reimbursed $150 - WOW! Then it turned out that my car was over the 3 year limit (I don't drive a lot) so I was rejected from the class action suit. The dealer did reimburse me $150. See next complaint - now it's the front brakes.
I previously owned 2 Honda Civics which were excellent cars. I upgraded to an Accord and really loved it, but now I am angry and disgusted at Honda. This is more than cost cutting - this is defective design and Honda should stand fully behind there error and fix the problem - for FREE!
Thirty years ago I had terrible problems with 2 Volkswagens I owned and I would never - even 30 years later - buy a Volkswagen. I will now be putting Honda in the same category. Plus, I have a big mouth - whether it's good or bad - and I will tell everyone I see not to buy a HONDA ACCORD!
After replacing rear brake pads & resurfacing discs/drums in October - I took my car to the dealer, in late January, for an oil change....for $19.99. After spending much more than that on "maintenance", the technician took me out back to show me my brakes. On one side the metal cylinder (I don't remember part name - its major component of brakes) was shiny & on the other side, it was all gouged up. The technician told me that he believes that's because I don't drive the car much. Hello! I didn't drive the 2 Civics, I previously had, a lot, either - but the brakes didn't go at 18,000 miles!!! The cost of repair - another $299! When pressed, he admitted I could go another 6 mos without doing anything - but sooner or later I have to do it.
This time I was almost sick - 18,700 miles and both sets of brakes are gone. This is definitely a design defect and I am appalled that Honda cares so little about their reputation that they allowed this to gone on without stepping up with a remedy and resolution for those who bought Accords, thinking they were buying dependable quality.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I had to replace my rear brakes at 28,561 miles. I was never told that there was a problem with all 2008 Honda Accords. Honda told me that they would not help me. I will never but another Honda.
- Frank C., Indianapolis, IN, US