2008 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY. THE CONTACT LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IT SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. WITH A HALF A TANK OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE GAS TANK WAS DEFECTIVE. THE FUEL PUMP IS AT THE REAR OF THE TANK; THEREFORE, IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FACING DOWNHILL, FUEL CANNOT FLOW BACK TO THE VEHICLE FOR IT TO START. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,100.

2006 HONDA ODYSSEY - ROCK OR SOME TYPE OF ROAD DEBRIS PUNCTURED AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER. THIS RESULTED IN A REPAIR BILL APPROACHING $1000. THE CONDENSER UNIT IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION. THIS IS A DEFINITE DESIGN FLAW WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY THE HONDA MOTOR VEHICLE CORPORATION. *TR

BOUGHT A NEW 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY LX ON 5/15, SALESMAN WAS IN A HURRY TO LEAVE SO HE SHOWED ME THE CAR AND A FEW THINGS AND WAS GONE. IT WAS AROUND 8PM WHEN I DROVE OFF THE LOT, FIRST TIME I HAD EVER BEEN IN AN ODYSSEY. PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND IT FELT GREAT, PRESSED THE BRAKES AND WAS AFRAID THE VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY. BEEN VERY SPONGY SINCE DAY 1. TOOK IT TO FIRST HONDA IN SIMI AND THEY SAID THEY'RE ALL LIKE THAT. HARD TO BELIEVE, HAVE TO SIT CLOSER TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET LEVERAGE ENOUGH TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THEY HONESTLY FEEL LIKE THE PEDAL HITS THE FLOOR AND VERY LITTLE STOPPING POWER. I HAVE A 11-YEAR-OLD CRV THAT FEELS GREAT AND STOPS ON A DIME. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG, MY INTERNET SEARCHES SEEM TO REVEAL A HISTORY OF UNRESOLVED SPONGY BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH RECENT ODYSSEYS, BUT THE DEALER SAID NOTHING TO FIX. IT WILL TAKE A DEADLY ACCIDENT TO GET THEM OFF THEIR REARS AND LOOK IN TO WHAT'S GOING ON, VERY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR AN OTHERWISE GREAT COMPANY. *TR

MY BRAKES FEEL SPONGY AND REQUIRE ME TO APPLY EXTRA PRESSURE TO STOP. MY BRAKES ALSO MAKE A GROANING NOISE WHEN I COME TO A REGULAR STOP. THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TO FOR REPAIRS SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, EVEN THOUGH THEY HEARD THE NOISE. I THEN DROVE AN 08 OFF THE LOT TO COMPARE AND NOTICED A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN PEDAL FEEL AND NO GROANING NOISE. THEY SAID THEY WILL CALL HONDA NEXT WEEK FOR ADVISE. *TR

WHEN USING THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR ON MY 2008 ODYSSEY, THE DOOR'S SENSOR FAILED TO AUTO-REVERSE WHEN MY 2 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER REACHED HER HAND TOWARDS THE DOOR OF THE VAN FROM THE INSIDE. NOT ONLY WERE HER FINGERS AND UPPER HAND HIT BY THE CLOSING DOOR, BUT THE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN AND REMAINED SHUT ON HER HAND UNTIL I MANUALLY OPENED IT. THIS RESULTED IN AN OBVIOUS INJURY TO HER HAND AND A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. X-RAYS DID NOT REVEAL A BREAK, BUT SHE WILL HAVE TO BE RE-CHECKED WITH AN ORTHOPEDIC, AS IT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE GROWTH PLATE IN HER FINGER. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED CHECKED THE SENSOR AND STATED THAT THERE IS NO OBVIOUS DEFECT. *TR

ON 4/28/08, THE VEHICLES THROTTLE STOPPED RESPONDING WHILE IN MOTION IN TRAFFIC AND THEN HAD TO BE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. WHILE THIS HAPPENED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE VSA LIGHTS CAME ON. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN DUE TO THIS IN TRAFFIC. SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST FOR 4 OTHER TIMES. HERE ARE THE DATES AND DESCRIPTION OF EACH EVENT. 1.ON 12/30/2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE VSA LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE CAME ON WITH WEIRD ENGINE NOISE AND I CALLED THE DEALER (AUTO WEST HONDA) IMMEDIATELY TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER REQUESTED TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE TO THEIR SERVICE CENTER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 01/02/2008. 2.ON 01/13/2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSA LIGHT AND SLIDE DOOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR STOPPED WORKING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER PERFORMED REPAIR ATTEMPTS AND REPLACED THE RELAY UNIT. 3.ON 01/26/2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSA LIGHT AND THE SLIDE DOOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THERE WAS NO ENGINE RESPONSE TO THE THROTTLE, VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY. DEALER ATTEMPTED A REPAIR AND SAID ECM WAS REPLACED. 4.ON 04/11/2008, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSA LIGHT AND THE SLIDE DOOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THERE WAS NO ENGINE RESPONSE TO THE THROTTLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TILL 4/19/08. DEALER PERFORMED A REPAIR WITH ADVICE FROM HONDA TECH SUPPORT AND SAID THAT THE MULTIPLEX UNIT WAS REPLACED AND PROBLEM SHOULD NOT RE-OCCUR. *TR

REARVIEW CAMERA: NO ALARM AND NOT DISCLOSED OF NOT HAVING ALARM (MOST MANUFACTURERS HAVE AN ALARM SYSTEM AND THIS IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED BY GENERAL POPULATION); CAMERA DISTORTS TRUE DEPTH AND SENSE OF DISTANCE BETWEEN OBJECTS. *TR

THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT A VEHICLE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER IT IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT A VEHICLE DESIGN WHEN INSTALLING A CAR SEAT. ON THE 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY THERE IS AN 8TH SEAT THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE ROW CENTER; IT IS CALLED A MAGIC SEAT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT A CAR SEAT CAN BE INSTALLED SAFELY IN THIS MAGIC SEAT. HOWEVER, AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A CAR SEAT TO FIT THIS SEAT THAT COULD BE INSTALLED CORRECTLY (MEANING NOT MOVING MORE THAN 1 INCH IN ANY DIRECTION). I TESTED MANY MODELS OF CARS SEATS INCLUDING: BRITAX, GRACO, EVENFLOW, SUNSHINE KIDS, ETC. THE OWNER'S MANUAL OF THE ODYSSEY IS VERY VAGUE ON WHETHER OR NOT A CAR SEAT CAN BE INSTALLED IN THIS SEAT AND AFTER CALLING HONDA USA CUSTOM SERVICE, THE AGENT COULD NOT GIVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER ON WHETHER THIS SEAT WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD A CAR SEAT OR IF ANY CAR SEATS WERE TESTED BY HONDA. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER, BUT SINCE I HAD ALREADY PURCHASED THE CAR, THEY ONLY DIRECTED ME TO THE HONDA USA COSTUMER SERVICE. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATION SHIFTING 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. HESITATION IS PRONOUNCED DURING COLD STARTS. *TR

I AM EXPERIENCING BRAKING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2008 ODYSSEY TOURING IN WHICH THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SOFT, FEELS SPONGY, AND LONG BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE HAS 2,132 MILES CURRENTLY AND IT WAS NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE 2,000 MILES. *TR