10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,569 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Honda Odyssey electrical problems

electrical problem

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2018 Honda Odyssey Owner Comments (Page 1 of 8)

problem #147

Jun 222024

Odyssey

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

During my recent recall repair by Ed Morse Honda in Riviera Beach, FL, I was advised that the rear tailgate sensor was reported as "wet". I do the maintenance myself, so I passed on a repair at that time by the dealer. Today, I researched what might have failed both online and with my Alldatadiy subscription, and accessed the part. Indeed, the Liftgate Control Module was molded and need of repair/ replace. However, I have grandchildren now, and during the removal - realized that in a water accident or other hazard where power is lost, there is NO WAY for rear passengers to exit the van by the rear tailgate. There is NO readily accessible latch or pull to open the tailgate from the inside, and NO key nor latch available from the outside for outside assistance. Additionally, if a child is in need of exiting the rear tailgate, there is NO child safety pull to allow them to exit. During my research on how to repair the vehicle, I saw that this is an ongoing issue for this model of Honda. I like my 2018 Honda Odyssey very much, it is my second Odyssey (the first was totaled in a T-bone accident, where both wife and daughter walked away), but I believe a recall is needed for the water issue affecting the Tailgate Control Board for the short term, and safety mechanisms added for the long term. Note: I have images, but the web site is NOT allowing uploads of any.jpg nor.pdf's at this time.

- Loxahatchee, FL, USA

problem #146

May 272024

Odyssey

  • miles
Power tailgate issue continues to happen. The module is somehow getting water damage and shorting out. This is the second time in a year that I have to replace the module. I can-??t even manually open my trunk without having to climb through the car and undo the latch from the inside

- Fort Mitchell, AL, USA

problem #145

Apr 192024

Odyssey

  • miles
There is water leaking through the seams of my Van from where it wasn't welded and sealed properly, My tailgate opened on the highway today while I had my 7 kids in the vehicle while it was pouring down rain. I could not get my tailgate to stay closed and keep getting a power tailgate problem on my dashboard. My tailgate will no longer stay latched it automatically opens on its own and refuses to stay shut. I looked at the control module and it was completely soaked in water and can see the water leaking from the top of my vehicle in between the exterior frame and the interior frame. There are holes in the welding. They're quoting me almost $1000 to fix the mistake they made while manufacturing the vehicle. I currently have a bungie chord keeping my tailgate shut but it continously beeps from where it's trying to open automatically. Definitely the scariest day of my life today. This needs to be dealt with ASAP. Today could have been much worse than it was. Honda needs to be held accountable before someone dies over this. There is no reason why my tailgate should have automatically opened on the highway doing 65mph with my 7 children in the car.

- Carmi, IL, USA

problem #144

Apr 022024

Odyssey

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

power tailgate control module fail due to water a leak in rear driver side area.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #143

Apr 082024

Odyssey

  • miles
It is available for inspection on request. Lost blindspot info, lost use of turn indicators, rear door hatch malfunction, several warnings flash up while driving. I was in a busy area and didn't have a way to signal my movements, screen flashing warnings was terrifying, the van felt like it might turn off at any moment. Before the most recent incident, we had brought the van to Honda dealer for repair, for similar issues that occured at start-up, they found water in the power control unit in rear left area of van that caused corrosion and short-circuit. No body damage or alterations to vehicle. Replaced unit and after rainy weather problems recurred at start up and power down, then while driving, they tested the battery and it was almost dead (the battery was only 1 month old) replaced battery. Problems recurred and water found again. significant leak suspected but not found yet as the service department won't evaluate the seals, and told us it's a body-shop task. summary: intermittent left-side passenger door and rear hatch door malfunction, blind spot system warnings/loss, loss of turn indication, brake system warnings, other system warnings, difficulty starting the car and turning the car off, brand new battery drained while the car was parked and turned off. This manufacturing defect should be addressed by Honda, seals should not fail when exposed to regular conditions. Water should not enter the vehicle and short out an important component leading to several malfunctions that could cause loss of important systems and rear-door latch while driving.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #142

Apr 072024

Odyssey

  • miles
Water leaks into tailgate control module causing tailgate not to work. Replaced module, problem came back after 3 weeks. This is a common issue for the current generation Odyssey.

- Eau Claire, WI, USA

problem #141

Apr 082024

Odyssey

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Water getting into rear liftgate control module. Had to replace seal and module.

- Tiffin, IA, USA

problem #140

Feb 012024

Odyssey

  • miles
Right Power door will not open or close with buttons or key fob. Must open/close manually. The doors are too hard to open manually for smaller children and even some adults making it a safety concern in case of emergency. This started intermittently a year ago and is now a constant. Tailgate has been opening and closing on its own, even when locked while parked as well as when the idle stop is activated while in drive. This is a concern that someone can get in the vehicle when unattended. It also shuts (and didn't stop) when someone was standing in the opening while removing something when it occurred. This started about a month ago. I was told to take it to a dealer and pay them to diagnose it. The dealers have a wait list and it's also not in my budget. These are real concerns and I feel Honda isn't taking ownership of the dangers.

- Kingsley, PA, USA

problem #139

Sep 012023

Odyssey

  • miles
Our 2018 Honda Odyssey has the defect described in this recall: [XXX] However, the VIN search says that it is not eligible. This defect causes all of the vehicle's electronic safety systems to malfunction. Occasionally it will not start at all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #138

Mar 082024

Odyssey

  • miles
A water leak above the tailgate control module flooded it to the point that it operated erratically and would raise and lower the tailgate randomly or not work at all. I plan on replacing the module myself but will retain the old one. Anytime the entry or exit points on a vehicle open randomly cannot be a safe condition. The dealer charges $130 for any inspection or diagnostic so no I am not paying them to tell me something is broken. The vehicle currently is showing a "Power Tailgate Problem" and a yellow box with "TAILGATE" in it on the dash display and is currently unresponsive to any input that would operate it: remote, tailgate buttons, and driver button. The power locking system is still operable. The Odyessy forums clearly describe multiple occurrences of this failure and the culprit is a water leak in rear window or rear section of roof trim strip on the drivers side. My module did have water in it when I opened the plastic case it is contained in. Cleaning and drying it restored operation for about 3 days. Thanks for your help!

- Mechanicsville, VA, USA

problem #137

Jan 262024

Odyssey

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Our Tailgate is having an issue that triggered a safety issue with my wife driving on a highway then 3 lights popped up and car entered a limp mode. transmission issue, emissions issue, tailgate issue since then car is behaving normally but the tailgate latch is opening when we start the van and not working from fob (unlock) or exterior tailgate button. I have read other owners having an issue where the tailgate control module is getting submerged by water causing the unit to short and cause these issues. A car entering limp mode on the highway poses a threat to our family and others, I hope to see a solution in the near future.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #136

Mar 052024

Odyssey

  • miles
There is an electrical drain causing the battery to drain to the point where it will not start. Alternator was replaced, then the issue persisted. Most recent problem include the power tailgate opening on its own. Rear power tailgate issue. The rear tailgate will attempt to open while driving, but the warning sound chimes and alerts to the problem. If the vehicle is left unlocked the tailgate will open itself. The power tailgate button in the driver seat does not work. The close button on the bottom of the door is illuminated (has power) but will not close the door. The soft rubber button above the license plate will engage the motor to lift the tailgate, but not to close it. Others have filed complaints about a water leak impacting the rear control board and causing it to fail. Leak may be from the fin on the roof or related to the cracking and rotting seal on the bottom of the rear windshield.

- Senoia, GA, USA

problem #135

Mar 022024

Odyssey

  • miles
Rear tail gate will not open even manually due to water getting inside of control module due to faulty design which causes water to go into the module and fry it would open and close randomly when it would rain now it has stopped working all together no indicator on dash anymore I guess this last rain finished it off terrible design very disappointing with Honda this is a major issue that needs to be fixed

- Kings Mountain , NC, USA

problem #134

Mar 012024

Odyssey

  • miles
Power tail gate doesnt work. Water got into the car and leaked onto the power tail gate control circuit causing it to no longer work.

- Deland, FL, USA

problem #133

Feb 152024

Odyssey

  • miles
Van started having a loud clicking sound and radio would not work. took it in for repair, they said they fixed it. Took it in again because it actually got worse and the screen was rebooting and showing a error. Now have an appointment to take it back in again tomorrow because the fix worked for like 3 days and now it has gotten even worse. Screen keeps shutting down completely and wont boot back on for a few minutes.

- Spanish Fork, UT, USA

problem #132

Jan 032024

Odyssey

  • miles
Rear tail gate hatch Anytime it rains the hatch will open and faults out which ultimately causing it to not close or open tailgate fault shows up on the dash and does not function anymore do to water collecting in electrical module that controls hatch due to faulty design

- Kings Mountain , NC, USA

problem #131

Dec 142023

Odyssey

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that the messages "Emission System Problem", "Electrical Parking Problem", "Road Departure Mitigation System Problem", "Brake System Problem", "Brake hold System Problem", and "Power Steering System Problem" were displayed intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery was in good condition; however, the vehicle failed to start 3 days later. The contact was able to jumpstart the battery with the assistance of AAA. The contact replaced the battery. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and several unknown dealers were contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Anderson, CA, USA

problem #130

Feb 062024

Odyssey

  • miles
ADAS system is not working due to internal camera failure.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

problem #129

Jan 052024

Odyssey

  • miles
A defective/leaking seal in the rear of the vehicle area caused water damage and corrosion on the tailgate control unit. As a result of the control unit failure the blinkers and lights stopped working while driving. In addition rear tailgate does not open. Dealer confirmed the issue, fixed the seal and replaced control unit. Research shows this is a recurring problem on this model vehicle.

- New Paltz, NY, USA

problem #128

Feb 052024

Odyssey

  • miles
The vehicle had low voltage indications and electrical issues that would affect many of the electrical systems in the car (power doors, main entertainment system, etc). More concerning, the vehicle would shift into park while driving and then would shut off. This posed a serious hazard when driving quickly. Honda was unable to remedy the issue and could not come up with a definitive cause. Another recall with these same problem was issued for other VIN numbers of the same make, model, and manufacturing year. My VIN was not included in that recall. The recall needs to be expanded to include more VINs as this is an issue in 2018 Honda Odyssey vans and poses a risk to me and my family while driving in its current state. My transmission is now experiencing issues due to shifting into park while driving and needs to be replaced.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

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