Used 2008 Honda Odyssey Consumer Reviews
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Where my Honda gone?
Honda Angst, 11/07/2018
updated 05/10/2021
2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L 4dr Minivan w/Rear Entertainment (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
60 of 67 people found this review helpful
I bought this van used with 104K miles (in April 2016) confident that I was buying a Honda (like I have most of my life) and treated right, they last. By all appearances the vehicle had been cared for. Great paint/body, the interior was clean and maintained and it ran well. Imagine my surprise at 107K miles when my low oil light comes on. I checked the dipstick and I had a drop of oil at the very end. No oil leaks or smoke from the exhaust. This is the beginning of my falling out with Honda. I took it back to the dealer astonished and looking for some answers. They conducting an oil consumption test and determined I was using 1-1/2 qts of oil per 1000 miles. After pressing the issue they told me they had performed a piston ring replacement on the vehicle prior to my purchase for the very same reason and that work was still under warranty. But it gets better. Next thing I know Honda has ponied up for an engine replacement. I was floored, but curious as to why they were being so incredibly generous. I found out why at about 20K miles into my new engine when it started using oil again without leaks or exhaust smoke. I took it back once again, did an oil test and it was determined that the vehicle was using 1qt every 1K miles and Honda said "that falls within acceptable parameters" and so they refused to do anything. This is when I started digging and discovered Honda has settled a class action suit in 2014 for...you guessed it, excessive oil consumption with certain 2008 Odyssey Models (all with VCM, Variable Cylinder Management). Honda extended powertrain warranties for most vehicles and some people that were a actually part of the class action were made whole, thus my engine replacement. Clearly that was not the problem and I eventually discovered the VCM was the actual culprit. I discovered that too late as the piston rings on my NEW engine were already damaged. I would eventually end up at the Honda shop again when the vehicle started experiencing constant cylinder misfires at about 40K miles into the NEW engine. They recommended piston ring replacement, but said ideally I should replace the engine, 40K miles and I needed a new engine. If you're considering one of these Odyssey's with VCM, buyer beware. If you cant verify the service records just walk away.
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Safest Minvan
pbconspiracy, 11/15/2011
2008 Honda Odyssey LX 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
Traded a 2008 Grand Caravan, which was nothing but problems for a CPO 2008 Odyssey. Had it for 6 months with no issues. Extremely comfortable, and performed flawlessly on a 1,500 trip this summer. However, the best feature is the safety of this vehicle. My wife & daughter were rear-ended by a car doing 40mph while they were standing still. Car totaled; Odyssey incurred $5,000 worth of damage. Wife and daughter walked away unhurt.
My Favorite Van Ever!!!
undy6, 12/23/2014
2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L 4dr Minivan w/Nav, Rear Entertainment (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
28 of 31 people found this review helpful
I've had 3 Odysseys - an '07 EX-L DVD, an '08 EX-L w/NAV & DVD and a '12 Touring Elite. I've had a lot of cars, SUV's and minivans and the '08 Odyssey was my fav by far! I actually think it was better than the '12 Odyssey Touring Elite we leased. Zero issues, super practical features & layout, easy and comfortable to drive....I could go on and on. Only reason I don't still have it is because I was having issues getting traction in the snow (lived in Denver at the time) so I traded for a 4WD Nissan Armada. I regretted that decision almost immediately, still miss that van 3 yrs later! Hindsight, I really wish I would've tried putting on a better set of tires before trading it in :-(
VCM a total flaw
Herb Tolawinski, 09/20/2015
2008 Honda Odyssey Touring 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
25 of 28 people found this review helpful
Wish I could like the car but I'm tired of the repeated visits to the dealer to fix what really is a faulty engineering issue. VCM creates more problems than it solves. I wish that wasn't so. The Honda techs are saying this and, almost, apologetic about it. I wish that I could do my part to cut down on fuel consumption to be environmentally friendly. The problem is, the poorly implemented VCM causes me to go through 5 quarts of oil every 5,000 miles. I've had to replace cylinder rings and motor mounts and things are still not right. There's a TSB for this that's supposed to cover 2008+ vehicles but, for whatever reason, it doesn't apply to mine. So I'm stuck with the options to sell it (and pass this nightmare on to someone else who will develop the same feelings about Honda as I) or to remain on a first name basis with the Service Manager.
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Older ones were better
craig, 08/09/2015
2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
2006 was one of the last year the Honda Van was really a good. Our 2008 has issues with the sliding doors, loose window trim on the sides and this crazy melting window glue that looks like black tar. A real pain to clean off. It seems to be a southern US thing with extreme heat or reflected heat on hot days, such as store windows back onto the car. Were looking for a new car and for the first time in 10 years it will not be a Honda/ Shame they could not stay focused on the details.
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