2008 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

WE OWN THE ODYSSEY EX-L WITH A MANUAL TAILGATE. THE TALIGATE HAS STOPPED OPENING TO ITS MAXIMUM HEIGHT. THE SHORTENED DISTANCE IS NOT OBVIOUS UNTIL YOU PROCEED UNDER THE DOOR AND HIT YOUR HEAD ON THE REAR TAILGATE. I'M PROBABLY LIKE MOST ODYSSEY OWNERS--MORE FOCUSED ON HER CHILDREN IN A PARKING LOT THAN THE HEIGHT OF MY TAILGATE--BUT THE HEADACHE THAT FOLLOWED HITTING MY HEAD ON THE TAILGATE THIS MORNING MADE ME FILE THIS COMPLAINT. THE DOOR STILL OPENS SMOOTHLY BUT UNLESS YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND PUSH THE TAILGATE UP A FEW MORE INCHES AFTER THE LIFTGATE SUPPORTS HAVE STOPPED, THE DOOR IS TOO LOW AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

AUTOMATIC REAR SLIDING DOORS FELL OFF WHILE PARKED. DOOR JAMMED, AND A SCREW HAD FALLEN OUT FROM UNDER PANEL. DORR FEL OFF LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER. *TR

TRANSMISSION WITH HESITATION SHIFTING AND SHUDDER ON SLIGHT INCLINE AT ABOUT 32-35 MPH. ALSO HAS HARD DOWNSHIFTS THROUGH GEARS. *TR

STRUCTURE/BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE---I WENT TO OPEN THE BACK DOOR ON THE VAN TO GET A STROLLER OUT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND VERY HEAVY. WHEN I LET GO THE DOOR SHUT ON ME. I HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, INFORMING ME THAT THE STRUTS WERE BAD AND COULD GIVE OUT UNEXPECTEDLY. (REF #12V062000) WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT THE PARTS WERE NOT IN. AFTER THE PARTS ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS CALLED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE FOR THE REPAIR. UPON MY ARRIVAL TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIR, I WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AFTER ALL. AT THAT POINT THERE WAS NO HELPFUL PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP. IT HAS BEEN 7 MONTHS OF WEIGHT LIFTING GETTING THE STROLLER, GROCERIES, ETC. IN AND OUT OF THE VAN. STILL NO HELP FROM HONDA (THE DEALERSHIP OR NATIONAL LINE). *TR

I MERGED ON TO THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROX. 50MPH WHEN MY ODYSSEY MINIVAN STARTED TO BRAKE ON IT'S OWN. I LOOKED AT MY PANEL TO MAKE SURE I WAS IN 'D' (DRIVE AND NOT 1 OR 2) AND CHECKED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE, THEN THE VAN ACCELERATED AND THEN BRAKED A COUPLE TIMES THEN IT BRAKED REALLY HARD MAKING THE VAN DO A NOSE DIVE. THIS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN ABOUT A MINUTE OR LESS. I WAS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE VAN, IT DID ALL THIS ON IT'S OWN. I HAD JUST PICKED UP MY 2 YEAR OLD FROM PRESCHOOL AND I HAD MY 10 MONTH OLD REAR FACING AS WELL. IF THERE WAS SOMETHING I COULD HAVE DONE, I WOULD HAVE. I HIT MY FLASHERS AND PULLED OVER. BUT LIKE I SAID, I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND I FELT LIKE A SITTING DUCK WITH MY BABIES IN THE BACK SO I STARTED DRIVING BECAUSE THERE WAS AN OFF RAMP JUST A LITTLE AHEAD OF ME, AND WHEN I REACHED APPROX 25MPH THE VAN DOVE ON THE BRAKES AGAIN. ONCE I WAS SAFELY OFF THE HIGHWAY, I CALLED AAA AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. WE BOUGHT THE VAN 12/11 CERTIFIED USED. *TR

THE REAR LIFTGATE DOOR HAD BECOME ABNORMALLY HEAVY AND DOES NOT HOLDUP ON ITS OWN. REFERENCING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V062000 (STRUCTURE: BODY: HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE: SUPPORT DEVICE) I CALLED THE DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER ANY RECALLS AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THIS PROBLEM MUST BE SOMETHING HONDA NEEDS TO FIX ON THEIR OWN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY LIFTING THE REAR LIFT GATE. UPON SUCCESSFULLY OPENING THE LIFT GATE, THE HYDRAULICS FAILED AND THE DOOR ERRONEOUSLY CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V062000 (STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,778.

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO...OCTOBER 1, 2012, I TOOK MY HONDA BACK IN TO HONDA. MY CAR HAD BEEN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I LEFT MY HONDA THERE FOR 3 DAYS, AT WHICH POINT THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, AND THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO BRING IT BACK IN TO DRIVE IT "WITH THEM." THERE IS 100% SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY VAN AGAIN! IN ADDITION A FEW DAYS AGO, I WAS PUTTING BOOKS IN THE BACK OF MY VAN, AND THE HATCH STRUTS FAILED, AND THE BACK HATCH DOOR FELL DOWN ON MY HEAD. *TR

REAR LIFTGATE STRUTS FAILED CAUSING LIFTGATE TO FALL SUDDENLY ON ME BENEATH THE REAR DOOR. HONDA HAS ALREADY ISSUED A RECALL ON SOME 2008 MODELS. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER AND HONDA CUSTOMER SUPPORT REGARDING THE INCIDENT, THEY REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER RECALL. INFORMED ABOUT SAFETY CONCERN BUT NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY HONDA THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH POTENTIAL FOR INJURY. RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER MORE VEHICLES THAN ACKNOWLEDGED BY HONDA. HONDA SHOULD ACT RESPONSIBLY TO PREVENT INJURY TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES AND RECALL AND REPLACE ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE MORE INJURIES OCCUR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME $200 TO REPLACE THE STRUTS. MY ODYSSEY DOES NOT HAVE ELECTRIC COMPONENT STRUTS FOR THE REAR HATCH. *TR

REAR LIFT GATE WAS IN FULLY OPEN POSITION THEN FELL AND HIT ME ON HEAD WHILE REMOVING GROCERIES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. APPEARS THAT THE LIFT GATE STRUTS FAILED. THE LIFT GATE OPERATES MANUALLY, NOT ELECTRONICALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. *TR