2008 Honda Odyssey Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Odyssey years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 499 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Honda Odyssey. That ranks 12th out of 32 Odyssey model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (123 complaints, 25%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 37 crashes, 8 fires, 44 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
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- 499owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 37complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Honda Odyssey problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 123 | 25% | 70,000 | “lift gate” (23%) | $350 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 88 | 18% | 9,500 | “pedal travel” (9%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 62 | 12% | 66,499 | “brakes automatically” (8%) | — |
| Power Train | 41 | 8% | 37,343 | — | — |
| Engine | 40 | 8% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 33 | 7% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 6% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 29 | 6% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 27 | 5% | 41,211 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 16 | 3% | 63,787 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 3% | 35,174 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 13 | 3% | 125,450 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 12 | 2% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 11 | 2% | 2,908 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 1% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 1% | 10,683 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 1% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 1% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 1% | 48,589 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 1% | 92,150 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 84,256 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 90,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 180,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Honda Odyssey recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 23, 2004, through September 4, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the fuel pump strainer cover may deteriorate allowing fuel to leak out.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Parts to permanently repair the affected vehicles are not currently available. Honda will notify owners with an interim letter during May 2014. A second notice was mailed to owners October 6, 2014 when the remedy became available. Any vehicles that are currently leaking from the fuel pump cover will get a replacement, original cover. All vehicles, including those receiving the interim repair, will get an improved cover when they are available. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. The recall numbers associated with this campaign are JD9 (inspection and/or preliminary part replacement) and JE0 (final parts replacement).
Electrical system:software
Problem: American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured August 8, 2006, through September 8, 2008. Due to a combination of system components and software, the Vehicle Safety Assist System (VSA) may apply the brakes unexpectedly.
Risk: The vehicle may suddenly and unexpectedly brake hard, and without illuminating the brake lights, increasing the risk of a crash from behind.
Fix: Parts to remedy these vehicles will not be available until the spring of 2014. Honda will send owners an interim letter notifying them of the issue and instruct them how to prevent unintended braking. A second notification will be sent when the parts become available. Interim notification was mailed in December 2013. The recall began on April 29, 2014. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or visit their website at www.recalls.honda.com. Honda's recall number is JC5.
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments; structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device/strut
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 odyssey vehicles, the gas-filled struts that help to raise and support the liftgate of vehicles equipped with a power liftgate system may be prone to early life failures due to a manufacturing flaw. The flaw can result in a leak of the pressurized gas, leading to reduced strut performance.
Risk: Struts with diminished performance can lead to unexpected closure, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both power liftgate gas struts free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Service brakes, air
Problem: Honda has notified nhtsa of a defect in certain model year 2007 and 2008 odyssey and element passenger vehicles manufactured between july 28, 2006 and august 21, 2008. Air can enter the vsa modular pump during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each time the engine is started. It is possible for enough air to enter the system to result in a brake pedal that feels soft or lower to the floor.
Risk: If the owner does not have any brake service or maintenance performed over a period of months or years, the system can continue to accumulate enough air to affect braking performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owner and honda dealers will repair the vsa modulator by removing any existing air in the brake system then apply sealant and caps to prevent air from entering the brake system free of charge. The safety recall began on may 3, 2010. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Inappropriate autonomous braking (PE13024) — opened Jun 25, 2013, closed Nov 4, 2013, led to recall 13V500000.
- Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing (EQ12010) — opened Sep 28, 2012, closed Dec 31, 2012.
- Unexpected Closing of Power Liftgate (PE11034) — opened Sep 23, 2011, closed Feb 29, 2012, led to recall 12V062000.
- Air in brake system (EA09014) — opened Oct 19, 2009, closed May 11, 2010, led to recall 10V098000.
- Air in brake system (PE09024) — opened May 13, 2009, closed Oct 19, 2009, led to recall 10V098000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I believe that I was sold a car with an unsafe engine. I bought the van from Libertyville Honda in Libertyville on [XXX]. The car had 107K miles on it. A liile over a mounth later the check engine light came on and the van started running bad. When I did some reasearch I found out that a safty…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Honda Odyssey on April 13,2024. The sale was a private sell. The contact stated at the time of purhcase the odometer was recorded at 129,000. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact attempted to use the vehicle as a trade in. The contact…
The engine malfunctioned, and the car is available for inspection upon request? My safety was put at risk because the car was backfiring in traffic due to the spark plugs filling up with oil. I reported the problem to the Libertyville Honda because they sold me the vehicle about 35 days before the…
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle was leaking gasoline. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's boyfriend saw and took a video of the vehicle pouring gasoline. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an…
Incident #1: 1/18/2024, 102k miles. Engine surged to 2k while braking coming to a light. Close to hitting stopped car. Shifted to neutral rpm speed up to 4k. Incident #2: 1/31/2025: 107k miles. Slowing turning into driveway car would not stop rpm at 2k. Then shifted to neutral where rpm climbed to…
Other Honda Odyssey years
← 2007 Odyssey · 2009 Odyssey →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Odyssey | 49 | 2 |
| 2025 Odyssey | 423 | 2 |
| 2024 Odyssey | 117 | 3 |
| 2023 Odyssey | 103 | 5 |
| 2022 Odyssey | 139 | 9 |
| 2021 Odyssey | 146 | 8 |
| 2020 Odyssey | 484 | 14 |
| 2019 Odyssey | 987 | 20 |
| 2018 Odyssey | 1,004 | 16 |
| 2017 Odyssey | 39 | 2 |
| 2016 Odyssey | 270 | 6 |
| 2015 Odyssey | 206 | 6 |
| 2014 Odyssey | 310 | 5 |
| 2013 Odyssey | 210 | 6 |
| 2012 Odyssey | 245 | 5 |
| 2011 Odyssey | 235 | 5 |
| 2010 Odyssey | 255 | 1 |
| 2009 Odyssey | 198 | 3 |
| 2008 | 499 | 4 |
| 2007 Odyssey | 830 | 4 |
| 2006 Odyssey | 703 | 3 |
| 2005 Odyssey | 830 | 8 |
| 2004 Odyssey | 585 | 13 |
| 2003 Odyssey | 914 | 15 |
| 2002 Odyssey | 960 | 10 |
| 2001 Odyssey | 619 | 1 |
| 2000 Odyssey | 675 | 6 |
| 1999 Odyssey | 518 | 9 |
| 1998 Odyssey | 73 | 3 |
| 1997 Odyssey | 20 | 2 |
| 1996 Odyssey | 70 | 0 |
| 1995 Odyssey | 96 | 0 |
See all Honda Odyssey problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
Similar Honda models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Honda Odyssey?
Owners most often report structure, service brakes, hydraulic, service brakes problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 123 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Honda Odyssey?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Honda Odyssey a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Odyssey model years, the 2008 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.