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.

7.9

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,260
Average Mileage:
67,500 miles
Total Complaints:
394 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (229 reports)
  2. per Honda consuming 1qt per 1k miles normal (42 reports)
  3. I heard that Honda replaced worn rings and engine short block (21 reports)
  4. call American Honda corporation to complain (14 reports)
  5. rebuilt the engine (14 reports)
  6. replace engine (13 reports)
2008 Honda Accord engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 8 of 20)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #254

Aug 012014

Accord EX-L 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,225 miles

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

I have always had this vehicle (bought new) serviced at the same dealership. I began hearing a rattle noise when accelerating (around 2000 RPM) and the oil light flashed on briefly. I took it into the dealership and was told that I was about 3 quarts low on oil. I had the oil changed about 3800 miles prior and there has been no signs of leak or burning oil. This was the first time that the vehicle had consumed any oil between oil changes. Dealer service adviser told me that Honda Accords can consume up to 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. Curious that this suddenly began at 68000 miles. It was suggested that I closely monitor oil consumption and possible have dealer perform an oil consumption test that would require me to bring in my vehicle every 1000 miles.

- graype2, Alta Loma, CA, US

problem #253

Aug 082012

Accord CUP ES 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

I have a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe 2.4 L and I have excessive oil leak. I have to put one liter of oil every week. It also makes a strange noise when cold starting. Is there any type of recall on this car for this problem, and if not how much would this fix cost?

- Edin A., Plainville, CT, US

problem #252

Apr 012011

Accord EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 73,000 miles

I have multiple cars, one being a GMC Yukon with 187k and it doesn't burn one drop of oil between oil changes. This car started out great but it's highway millage dropped around 50k from 32 to 25 miles per gallon. I have had to deal with rear brakes that need servicing every 20k miles, I have to put a quart of oil every one thousand miles.

I have been to the dealer and was told it was normal for the brakes and the oil. It was only after the brake class action law suit did I get some compensation for the brake issue. I don't believe the oil consumption is normal and feel it is a rip off by Honda and their dealers. I have put up with it, but find that the recent class action lawsuit should include the 08 4 cylinder cars as well. I am scheduling the VTC replacement this coming Tuesday and it will cost me 450 dollar since there is no good will from the dealer. This will be the first and last time I or any one of my family members will buy a Honda. I will tell all my friends as well the poor manufacturing as well as the service for Hondas.

- 10wmoore, Cary, NC, US

problem #251

Jul 012013

Accord EX-L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

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

I have a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L 4 cylinder with just over 120,000 miles. I purchased the car new and did not have any issues with it until the past year or so. My car would start up and make a noise like a lawn mower and when I drove the oil light would sporadically come on and my car would sound like it was sucking dry. This would then prompt me to go buy a few quarts of oil and fill it up. It didn't occur to me to google this until today as I am preparing to sell this car ask there seems to be more and more issues. I was really surprised to learn of this excessive consumption problem and a little disheartened that 4 cylinders were not included in the lawsuit and how other 4 cylinder owners have been treated by the dealership as well as Honda corporate. My family has always driven Hondas, we've own multiple Accords, a Civic, a Pilot and an Odyssey. We've never had any major issues until this.

- Lily T., Troy, NY, US

problem #250

Dec 012012

Accord EX 2.4L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

Now my Accord is out of warranty and I'm afraid the motor will go out very prematurely due to me losing at least a qt a week. I see there is a law suit against Honda helping people with the V6 models but what about us I4's with the same problem? I would not recommend Honda to anyone at this point.

- starunt, New Castle, DE, US

problem #249

Jan 092014

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

2008 Honda Accord 4 Cyl. EX-L with same oil consumption issue. I will never buy another Honda Accord again. Only have 68,000 miles on it, bought it brand new. Tired of adding oil and worrying about the engine blowing. Honda Sucks!

- Jody T., Milan, IL, US

problem #248

Aug 072013

Accord EX-L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,842 miles

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

Like many others, I'm having this excessive oil consumption issue.

Started about 88,8k. Was having an rattle I was having a very hard time identifying. Thought it was a heat shield or clamp of some sort around the exhaust. One morning the oil light came on briefly and took it to the local dealer. Dealer informed me that the oil was about half empty, 2.5 quarts low. Filled it up and kept an eye on the level. Also noted that over the past 8-12 months I had noticed a significant drop in mileage, which I've kept religiously since purchasing the car (new). Was seeing as good at 31-32 mpg on the highway, then like a switch had been flipped and I haven't seen about 27-28 since. Same holds for city driving, although not quite as bad.

After much wrangling with the dealership here in Des Moines, where they wanted me to do an oil flush for about $300 and start doing oil changes at 3500 instead of the maintenance minder. Up to this point, I've changed the oil immediately when prompted, usually about 7500 miles. Been told that's not unreasonable given the synthetic the Accord requires. But I felt like the dealer was trying to squeeze useless services out of me. Found a dealer notification from 2007 from Honda Corp notifying dealers NOT to offer such recommendations. The earlier oil changes are a waste of money and the flush can actually HARM the engine.

Called American Honda and notified them of this. Didn't have much to say about the service issues, but we began the oil consumption test. First 2300 miles was a quart. Since then it's been about half every thousand, at different check frequencies. All told, I'm at about 3 qts over 6000 miles. Hardly a scientific process.

Received a call today from the dealer that the Regional-Somebody is declining any sort of "goodwill" help on the issue since the company standard holds. 1qt/1000 miles = tolerance and I'm outside that anyway. Although I have to say I'm running right about 1qt per 1000 since the initial 3000K.

I have yet to have anyone at Honda adequately explain to me how the mileage monitor says my oil is good for ~ 7000 miles and their tolerances say I'll be negative 2 quarts by the time I get there.

And to add insult to injury, I also have this VTC actuator issue and my model is outside the TSB VIN numbers, so they don't even acknowledge I could have the same problem.

Last Honda. Not a big fan of the car to begin with, but these issues seal the deal. I actually find it's funny how the techs are talking to be about my options, including selling this thing and getting a different care. Almost as if they seem to think I'll just go across the hall and buy a new Honda....

Update from Jan 17, 2014: After a fair bit of wrangling with my local dealer and Honda America, they've come to a "goodwill offer". Reset: car is an '08 accord EX-L 4 cyl. About 97000 miles and in otherwise good shape. Results of the consumption test say it's doing about a quart every 1500-1800 miles (varied kinda wildly across about 5 checks). Dealer sent the results to a regional somebody who declined to do anything. I restarted my calls wi6h American Honda Corp (800-999-1009) and they called back with a "Goodwill Offer" of 50/50, they'll pay half. I also have the VTC actuator cold start problem, and my VIN isn't part of the recall. So they are just going to have me pay the part, and the labor is included in the rings and seals work. My end is "supposed" to top out about $1400.

Kinda ticked still as this looks like it's all covered under other VINs and the V6 VTM settlement.

I suppose we'll do it as I'm finding another little happening. During this we looked pretty aggressively at trading this POS in for something else. However (and not unsurprisingly), even though the "book value" sites say my car is routinely in the $9000-11000 value range (trade-in), most dealers are low balling in at about $7500. Looks like these problems are well known and affecting values more than I previously thought (and the book sites it would seem).

Good luck all.

- Jeffrey M., West Des Moines, IA, US

problem #247

Apr 012012

Accord EX-L 4 cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 68,000 miles

After literally keeping a weekly log of mileage and any added oil ("oil consumption") by checking the oil levels a few times a week, as instructed to do by the dealership (Cardinal Honda) they, dealership "& Honda decided to "rebuild the engine".

To date, and with continued regularly scheduled maintenance (have always done so!) I am still adding between one, and one and-a-half quarts of oil a week, between oil changes!! The dealership and Honda claim "this is a NORMAL condition of the '08 Accord's engine!"

- Harold (Harry) I., Griswold, CT, US

problem #246

Jun 152011

Accord LX 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

I just find it really annoying vehicle should have to consume as much oil as it does within the timeframe of a normal oil change.

- Russ W., Ballston Spa, NY, US

problem #245

Nov 292013

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 145,000 miles

After Thanksgiving my engine light comes on, I'm told there is a misfire in cylinder 2 and i need to replace the plug, which was a year old this is all by a non dealer. Then $367 later, engine light is back on and the dealer finds oil is more than 2 quarts down VCM is stuck. they fix VCM and changed oil. Tell me about consumption service bulletin, I watch the oil, after 2200 I'm down a quart, I call the dealer they said thats normal! for a 5 year old car??? No it is not NORMAL, I should not have to carry a case of oil in my car when it is ONLY 5 years old!, My brother in law drives a 14 year old crappy chysler and he doesn't need to replace the damn oil after 2200!!! How does Honda think this is normal??? If it is normal why buy Honda? Who wants to spend thousands on a vehicle that you have to keep a case of oil in the trunk at the 5 year mark??? My Mazda was 9 years old and still never did such a thing. Dealer ship and Honda is BS'ing me because they do not want to take responsibility for the failure they manufactured.

- Cindy C., Bloomsburg, PA, US

problem #244

Apr 012014

Accord ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,700 miles

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

Last summer it cost me over $300 due to misfired spark plugs at a Honda Dealer between Carrollton, GA and Daytona, FL while on vacation. The car has been consuming oil at an alarming rate. I am worried I am headed for some major repair work on the engine due to oil getting into the combustion area.

- Denise C., Carrollton, GA, US

problem #243

Jun 142011

Accord LX 2.4L 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,720 miles

I have talked to the Honda dealership in my area and Honda corporate customer service, and unfortunately no one can help me. They say my 2008 LX isn't covered in the extended warranty. I'm currently in the middle of an oil consumption test and when I started the test (at the dealership) they put an additional 2 quarts of oil in my car...I'm currently 500 miles (half way) into the consumption test and have already burned 1 qt of oil. Sidebar (How can Honda justify 1 quart per 1000 miles is "reasonable"?)

Update from Feb 5, 2014: Spoke with Honda Corporate and the local dealership and they are refusing to correct this issue. Honda Corporate closed my case out without a resolution. The dealership is replacing the piston rings and has already told me in advance of the repair work (as in they haven't seen my car) that there is no damage to my engine....hard to believe when you run a car unknowingly with low oil for 80k miles.

- Jeff C., Roanoke, VA, US

problem #242

Jan 032013

Accord EL V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 91,000 miles

I noticed my car was making a strange noise when I first started it up. I took it to the Honda dealership in Ann Arbor Michigan, and they told me I was running the car without oil. They filled it up for me, and change the oil filter. Not even 3000 miles later, the car was making the same noise. I looked up on the Internet forums and found the oil consumption concerns. I brought this up to the service manager at the Ann Arbor dealership, and he dismissed it. He said it is common to put a quart of oil in the accord about every 2000 miles.

I am in sales, and I drive about 900 miles a week. When this was first brought to the dealerships attention, I was just over 90,000 miles, and I was still under the factory warranty. I repeatedly brought this up to the same service manager, and he said he can do a consumption test, but it will take many miles to complete. He reassured me there was no problem.

Consequently, I no longer go to this dealership for any service whatsoever. I use a local shop in my hometown, and he is aware of this oil consumption issue prior to me discussing it with him. I keep the 5 quarts of oil in my trunk and all times. About every 3000 miles I have to almost empty the container. I feel bad going in for an oil change to my local service guy right after I put in new oil, however, he checks everything and changes the filter and rotates my tires.

I bought this car based on its reputation of being a long-lasting vehicle with very few problems. Now knowing the Honda/the Ann Arbor dealership is lying, my trust in Honda has been shaken. This is the only issue with my car, however it is a pain in the ass. I am not sure if this hurts the resale value of it, but I will keep this car as long as I can. I am currently at 139,000 miles, and I have bought about five containers of oil.

If there is a fix the Honda is going to fess up to, I would like to know what it is and how fast they can do it. I kept all of my receipts and concerns from the Honda dealership in Ann Arbor. Without trusting them anymore, they may have deleted my concerns for all I know.

- Rob S., Saline, MI, US

problem #241

Feb 012014

Accord EX-L 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,000 miles

love hondas, really disappointed in this lack of doing the right thing and still requiring a $500 deductible

- Nathan W., Douglasville, GA, US

problem #240

Mar 312014

Accord EXL 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,979 miles

I purchased this 2008 Honda Certified used car back in May of 2013 with about 79K miles on it. At around 90K I had it worked on at the Honda dealer I bought it from as it was making a rattling noise under the hood and was still under warranty.

They ended up having to replace the timing chain and valve actuators on it and finally covered it under my used warranty. The mechanic at the dealer told me that "They don't make cars like they used too," and that I should change my oil at the minimum every 3,000 miles. He also told me not to rely on the oil change gauge/reading they have in the car. (Why do they even have them?)

So when I picked my car up from the dealership, it turns out they didn't reset the oil change meter when they did the work, and I didn't notice this until after I was home.

So this past weekend (Saturday) my oil light came on, but I knew it had been less than 3,000 miles since it was serviced and changed at the dealer.

Someone happened to give me a coupon today (Monday) for an oil change from a local oil change place, so I went and had it changed even though it really wasn't due. I thought it couldn't hurt and only help.

When the local place checked and changed my oil, they said it didn't register any oil on the dipstick and had burned through nearly all of the oil. It has been less than 3,000 miles since they changed it at the dealer (closer to or less than around 2,500).

The dealer has just recently replaced my timing chain and valves in January (2014). I am betting that they knew about this problem but didn't tell me. They said it was from not changing my oil frequently enough, which I do change it like I am supposed to. Now it's not under warranty.

Should I simply notify the dealership of this problem or is this something I have to keep up with as far as changing the oil and checking the levels all the time? or adding to it all the time in between oil changes?

I can see where this can get costly and/or ruin my engine if it isn't kept up with.

Any advice?

Update from Aug 12, 2014: I have been through an oil consumption test and it was found to be short on oil before the test ended. They told me to try a different oil (synthetic) and that should solve the problem. I noticed when I left that the dealer changed the recommended oil change time from every 5,000 miles to every 3,000 miles this time on the sticker in the window. Please help somebody! This can't be good for my car and we have already documented that something is wrong!

Update from Nov 12, 2014: The dealer ran 2 oil consumption tests (6,000 miles total) and gave the typical response that Accords use 1 quart of oil per thousand miles. I just had another oil change after 4,000 miles and the shop said it barely had any oil left. The dealer gave me the runaround and never would make it right. I now have to keep a check on the oil regularly to make sure it is ok.

- nwillis21, Gray Court, SC, US

problem #239

Mar 022012

Accord EX .2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

Having to add 2 to 3 quarts of oil in between oil changes is very frustrating

- Fernando K., Durham, NC, US

problem #238

Jul 172013

Accord LXP 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,000 miles

Same problem with oil consumption as everyone else. Honda offered an extended warranty but wants me to pay a $500 dollar deductible to fix their inherent defect. Honda refuses to cover the full amount. I will never buy another Honda product again.

- Michael D., Cape Girardeau, MO, US

problem #237

Sep 152009

Accord EX-L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles

After purchasing my 08 accord, I was a good owner and followed their useless maintenance minder and took it to honda for routine maintenance. At approximately ~28,000 miles I noticed that the car was burring oil. I took it to a honda dealership in charlotte north carolina to have them say that nothing was wrong with the car. I continually checked the oil levels to find that the car was still burning oil. So I took it to a dealership in Columbia Sc. After several visits and the dealership telling me that it was normal to burn 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles. I called corporate. 4 case workers later, I had taken the car to barber honda in bakersfield, ca. At this point the car had the recall updates installed, the dealership ran their diagnostics and said nothing is wrong, and every 2,000 miles they had me pay for a synthetic blend oil change.

Finally, Barber Honda said that we think the problem is the timing belt gear system. They changed the entire system and I found that it didn't solve the problem. At this point I became tired of the continually excuses Honda has given me. I decided to start changing the oil myself with Castrol Titanium Edge GTX and a higher grade filter than the crap honda gives. I have been checking my oil and seeing that it is still burning oil but at this point I cannot do anything about this.

The conclusion to my rant is that, Honda could careless about their customers. The car I own has had break, transmission, and engine issues and honda has not done anything to resolve any of the issues. I have learned that for the remained of the time I own this car it is in my best interest to service it myself and not take it to honda.

In 6 years of ownership, honda has not resolved an issue and has not shown any concern to come up with a solution.

- sasan012, Concord, CA, US

problem #236

Jan 012014

Accord EX_L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

Car is currently using a quart of oil every 2,000 miles. Had an 04 Honda accord and did not use any oil with 7500 miles in between oil changes. Do not want to pass this problem onto someone else but do not know how to fix or what is really wrong, very disappointed #honda motors!

- andersonmn, Rochester, MN, US

problem #235

Feb 012013

Accord 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,000 miles

I bought this very nice 2008 Accord in February 2013. It had 95,000 miles. At the first oil change (I do it myself), I was down 2.5 quarts, maybe even a bit more. I thought the transmission was slipping, but it was actually very low on oil.

I did an oil consumption test, where they have you drive the car for 1,000 miles and then bring it in to check the oil loss (you do that three times). I was losing just over one quart per 1,000 miles.

After thee visits and five phone calls to the dealership, I can't get a response from anyone there. They just continue to ignore me. If I don't get resolution, I'll be editing this to add the dealership name and address.

- John G., Medina, OH, US

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