2008 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

FAILURE OF SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER PULLEY SHAFT RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL FOLLOWING ENGINE START IN A PARKING LOT. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED A FEW DAYS AFTER THE CAR WAS SERVICED FOR REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP, WHICH REQUIRED REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF THE TENSIONER PULLEY. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE SHAFT FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF OVERTORQUE FOLLOWING THE SERVICE, OR THE RESULT OF A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. THE CONCERN IS A FAILURE IN TRAFFIC RATHER THAN AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. THIS SHAFT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT (APRIL 2011) - WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE ENGINE HAD IRREGULAR BEATS. THEN, A BLINKING CHECK ENGINE SIGN WAS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL HONDA DEALER SERVICE DEPT. (AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUAL). THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE DEPT. REPLACED ONE SPARK PLUG AND CLEANED ANOTHER ONE. SECOND INCIDENT (OCT. 13, 2011) - THE SAME AS THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. THIS TIME VEHICLE STABILITY ACTIVATION (VSA) WAS ALSO TURNED ON AS THE IRREGULAR ENGINE BEATS MADE THE VEHICLE VIBRATING SIGNIFICANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME LOCAL HONDA DEALER SERVICE DEPT. AGAIN. THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE DEPT. INFORMED ME THAT THE SAME SPARK PLUGS (REPLACED AND CLEANED DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT) ARE MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN. AND THE SERVICE DEPT. INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY THE SAME INCIDENT WAS OCCURRING AGAIN. SO IT NEEDS TO CONSULT WITH A NATIONAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT WITHIN HONDA ORGANIZATION. CONSEQUENTLY, I SUSPECT THAT THE INCIDENTS MAY BE DUE TO PROBLEMS IN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER CONTROLLED PROGRAM RELATED RATHER THAN THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF. I AM VERY CONCERNS ABOUT THE CURRENT SYMPTOM WITH MY VEHICLE WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO SUDDEN ENGINE STOP OR MALFUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEED TRAVEL. *TR

I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT HARD TO STEER OR LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TRYING TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL FROM A FULLY LEFT OR RIGHT POSITION WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS TIL UNDER WARRANTY (35K) WITH THE SOUTH BAY DEALERSHIP BUT AFTER LEAVING MY VEHICLE THERE FOR 2 DAYS THEY TOLD ME THE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. NOW AT ABOUT 47K IT BECOMES NOTICEABLE AND ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE HARD TO STEER THE STEERING WHEEL AT STARTING SPEED. ALL PEOPLE WHO I HAVE THEM TEST DRIVE MY VAN TOLD ME TO HAVE IT FIXED BUT I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO DO THAT. *TR

CAR NEW TO ME 3/10 @ 34K MILES. I AM 2ND OWNER. ALL HONDAA RECALL NOTICES PERFORMED. ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE PER MANUAL AND THEN SOME. *TT COMPLAINT #1. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO "JUMP" INTO GEAR AT LOW SPEEDS AND FEELS LIKE IT IS BOGGIN OUT/JUMPY AT 60-70 MPH ON HIGHWAY. THIS HAS BEEN NOTICEABLE SINCE 48K MILES, THERABOUTS. NO PROBLEM INDICATOR LIGHTS HAVE COME ON. THIS POWERTRAIN PROBLEM CONCERNS ME TERRIBLY AND WILL BE TAKING IT TO A HONDA DEALER TO INSPECT ASAP. I AM HOPING THEY CAN "SIMULATE AND IDENTIFY" THE PROBLEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO NOTICE THIS CONDITION. I FEEL FORTUNATE TO HAVE CAUGHT IT EARLY. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH VIA CAR FORUMS AND TOO MANY OWNERS HAVE BEEN DISSED BY BAD TORQUE CONVERTERS, RELATED COMPONENTS, AND/OR THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. VERY COSTLY NEVER MIND A SAFETY ISSUE. EVERY DISCUSSION I READ PEOPLE SAY THAT HONDA WILL DO NOTHING FOR THEM, THAT THE DEALER GIVES THE RUN AROUND AND THAT THEY ARE SWITCHING TO ANOTHER MAKE. VERY DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR SINCE I AM A LONG-TIME HONDA DRIVER. HONDA SHOULD BE FORCED TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. TOO MANY INCIDENTS COMPLAINT #2. I HAVE NOTICED/CAN FEEL THE ECO SWITCH FROM 6 TO LESS CYLINDERS ON THE HIGHWAY SINCE DAY 1. I HAVE A 2000 ODYSSEY WITH 262K MILES AND IT GETS BETTER GAS MILEAGE UNDER IDENTICAL DRIVING CONDITIONS (E.G., 20.5 VS. 20.0 MPG). I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS FEATURE IS WORKING PROPERLY. IF IT IS, THEN IT IS NOT AN IMPROVEMENT AND A WASTE OF MONEY. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SECURE MY CHILD INTO HIS CAR SEAT, THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR SLAMMED INTO MY ARM, CAUSING EXTENSIVE BRUISING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE DOOR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING. I HAVE FREQUENT ISSUES KEEPING THE DOOR OPENED WHILE TRYING TO SECURE MY CHILDREN IN THEIR SEATS. DOOR WILL NOT JUST STAY OPENED. *TR

BRAKES ARE EXTREMELY SOFT AND SPONGY, PEDAL SOMETIMES HAS TO BE PRESSED COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR TO ENGAGE PROPER BRAKING, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. TAKES MUCH LONGER THAN IT SHOULD TO STOP THE VEHICLE. PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL ALLOWS FOR BETTER BRAKING, AS IF THERE WAS AIR IN THE LINE. RECALL WORK COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2011 FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WHERE AIR COULD BUILD UP IN SYSTEM, BUT IT DID NOT FIX ISSUE. TWO VISITS TO HONDA SERVICE CENTER AND THEY INDICATE NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM AFTER MULTIPLE TESTS. DEALER ADVISED THAT PREVIOUS RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED CORRECTLY. DEALER ADVISES THAT THEY TESTED AGAINST OTHER ODYSSEY'S AND ALL APPEAR TO BRAKE THE SAME, SO THERE IS NO ISSUE. GOOGLE INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS MODEL YEAR AND SIMILAR CLAIMS FROM VARIOUS HONDA DEALERS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

AFTER DRIVING FOR SEVERAL MILES AND APPLY THE BRAKES IT MAKES A GRINDING SOUND. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER SHIP SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PADS WERE CHECKED EACH TIME AND WERE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. *TT

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED ON HONDA ODYSSEY 2008 WITH 35,964 MILES ON IT. THIS RESULTED IN DIFFICULTIES TURNING STEERING WHEEL. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED BY THE HONDA DEALER FOR $757. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V098000 (SERVICE BRAKES, AIR). AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE AND LOOSE ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY WHILE BRAKING. IN ADDITION, THE VSA LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, WHERE THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.