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.
6.6
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$560
Average Mileage:
63,050 miles
Total Complaints:
84 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replace the VTC (variable timing control) actuator (40 reports)
On cold starts the car makes a grinding sound that only lasts 3 or 4 seconds. But its very noticable. At first it only did it occasionally after it had been sitting for at least 12 hours. Now it does it consistently whenever its been sitting for 4-5 hours. But as soon as the car is started once, even if it is immediately turned off then back on, the sound will be gone. I took it to my local mechanic, and he was stumped. Next stop is the Honda Dealership.
Update from Dec 6, 2009: This is caused by the VTEC actuator going bad. Honda dealer replaced it and I'm now $430 poorer. They knew what it was immediately, and I haven't had any problems since.
My engine makes the same grinding noise as well on cold starts. I have not taken it it in yet. I would like to hear what other people have done to fix this problem.
Last winter a grinding noise developed when I started the car. I noise only happens when the outside temperature was cold. I ask the dealer to look at it but because the car was warm when they started it of course it did not happen. The noise went away when the outside temperature warmed up. Now this fall the noise is coming back and getting worse. The dealer will be looking at it this week.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
On cold starts the car makes a grinding sound that only lasts 3 or 4 seconds. But its very noticable. At first it only did it occasionally after it had been sitting for at least 12 hours. Now it does it consistently whenever its been sitting for 4-5 hours. But as soon as the car is started once, even if it is immediately turned off then back on, the sound will be gone. I took it to my local mechanic, and he was stumped. Next stop is the Honda Dealership.
Update from Dec 6, 2009: This is caused by the VTEC actuator going bad. Honda dealer replaced it and I'm now $430 poorer. They knew what it was immediately, and I haven't had any problems since.
- Matt C., Metuchen, NJ, US