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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
27,384 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Honda Accord engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #23

Apr 252015

Accord

  • 61,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Defect in engine with vtc acuator. At cold start the engine rattles loudly for about 2-5 seconds. Honda claims there is still no fix for problem. See Honda service bulletin 09-010.I feel vehicle will become unsafe to drive if there is an engine failure at highway speeds.

- Edison, NJ, USA

problem #22

Mar 202013

Accord

  • 67,000 miles
Check engine light went on. Got car serviced and general maintenance. Came back on. Mechanic couldn't figure it out but found vdap code. Over $1000 in repairs and check-engine light keeps coming back on. No one can figure out why the vdap code keeps reappearing and check-engine light has been reappearing for one and half years.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #21

Mar 012012

Accord

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the instrument panel lights illuminated as the vehicle lost power and stalled. The failure was experienced numerous times. The local mechanic performed a diagnostic but was unable to locate a failure however, the battery was replaced. The failure was not corrected and the vehicle continued to lose power and stall sporadically. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 60,000.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #20

Apr 152012

Accord

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph the vehicle stalled. The contact was not able to turn the vehicle back on and then had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where they also could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 54,000.

- Emerville , CA, USA

problem #19

May 022012

Accord 4-cyl

  • miles
I purchased my certified pre-owned Honda Accord 2008 4cy from fischer Honda with close 52,000 miles. I have noticed that the car's oil empties out before I am due for my regular oil changes. The car begins to make strange noises. I have mentioned this to two dealers and they don't know what is exactly going on. One dealer told me that I probably put bad gasoline in my car. Upon further investigation, I have noticed that a lot of Honda Accord 2008 owners are having this same issue and Honda is not really doing anything to solve this issue. They are currently doing an oil consumption test on my car.

- Ypsilanti , MI, USA

problem #18

Apr 022012

Accord

  • miles
I bought a new 2008 Honda Accord exl-6 vehicle. I have 72,000 miles on it, mostly highway driving. I've had my rear brakes replaced twice. The dealer tried to tell me 30,000 is average for brakes. Also had all my spark plugs replaced. # 3 went bad and they suggested I replace all of them. Again, telling me 70,000 miles is average for spark plug replacement. I was charged full price for all work done, I've even paid for the extended warranty and that didn't cover the spark plugs either. I wouldn't even take my car to the Honda dealer but since I foolishly paid for the extended warranty, I'm afraid that will become null and void if any other mechanic touches my car for any reason. First and last Honda I will ever purchase. I'd like to know if there is anyway I can find out if I'm entitled to a refund for brakes & spark plugs. Just spent almost $600 having the two replaced.

- Wallington, NJ, USA

problem #17

Apr 012009

Accord

  • 18,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact was driving approximately 50 mph when the brakes were abruptly applied and the vehicle exhibited an abnormal grinding noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the front and rear brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately 15,000 miles later, the failure recurred when decelerating. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where they advised the contact that rear brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired a second time but again, the failure recurred while the contact was driving approximately 40 mph. The vehicle would shutter and the grinding noise had become increasingly louder. In addition, while attempting to start the vehicle the contact noticed a loud noise for approximately two seconds. The contact checked the oil dipstick and discovered that there was no oil in the engine. The dealer advised having an oil consumption test performed and driving the vehicle for an additional 1,000 miles before confirming the failure. The contact was concerned about the oil consumption and the engine failing. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000 and the current mileages were approximately 43,000.

- Lafeyette, LA, USA

problem #16

Feb 102012

Accord 4-cyl

  • miles
Over the course of 3000 miles I had to add an additional 5 quarts of oil and while driving the headlights dim intermittently.

- Bellingham, MA, USA

problem #15

Apr 142011

Accord

  • 68,681 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact was driving approximately 30 mph and heard a loud growling noise emitting from the outside of the vehicle. There was also an illumination of the engine warning indicator. The warning light remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure recurred only when driving at low speeds. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on eight different times for the identical failure. The arm bushings were replaced. On a separate occasion the vehicle was repaired under a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 11V395000 (power train: Automatic transmission: Control module (tcm, PCM) however, the malfunction continued to occur after the remedy repair was performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 68,681.

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #14

Nov 032010

Accord 6-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
Above start date and mileage are estimates as this seems to have always been an issue. The engine sputters when accelerating through the first few gears. This is noticeable around the 20-35 mile per hour range, but may occur before or after that speed. It seems dangerous if acceleration is needed when the car will not respond. I have looked up Honda service bulletins and it seems there a re a few that "might" fit the issue. One is related to an oil "leak" another to oil "consumption" as well as one related to engine "low power". I believe the oil issue exists regardless as I am checking it now and discovered it is always low. There are a couple of others that may or may not apply as it is hard to determine the exact problem and service bulletin. The vehicle has been to the dealer for this issue only for the dealer to not be able to determine the cause or identify the problem while at the shop. Early on while under warranty the vehicle was brought back to the dealer for this issue and some spark plugs were replaced. If I remember correctly they said there was a problem with the spark plugs. The issue has always remained even after the replacement of some spark plugs. They may not have replaced all of them and thus the issue at hand? I will have to ask the dealer for a service history if they have it since I may not have all the records. The car will go back again for this issue after writing this. I'm hoping for a positive outcome where it will not cost me a fortune as the car is now out of warranty but was brought in for this while it was covered.

- Oak Ridge, NJ, USA

problem #13

Jul 012011

Accord 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There is a loud grinding/rattling sound after a cold start up.

- Glen Dale, WV, USA

problem #12

Jun 182009

Accord

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed excessively large amounts of oil. He stated that there were two quarts of oil used for every 1,000 miles traveled. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who advised that they did not know the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The current mileage was approximately 54,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #11

Jul 142009

Accord

  • 59,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing oil and only noticed that when the oil and check engine light came on. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer several times, but the dealer was unable to find the source of the leak. The dealer performed a diagnostic test and confirmed that the vehicle was losing two quarts of oil every 200 miles. The manufacturer stated that they would look into the problem, but did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 94872.

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #10

Jun 092008

Accord 6-cyl

  • 50 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated when driving at approximately 60 mph, there were unusual vibrations and the vehicle would abnormally veer toward the right. The dealer rotated the tires but the vehicle then began to veer toward the left. The dealer realigned the front suspension but to no avail. In addition, the brakes would sporadically squeal when depressed. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer replaced the rotors twice but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure persisted. The failure mileage was 50 and the current mileage was 24,800. On July 26, 2010, the check engine light, vsa and an exclamation warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle began idling erratically and the vehicle kept wanting to cut as the consumer approached traffic lights. Upon inspection of the vehicle, it was determined there was a problem with the cylinder. The spark plugs and cylinder were replaced. Updated 08/10/10

- Indian Head, MD, USA

problem #9

May 012010

Accord

  • 32,000 miles
Small road debris can enter the engine compartment of a 2008 Honda Accord through a very wide air dam in the nose of the vehicle and puncture the air conditioning condenser. Sudden loss of pressure in the condenser causes vapor to be emitted from the HVAC ducts inside the car causing driver distraction. This is a dangerous condition at highway speeds. Honda repaired the vehicle at owner cost buy does nothing to prevent the problem from recurring.

- East Amherst, NY, USA

problem #8

Aug 012007

Accord

  • 3,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle burned oil faster than normal. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed the vehicle was burning oil faster than normal but still in accordance with industry standards. The vehicle was not repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure continued to occur. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. The current mileage was approximately 37,000.

- Westfield, NJ, USA

problem #7

Feb 192010

Accord

  • 45,000 miles
2008 Honda Accord ex-L with the check engine light on and off for the past year and a half. When I bring the car back to the dealer they say I have no oil in the engine. This goes on every other month and they have not solved the problem. My car is still fortunately under extended warranty, but is there more damage being done that once I reach my warranty the car will be worthless" the dealer and american Honda have been useless in this matter and have told me to drive my car with every warning light on until they can figure out how to fix it. At what point in a car just a lemon" if I couldn't turn back time 2 years I would have never bought this car.

- Norfolk, MA, USA

problem #6

Dec 152009

Accord

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Accord. While driving 55 miles per hour the contact noticed black smoke coming from the muffler. The vehicle began to consume excessive amounts of oil. The contact spoke with the dealer who replaced the oil gasket, the vtc oil control valve and the chain chassis ring. After the vehicle was repaired the vehicle continued to leak oil. The contact also stated that the engine rattled immediately after the vehicle was turned on. The dealer advised the contact to speak with the manufacturer for further assistance. The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer who stated that the failures were normal. The manufacturer advised the contact to pay for the repairs. The current mileage was 88000. The failure mileage was 25000.

- Brandywine, MD, USA

problem #5

Apr 122010

Accord

  • 29,000 miles
I have a 2008 Honda Accord ex-L I picked up new in the fall of 2007. To date I have just over 30,000 miles. Today, (4/12/10) I took my car to my local Honda dealership for an oil change. I was told that my rear brakes were at 5% and repair cost would be $330!!! I mentioned I paid an additional $2,200 for an "extended warranty "on top of the $28,000 sticker price back in 2007. Today I asked the Honda advisor what does my $2,200 "extended warranty" cover? he said nothing mechanical. By this point I did not want to argue, but rather I paid the $38.13 for my oil change and left. Also with my previous oil change maybe 3 months ago with about 29,000 miles I was also told my rear brakes were somewhere around 15% and I think the Honda dealership quoted me around $300. I am definitely a named party in the gibbs lawsuit as of 12/17/09. I have not paid to fix my rear brakes yet. Other problems I am having is my navigation freezes up, I have this rattling sound in my front drivers door, my front passenger door sounds like it is not closed all the way because I hear road noise, and twice now my wipers have continued to stay on even though I turned them off or the wipers will be "delayed" even though the wipers are off, my glove box is misaligned on the right hand side and at times when I am pulling into the garage with my foot off of the gas pedal, the car will accelerate forward a little. I am finished with this car!!!! my 2008 Accord is my 3rd Accord and by far the most obnoxious lemon I have ever owned. My 1986 and 2000 Accord were more "Honda" than my 2008 Accord. I am thoroughly disgusted with Honda's caring integrity.

- Elkhart, IN, USA

problem #4

Apr 112010

Accord

  • 48,000 miles
I have a 2008 Honda Accord at 48,000 miles maint has been done as required and recently the car has begun shutting off while driving stalling the engine. It is quite scary because today we were driving on the highway and all of a sudden it stopped. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow but wanted to send in a complaint in the event that other Honda owners are having the same issue. It could prove deadly if someone is not near a median where they can pull over to.

- Weston, FL, USA

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