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.

6.5

fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$0
Average Mileage:
21,000 miles
Total Complaints:
13 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (7 reports)
  2. service bulletin to pack foam in rear decklid (3 reports)
  3. dealer installed felt between rear window and rear dash (1 reports)
  4. install more insulation (1 reports)
  5. the so call fix did not work (1 reports)
2008 Honda Accord accessories - interior problems

accessories - interior problem

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2008 Honda Accord Owner Comments

problem #13

Sep 012008

Accord LX-P 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles

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

rattling rear deck. took to one dealer, said they fixed it, got worse after a week. took car to another dealer for other problems, fixed realr deck rattle again. I mentioned it was repaired before, was told there was a fix from Honda, the 1st dealer didn't even use the correct parts to fix. a couple weeks later, the rattle is back to it's original annoying level before being "fixed" twice. overall, Honda service very poor, have no interest in performing warranty work.

- macxelat1, Syracuse, NY, US

problem #12

Feb 152013

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles

The rear deck would rattle and vibrate like the sub woofer was blown. Dealer fixed for free out of warranty from a TSB repair kit of special foam.

- stevelb1, Windham, NH, US

problem #11

Jul 012008

Accord LX-P 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,000 miles

Rear deck rattling. Repaired at one Honda dealer, got worse. brought car to another honda dealer for another problem. When I picked up the car, they told me there was a bulletin for a rattling rear deck, so they fixed it. I notified them that another Honda dealer already "repaired" it, in case if affected their reimbursment from Honda, they told me there were specific parts that had to be installed, and they weren't there. The rattling got better for a few weeks, then went back to the normal rattling. Way to go, Honda! I don't think they effectively fixed a single thing I brought it in for while under warranty. Although, in their defense, the service manager told me point blank "with warranty repairs, we don't get paid for diagnosis time, so if it's not an obvious problem, we aren't going to spend alot of time figuring it out." thanks for not caring, guys, at least now I know what Honda has become.

- macxelat1, Syracuse, NY, US

problem #10

Jul 012010

Accord 4 cylinder

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles

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

One day while driving, I noticed that the speakers weren't as loud as they had been and that there was a rattling noise coming from the back. The noise is more noticeable when the music is off and is intensified when you ride over a bump.

- Silver P., Glen Burnie, MD, US

problem #9

Jul 012010

Accord LX-P

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30,000 miles

Multiple problems with rattling in my car. It started with the truck less than 6 months after I purchased the car new. They had to add insulation to the truck to stop it from rattling against the rear glass. It's not about 2 years later and the same rattling is back - will have to take it back to the dealer for round two.

Additional rattling in the interior coming from the passenger-side a-frame. Took it to the dealer on a day when it was really rattling like crazy and they said it needed insulation. Had it fixed and less than a week later the rattling is back, but worse. Now it sounds like the entire interior roof lining is rattling against the windshield.

The only fix that has lasted (fingers crossed) is the additional insulation they put in the shift compartment. So far that has lasted about a month with no recurrence.

All is covered under warranty - but my warranty expires in 2K. Seriously looking at selling this car - while the issues don't affect performance, they make me absolutely hate this darn car.

- stutleril, Hoffman Estates, IL, US

problem #8

Sep 162010

Accord EXL V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,000 miles

It sounds like the speaker is vibrating against the rear window. So annoying! Car out of warranty. So I'm screwed until I can dump this junk car.

Update from Aug 15, 2011: They are still refusing to fix the problem. Out of 7 people I work with that have this crap car, 5 have the vibrating speakers. And no, it's not because I listen to the radio loud. I just took it to the dealer because someone told me they would fix it even thouh it's out of warranty. Nope! They wont fix it. Thanks anyway. Ah well! However, I now get file another complaint. Drum roll..... All spark plugs are now being replaced at just under 60,000 miles. bye-bye Honda. Going car shopping this week. Stinks cause just paid the stupid car off!

Update from Aug 15, 2011: 7 guys I work with have 08 accords. 2 have same problem with speakers. Bad bad car!!!! Spark plug problems are coming.

- hh2008, Bronx, NY, US

problem #7

Jun 012009

Accord EX V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,000 miles

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

It was very noisy listening to my trunk rattle every time I drove down the road. I could barely hear my two year old talk nevermind if you were listening to the radio you had to have the volume up because the rattle/vibration was very loud. Sounded as though I was driving down the road with a ceramic plate placed on the top of my trunk. However the dealership insulated the trunk and I never again had a problem.

- nollmeyer, Magnolia, DE, US

problem #6

Jan 102009

Accord EX-L 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,214 miles

Was fixed no longer making the awful sound when radio is hard

- vaua70, Miami, FL, US

problem #5

Apr 012009

Accord EX

  • Manual transmission
  • 24,000 miles

I have excessive noise on the rear dash of the car, near the brake light. The banging and rattling is so bad that even my Mother, who is hard of hearing, asked what it was. The rattling occurs when I drive over any time of bump or am driving on the highway. The highway driving is the worst because it starts to rattle and bang for minutes at a time.

Brought it to the dealership 4 TIMES. Each time I was a told the issue was fixed. Let's hope that the 4th time is a charm. Anyone else experience this?

- Kelly C., Yonkers, NY, US

problem #4

Nov 032009

Accord EX I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 27,500 miles

Upper stop lamp rattles against rear window on mildly rough roads. Irritating. I know that Honda is known for road noises but the rattling is something else.

- Ed R., Warren, MI, US

problem #3

Nov 022009

Accord EX-L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,913 miles

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

There was a rattle or squeeking coming from the rear window and the rear dash area. It turns out the plastic from the rear dash can shift slightly based on the temperature and come into contact with the rear window causing noise. This noise can be heard either loud music causing the vibration or simply from road vibration while driving.

The dealer knew of the issue and installed some felt in between the window and the rear dash stopping the noise. Problem fixed under warranty.

- Alan H., Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

problem #2

Aug 012008

Accord

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,000 miles

I have a rattling noise coming from my speakers. I did't notice it until my passenger told me my speakers were busted. How embarrassing. I turned the music off and every time I hit a road bump the noise seem to get worse. Has anyone else had this problem?

I am still having problems with squealing brakes and I am furious. We have to ban together and stop Honda and make them listen. Maybe we could picket the dealership in our areas. If they start losing money the way we have been putting out money on these defective brakes, then maybe they will listen.

I will never refer anyone to buy a Honda again.I will tell them to run. I can't believe I have brought 7 cars from Honda.

Update from Sep 24, 2009: I took my car in for the rattling noise coming from the speakers and was told that Honda had already issued a fix for this problem. I explained that I had not received anyting to bring my car in since Honda knew about the problem when the 2008 left the plants. I was told that nothing went out and that they were waiting for whenever customers came in for service to automatically fix the problem. Well whatever they thought the problem was is not the problem becuase the noise is still thier louder then ever. I have done all I can to trust Honda and the people who service these vehicles. I am too frustrated to even go back to them and complain about a no win situation.

- Yolanda B., Capitol Heights, MD, US

problem #1

Feb 112009

Accord EX 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,000 miles

There are a number of rattles in this car but the rear deck rattle/squeak was really annoying. There is a service bulletin on this issue and my dealer packed foam on the drivers side of the deck lid right next to the center light. Fixed. Now dealing with the brake issue everyone else seems to be dealing with. Not happy with this new car.

- sthomason, Sacramento, CA, US

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