CarComplaints.com Notes: Aside from peeling paint, the 2008 Honda Odyssey is a pretty reliable, generally trouble-free minivan.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,457 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 Odyssey drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2008 Honda Odyssey Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #26

Nov 062019

Odyssey

  • miles

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

Issue with power steering rack and pinion leak. As part of power train, the rack and pinion leak creates safety issue while driving. Turning effects driving and pings, knocks are heard @ 52,000 miles. We have lifetime unlimited miles and years warranty from dealer. Warranty company and dealership parted ways so brandon Honda verbally refuses to fix problem. This should be a recall. Other Odyssey owners with this issue. Since it's not a recall, dealer should fix under our warranty. While sitting, power steering fluid leaks from rack and pinion. Seals/gaskets, whatever else reason for leak which is expensive to fix. We replaced a cv joint at our expense this year. All the steering and powertrain parts are listed under powertrain on Honda website's parts page.

- Brandon, FL, USA

problem #25

Sep 182019

Odyssey

  • 117,000 miles
Vehicle affected is a 2008 Honda Odyssey. While driving various speeds, the ABS would erroneously activate and caused the vehicle to suddenly decelerate. During the failure, the vehicle stability control warning indicator illuminated. The if coming to a complete stop, auto would not go into gear when accelerator pressed. Worked better in D2, still having same issues. And reverse not working at all. Burning smell like that of rubber. Battery light was also on, had not been on before. VIN# is (xxxxx). Taking the vehicle into mckinney Honda dealership of North Texas Honda group. Incident occurred on 9/18/2019, will be taken to dealer 9/19/2019 redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #24

Aug 062019

Odyssey

  • 132,734 miles
Takata recall. On the highway I noticed a burning smell with no other indication that anything was wrong. Then check engine light and reving of engine and shifting issues.

- Waterbury, CT, USA

problem #23

Jun 012015

Odyssey

  • 0 miles

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

The transmission slips when driving.please advise

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #22

Feb 282019

Odyssey

  • 108,274 miles
While driving between shift change and slow down you will feel a jerking feeling or it feels like something is pulling the car back behind and pushing it at the same time, a friend who is a mechanic test drove my van and he said that the transmission is the giving up, I research about the Honda mini van it has been notorious to have transmission problem, my van only has 108274miles on it and it is considered low mileage to his age, and it can cause an accident because of sudden jerking while running on 40mph to 60mph

- Ridgefield Park, NJ, USA

problem #21

Oct 192017

Odyssey

  • 65,000 miles
Sudden acceleration: My wife was turning the car around in our driveway. The car started accelerating while in reverse. My wife pressed the brakes, but the car would not respond. It started slipping in place until it hit the fence. My wife continued to press the brake until the engine RPM returned to normal. My wife indicated that she had experience a similar issue last winter while driving on a snow covered road, but the acceleration stopped quickly. At that time, she thought the car just slipped due to the weather conditions.

- Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA

problem #20

Sep 242016

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 99,500 miles

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

Turning onto highway, heard a loud bang, checked my dash, no warning lights illuminated, thought it was a rock or road debris that hit the vehicle. Continued toward our destination at 55 mph, about a mile down the road the ABS lighted up, then the vsa, then the TPMS, then the seatbelt light, then the radio went out, the gauges were next, finally the battery light came on, I let the vehicle come to a halt using very little brakes. As soon as I stopped the engine died and no lights would come on, had to manually unlock and manually open the door. Called the Honda dealership, said it would be towed in that day 24 Sept 2016, there was no accident, but for this to happen with no warning whatsoever, is of concern to me. I don't know if this is a hardware or software glitch, we had the vehicle in for maintenance just this past week, timing belt, rear brakes, oil change. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you for considering this statement.

- Hilo, HI, USA

problem #19

May 092016

Odyssey

  • miles
The Honda Odyssey has a well known manufacturing defect with it transmission, including a class action lawsuit that was withdrawn by the plaintiff for an unknown reason- (likely settled by Honda outside of the class is my guess), related to the torque converter that american Honda motor co is unwilling to acknowledge and repair. Https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#Q=Odyssey+torque+converter+judder on May 9, 2016 scott clark Honda at 13000 E independence blvd, matthews, nc 28105, phone:(855) 507-6727, diagnosed this problem on my 2008 Odyssey and quoted $1727 to replace the torque converter. I contacted Honda customer relations at 310-783-2000 and was told that they would not cover the repair of the torque converter as there is no recall and they vehicle being out of the warranty period.

- Matthews, NC, USA

problem #18

Oct 012012

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Car emits a grinding sound when throttle is in a cruise or slight accel position. Engine gets "stuck" at 1500 RPM's where it emits grinding sound the loudest. Can also feel it in the gas pedal. Normal sequence is this: 1) accel to ~40mph 2) once at steady state and in 4th gear, engine rpms will fall to 1500. 3) RPM will get "caught" at 1500, makes grinding sound 4) rpms might breakthrough 1500, pop up to 1800, and grinding noise will diminish. 5) rpms will then drop below 1500, then rise and get stuck at 1500 again along with infuriating noise and pedal vibration. Cycle is usually 5-10 seconds. Going slightly uphill makes it cycle more frequently. Going downhill doesn't make noise since trans is disengaged. It's also hard to tell if lower gears do the same thing because engine noise and vibration drown out grinding sound/feel. Other thoughts: - kind of sounds like a strong cross-wind (30+ mph) going across the windshield. - it also sounds similar to how a bad idler bearing on an ac compressor sounds. That kind of metallic grinding sound. - it's not the engine mounts (they've been replaced) - it's subtle and some people might not detect the sound.

- Lubbock, TX, USA

problem #17

Aug 192014

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
Autopark Honda replaced drive shafts because there was a popping sound coming while slow turns. I drove away and within 2 miles, all hell broke loose. There was a tremendous amount of metallic noise coming from the car and I nearly lost total control of the car. I could break I think. But steering and engine power were dangerously affected. Me and my kids would have been killed. I suspect the parts used were not of proper quality or the workmanship was poor. I can't decide. The dealership has been perfect with other repairs so I doubt it could have been workmanship but it is hard for me to say. People make mistakes.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #16

Nov 142014

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 92,000 miles

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

I purchased this 2008 Honda Odyssey in 2011, with approximately 45,000 miles on it. During the winter of 2013, I began to experience groaning (and sometimes "humming") noises from the power steering system. Additionally, the steering wheel was hard to turn at low speeds. I assumed the vehicle was low on fluids so with every oil change (at the Honda dealership), I insisted the power steering fluid be filled. The Honda dealer was not able to identify any noises. However, last night on the way home from work at approximately 10pm, the noise re-appears. The steering issue is now following the noise making it difficult to steer the vehicle resulting in a safety issue in operating the vehicle. I know I share these concerns with other Honda Odyssey owners and our complaints are falling on deaf ears with the dealers. I really want to see these concerns addressed before someone gets hurt.

- Buford, GA, USA

problem #15

Apr 012009

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
First complaint was described by the dealers as a humming in the transmission. My description is like a kickback or hard downshifting. Next complaint is brakes seem like you apply foot to pedal and it seems like your not going to stop while foot is all the way down. Then there's like a sound of something releasing or letting go.

- Niagara Falls, NY, USA

problem #14

Jul 012014

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 109,000 miles
On approximately 7/1, I was driving home. The car wouldn't switch gears and lost a bit of power. I was able to drive down an interstate during rush hour at approx. 40 miles per hour. I had the van towed to a friends house. The next day, I drove it to hondaman, a certified Honda repair shop, they did a valve adjustment. The valve adjustment didn't work. There was a clicking, vibrating, knocking noise at 2800rpms while the car was in park (metal on metal noise) and then when driving. Replaced the timing belt and tensioner as recommended, this did not solve the problem. Did another valve adjustment (according to the tsb) and that did not work. Recommendations was that the engine be replaced or rebuilt. At no point ever did the car have a check engine light, low oil light, or any other signs of problems. I took the car to brown's Honda, they recommended a cylinder head replacement, valve replacement and camshaft replacement. The items had shown metal on metal wear. The shops and based on research, this a sign of no lubrication. They shop told me that this happens and it is a fluke. I also notified them that there are numerous tsbs on my car and if I move forward with the front cam replacement, I am worried that since the issue could not be identified, that the rear cam and pistons' or camshaft would need to be replaced. I did have my oil pan and oil plug replaced 2 years ago and after researching more about my car, found that this was a defect in the model I purchased. I also called the misfire settlement and was notified that since no diagnostic codes showed up, there was nothing they can do to extend my warranty. Since the notifications only occur due to emission issues, the car engine would have blown up while I was driving with no warning. I had all maintenance with Honda and truly scared that this will effect other buyers.

- Glen Brunie , MD, USA

problem #13

Jun 032014

Odyssey

  • 111,000 miles
When stopping at a red light, the car accelerates as if the transmission is surging. I apply the brakes and shift the car into neutral or park to stop the acceleration. This has happened on numerous occasions, I'm afraid of rear ending another car. Honda claims there is no problem.

- Richmond, CA, USA

problem #12

Mar 052013

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 94,000 miles
During braking between 20 - 40 mph, the vehicle surges forward. This has been most noticeable when going downhill and braking. It seams as the automatic transmission is downshifting prematurely (to high engine RPM) thus causing the vehicle to surge (jump) forward. This has occurred multiple time (more than 6) over the past 3 years. Note: Mileage and speed are estimated.

- Ooltewah, TN, USA

problem #11

Dec 212013

Odyssey

  • 56,166 miles
Strong vibration or judder while being driven typically at 20-45 mph or while being driven on an up or down grade. Also experienced no response of acceleration which caused very serious safety concern. Per Honda's tsb, torque converter is the issue if the problem returns after the software update. However Honda is not willing to take care of this issue.

- Trevor, WI, USA

problem #10

May 132013

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • miles
Spark plugged fouled in May. Oil consumption was at least a quart per 1000 miles at the time (every few weeks of driving). Had to replace spark plug and excessive oil consumption remains the same or greater. I am afraid that oil consumption will eventually cause engine failure while driving. Spoke to Honda multiple times and they either say oil consumption is normal or wait until failure for extended warranty to kick in.

- West Friendship, MD, USA

problem #9

Sep 272010

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 19,521 miles
9/27/10: Driver's side half axle/powertrain failed at 19,500 miles and had to be replaced. 7/15/13 at 44,550 miles, both the replacement driver's side half axle failed and also the passenger's side failed for the first time. At this rate it seems that the half-axles have to be replaced every 20-25 K miles.

- Scarsdale, NY, USA

problem #8

Aug 172013

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 55,156 miles
Transmission shifted down from 65 mph and a car hit me from behind. I would say it took me down to 45 mph very quickly from 65 mph and then a car hit me from behind going North on I95 in Virginia. Little dent. Do not know who hit me because the traffic was heavy and it was late at night Saturday August 17th,2013. I did not notice anything more until the next morning. Now I have a transmission sign warning on my dash.

- Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA

problem #7

Apr 072011

Odyssey 6-cyl

  • 27,900 miles
Brakes automatically applied during acceleration from 20-50 while entering busy highway slowing vehicle nearly to a stop. Managed to avoid approaching traffic and limp off the highway at the next exit. Problem recurred as I took side road back home. Problem also recurred as I took vehicle to dealer to diagnose the following morning. Dealer was unable to recreate the problem or provide solution. Problem persisted and vehicle was returned to the dealership two more times in 2011 with no resolution as well. Now 2013 with over 40,000 miles on the vehicle (out of 36,000 mile warranty), problem persists. Driver has learned to pull over and turn engine off to reset electronics necessary to temporarily overcome the issue. Still no diagnosis or resolution by dealership or Honda. This is not an issue caused by warped brake rotors, worn brake pads, or air in brake lines. ECM/PCM software updates in Apr and May 2011 were fruitless. I suspect that the problem is in either a sensor, a primary control unit, or software operating such.

- Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA

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