Model year record

2008 Honda Odyssey recalls & problems

The 2008 Honda Odyssey has 5 safety recalls and 499 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is structure (136 complaints).

Recalls5safety recalls

Complaints499filed by owners

Crashes · fires37 · 8reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths44 · 0reported in complaints

2008 Honda Odyssey in an NHTSA crash test — NHTSA crash test

Safety recalls

Fuel system, gasolineJul 28, 2014

Delivery › Fuel pump

Recall 14E049000280 vehicles

Problem: Delphi Automotive Systems, LLC (Delphi) is recalling certain replacement fuel pump modules, part number FG1155-11B1, sold for use in 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The affected fuel pump may send an incorrect fuel reading to the fuel gauge possibly causing the vehicle to run out of fuel. The fuel gauge will always read 3/4 full to full regardless of the actual level.
Risk: A vehicle that runs out of fuel and stalls has an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Delphi has begun notifying dealers and distributors, and will replace the fuel pump modules, free of charge. Owners may contact Delphi customer service at 1-877-411-8770. Delphi's number for this recall is GL14-004.

Fuel system, gasolineMar 14, 2014

Delivery › Fuel pump

Recall 14V112000886,815 vehicles

Problem: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 23, 2004, through September 4, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the fuel pump strainer cover may deteriorate allowing fuel to leak out.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Parts to permanently repair the affected vehicles are not currently available. Honda will notify owners with an interim letter during May 2014. A second notice was mailed to owners October 6, 2014 when the remedy became available. Any vehicles that are currently leaking from the fuel pump cover will get a replacement, original cover. All vehicles, including those receiving the interim repair, will get an improved cover when they are available. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. The recall numbers associated with this campaign are JD9 (inspection and/or preliminary part replacement) and JE0 (final parts replacement).

Electrical systemNov 1, 2013

Software

Recall 13V500000344,187 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured August 8, 2006, through September 8, 2008. Due to a combination of system components and software, the Vehicle Safety Assist System (VSA) may apply the brakes unexpectedly.
Risk: The vehicle may suddenly and unexpectedly brake hard, and without illuminating the brake lights, increasing the risk of a crash from behind.
Fix: Parts to remedy these vehicles will not be available until the spring of 2014. Honda will send owners an interim letter notifying them of the issue and instruct them how to prevent unintended braking. A second notification will be sent when the parts become available. Interim notification was mailed in December 2013. The recall began on April 29, 2014. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or visit their website at www.recalls.honda.com. Honda's recall number is JC5.

StructureFeb 16, 2012

Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Support device/strut

Recall 12V06200045,747 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 ODYSSEY VEHICLES, THE GAS-FILLED STRUTS THAT HELP TO RAISE AND SUPPORT THE LIFTGATE OF VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A POWER LIFTGATE SYSTEM MAY BE PRONE TO EARLY LIFE FAILURES DUE TO A MANUFACTURING FLAW. THE FLAW CAN RESULT IN A LEAK OF THE PRESSURIZED GAS, LEADING TO REDUCED STRUT PERFORMANCE.
Risk: STRUTS WITH DIMINISHED PERFORMANCE CAN LEAD TO UNEXPECTED CLOSURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Fix: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH POWER LIFTGATE GAS STRUTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 12, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.

Components: Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Support device/strut; Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments; Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate

Service brakes, airMar 16, 2010

Service brakes, air

Recall 10V098000412,000 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: HONDA HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 AND 2008 ODYSSEY AND ELEMENT PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JULY 28, 2006 AND AUGUST 21, 2008. AIR CAN ENTER THE VSA MODULAR PUMP DURING AN INITIAL SELF-CHECK PROCESS THAT OCCURS SHORTLY AFTER EACH TIME THE ENGINE IS STARTED. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ENOUGH AIR TO ENTER THE SYSTEM TO RESULT IN A BRAKE PEDAL THAT FEELS SOFT OR LOWER TO THE FLOOR.
Risk: IF THE OWNER DOES NOT HAVE ANY BRAKE SERVICE OR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS OR YEARS, THE SYSTEM CAN CONTINUE TO ACCUMULATE ENOUGH AIR TO AFFECT BRAKING PERFORMANCE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNER AND HONDA DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VSA MODULATOR BY REMOVING ANY EXISTING AIR IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM THEN APPLY SEALANT AND CAPS TO PREVENT AIR FROM ENTERING THE BRAKE SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 3, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2008 Honda Odyssey w/SAB

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2008 Honda Odyssey NHTSA side crash test — NHTSA side barrier crash test

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Odyssey

20mpg combined

City / highway	17 / 25 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,350/year to fuel

Odyssey

18mpg combined

City / highway	16 / 23 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

3.5 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,700/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
StructureBody; Body › Door	136	1	0	31	70,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulicPedals and linkages; Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip	88	14	2	3	9,500 mi
Service brakes	62	4	0	0	66,499 mi
Power trainAutomatic transmission; Axle assembly	41	5	0	2	37,343 mi
Engine	40	2	2	2	94,000 mi
Electrical systemInstrument panel › Speedometer/odometer	33	0	2	0	99,500 mi
Vehicle speed control	30	4	0	5	55,500 mi
Unknown or other	29	0	0	1	109,000 mi
SteeringHydraulic power assist › Pump	28	0	0	0	39,605 mi
Electronic stability control (esc)	16	0	0	0	63,787 mi
Engine and engine coolingEngine	14	1	0	0	35,174 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	13	0	0	0	125,450 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Engine
I believe that I was sold a car with an unsafe engine. I bought the van from Libertyville Honda in Libertyville on [XXX]. The car had 107K miles on it. A liile over a mounth later the check engine light came on and the van started running bad. When I did some reasearch I found out that a safty report to an iscident dated [XXX] when the car had 107k miles on it. This means that the car was not driven much from the date of the incedent before it was sold to me. The car was sold to me with the same amount of miles as the day of the incent. I believe the issue with the engine was not permently repaired before the car was sold to me. this is the report [XXX]. "Slowing turning into driveway car…
Mar 10, 2026
Electrical system › Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Honda Odyssey on April 13,2024. The sale was a private sell. The contact stated at the time of purhcase the odometer was recorded at 129,000. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact attempted to use the vehicle as a trade in. The contact was informed that the CARFAX report last recored the odometer reading on April 6, 2024, at 230,000.
Apr 13, 2024 · 230,000 miles
Engine
The engine malfunctioned, and the car is available for inspection upon request? My safety was put at risk because the car was backfiring in traffic due to the spark plugs filling up with oil. I reported the problem to the Libertyville Honda because they sold me the vehicle about 35 days before the issue started, but I have not heard back from them. I had the Odyssey inspected at Napleton Honda in Oak Lawn. They informed me that piston rings 1-3 needed to be replaced . They also informed me that due to malfunctioning piston rings at least one of the spark plugs was full of oil. The car also needs a new oxygen sensor and this could also be caused by the engine malfunction. No warning lights…
Apr 16, 2026
Fuel system, gasoline
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary, the vehicle was leaking gasoline. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's boyfriend saw and took a video of the vehicle pouring gasoline. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the engine was running during the failure. The vehicle will be towed to the dealer but has not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Feb 1, 2025
Engine
Incident #1: 1/18/2024, 102k miles. Engine surged to 2k while braking coming to a light. Close to hitting stopped car. Shifted to neutral rpm speed up to 4k. Incident #2: 1/31/2025: 107k miles. Slowing turning into driveway car would not stop rpm at 2k. Then shifted to neutral where rpm climbed to 4k.
Jan 18, 2024
Structure › Body
The passenger side door of my 2008 Honda Odyssey fell off when attempting to close it and nearly fell onto my child. The automatic sliding door was closing and around halfway closed it fell off of the track and started opening back up unprompted, thus damaging the rear right quarter panel as well. This is a major safety issue as it nearly crushed my [XXX] daughter, but thankfully was caught in time. A man parked near us in the parking lot helped us pick the door back up and said the same thing happened to him, also in a 2008 Honda Odyssey! Prior to the incident, the door would occasionally hesitate to open when button was pressed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION…
Oct 14, 2024
TiresCrash
235/65/R16. Tire blew out throwing car to the left in a ditch going around a curve . Air bags went off from impact. Car front had significant damage.
Jul 18, 2024
TiresCrash1 injury
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at 45 MPH the front passenger tire flew off which caused the driver's front air bag to deploy with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after the air bag deployed his vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a cement block wall. The contact sustained injuries and was transported to the Banner Baywood Emergency Room. The local sheriff's department was on the scene after the accident but the contact was unsure if a police report was filed. The contact stated that he sustained injuries from the accident such as his lips were swollen, and received cuts on his face. The vehicle was towed to…
Jun 7, 2024 · 100,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Inappropriate autonomous brakingClosedLed to recall 13V500000
In a letter dated October 31, 2013, Honda Motor Company (Honda) submitted a recall notice to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation describing a defect in the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system in approximately 344,187 model year (MY) 2007 and 2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles produced from August 8, 2006 through September 8, 2008 (NHTSA Recall 13V-500, Honda Recall JC5).The report describes a defect condition caused by a combination of VSA system components and software that is unique to the MY 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles.The condition may result in unexpected brake application by the VSA system with no brake lamp illumination.The braking forces resulting from the condition can approach the maximum braking capability of the vehicle.Honda's investigation determined that (1) if the yaw rate sensor off-set exceeds a certain value, (2) the sensor calibration is not completed before the…
PE13024 · opened Jun 25, 2013 · closed Nov 4, 2013
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts FailingClosed
Please see the attached closing resume summary.It has been attached to this document as a PDF.
EQ12010 · opened Sep 28, 2012 · closed Dec 31, 2012
Unexpected Closing of Power LiftgateClosedLed to recall 12V062000
The investigation found that the liftgate struts were failing prematurely and at an abnormal rate in certain model year (MY) 2008 Honda Odyssey Touring and 2009 Honda Odyssey Touring and EX-L model vehicles equipped with power-operated rear liftgates (note: MY 2008 Odyssey EX-L was not equipped with a power liftgate).Unlike vehicles with non-powered (manual) liftgates, the subject vehicle's liftgate can be opened automatically (via the power liftgate motor) even when the struts are in a degraded condition and can no longer support it in the open position.Consumers standing or accessing the rear cargo area under the liftgate and expecting the liftgate will stay open, can be struck when the liftgate unexpectedly drops, or can be trapped under the liftgate as it power closes, both of which can occur when the system detects and reacts to degraded struts.By contrast, users of a manual…
PE11034 · opened Sep 23, 2011 · closed Feb 29, 2012
Air in brake systemClosedLed to recall 10V098000
By letter dated March 15, 2010, American Honda Motor Corp. (HMC) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 10V-098) to address a defect in approximately 412,000 model year (MY) 2007 and 2008 Honda Odyssey and Element vehicles equipped with an ABS/VSA/TCS modulator. The recalled Odyssey vehicles were built from August 2006 August 2008.The recalled Element vehicles were built from July 2006 to July 2008. According to Honda, during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each engine ignition cycle, the self-diagnostic software for the VSA modulator allows a vacuum condition that can exist for several hours, allowing air to enter the VSA modulator pump.Over time, and thousands of engine ignition cycles, it is possible for enough air to enter the system to result in a brake pedal that feels soft…
EA09014 · opened Oct 19, 2009 · closed May 11, 2010
AIR IN BRAKE SYSTEMClosedLed to recall 10V098000
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) HAS RECEIVED 69 COMPLAINTS, AND HONDA HAS RECEIVED 613 COMPLAINTS AND FIELD REPORTS, ALLEGING LOW/SOFT/SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2006 THROUGH 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY MINIVANS.TWENTY-SIX ODI COMPLAINTS WERE ALSO REPORTED TO HONDA, RESULTING IN A TOTAL COMPLAINT COUNT OF 656.SOME COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE CONDITION RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES, INCLUDING SOME REPORTS OF ROLLING PAST STOP SIGNS OR TRAFFIC LIGHTS.THERE ARE 14 ALLEGED CRASHES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION RELATED TO LOW/SOFT PEDALS. IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST FOR PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE09-024, HONDA INDICATED THAT SMALL AMOUNTS OF AIR MAY ENTER THE BRAKE SYSTEM DURING INITIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA) MODULATOR WHILE THE PUMP IS BRIEFLY ACTUATED FOR SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED.THE AMOUNT OF AIR…
PE09024 · opened May 13, 2009 · closed Oct 19, 2009