The Lemon Index2008 Honda Accord.
The 2008 Honda Accord is one of the worst years by owner complaints: 775 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 210, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about brakes, it has 9 recalls, and it gets 20 to 25 mpg combined. The best Honda Accord year is 2011.
Lemon alert. 2.1× the average car's complaints.
Best year 2011
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 1,520 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Honda Accord year. 2008 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 16K to 68K miles on the car (1,133 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- brakes complaints mostly came at 16K–27K miles
- airbags complaints mostly came at 57K–119K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 61K–117K miles
Recalls 9
- airbags 2019
The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high …
- airbags 2019
The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
- airbags 2018
The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
Show all 9 recalls
- airbags 2017
One dealership may have incorrectly installed the replacement air bag inflators.
- airbags 2017
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- airbags 2016
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- airbags 2016
In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
- transmission & drivetrain 2011
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 ACCORD, 2007-2010 CR-V, AND 2005-2008 ELEMENT PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1, 2004, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 3, 2010.
- equipment 2009
HONDA IS RECALLING AFTERMARKET FULL NOSE MASKS, PART NUMBER 08P35-TA0-100 AND 08P35-TA6-100 MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 9, 2007 THROUGH DECEMBER 11, 2007.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Honda told dealers about
Honda sent dealers 109 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- On some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing
- "service bulletin - american honda is extending the warranty on the srs unit to 15 years from…
- Service bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the SRS unit to 15 years from…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedSrs control module failure2015–2016
- ClosedInadvertent side air bag deployment2014–2016
- ClosedInadvertent side air bag deployment2014
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★★
Fuel cost and engines
About $2550–3200 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Premature wear of rear brake pads. The inner brake pad was completely worn out at 28,000 miles. The outer rear brake pad was not worn. This is a defect that Honda designed wrong. The rear pads should wear out evenly.
2008 Honda Accord owner · NHTSA complaint 10287288
More owner reports
The brakes on my car wore out around 18,000 miles and needed replacing. My car now has about 50,000 miles and the brakes need replacing again. My previous car did not need a brake change until 110,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint 10384995
The head lights dim at 15-30 second intervals. I feel this is a serious safety hazard. For example, I have had pedestrians walk out in front of me in parking lots because they thought I was signaling them to cross.
NHTSA complaint 10253241
Quick answers
Is the 2008 Honda Accord reliable?
No, it is one of the worst by government complaints. It drew 2.1× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 210; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Honda Accord year by this measure is 2011.
What are the most common 2008 Honda Accord problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are brakes (57%), lights (13%) and electrical (7%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2008 Honda Accord have?
9 safety recalls (latest: airbags). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2008 Honda Accord get?
20 to 25 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2008 Honda Accord problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 16,700 and 68,600 miles. The middle report was at 27,000 miles, from 1,133 complaints.
Does the 2008 Honda Accord have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2008 Honda Accord cost in fuel a year?
About $2550 to $3200 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2008 Honda Accord have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl.
What Honda Accord year is better than the 2008?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2011, 2012 and 2010.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works