10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,303 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 engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2018 Honda Odyssey:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2018 Honda Odyssey Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #77

Jun 102024

Odyssey

  • miles

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

On the week of May 3rd my car began to shift into different gears with no notice or reason while driving, when it would do this it would show a warning signal on the dash that stated"transmission issue!" And the gear letter would flash on the dash. I brought the car in to the dealership it was purchased from (Ira Honda Saco, ME) as the car was shifting into reverse and park while driving causing significant safety issues for myself and my children in the car. When I arrived I was told there was issue with loaners although the service employee was great in helping me find one eventually that day as I'm a solo parent with multiple children. However, when I brought the car I said there was a recall on the transmission for this exact issue. I was told my make model and year matched but not the VIN so it couldn't be the transmission recall/issue. Then I was told the issue was the fuel injectors but that they were not covered by any warranty so I'd need to pay out of pocket. Then I was told it was partially covered and I ended up paying out of pocket for the remainder and was told the car was all set no more issues, it's fixed, completely safe to drive. Now barely 4 weeks later on 6/1024 while driving on the highway the car slams into park with the same exact warning flashing on the dash. The car behind me nearly rear ended me and my seatbelt engaged as I was going 65mph and came to a complete halt, causing bruising to my chest and collar bone. I immediately brought it back to the dealership and they suddenly say it's the transmission (like I said last month) but that it's not under warranty and is $6300 to repair that Honda can't guarantee they can cover with a claim and they also don't have a loaner or any vehicle I can use to safely transport myself or my children. Yet the only reason I am at the dealership with a car that has now twice nearly caused severe injury events or death is due to the dealership's misdiagnosis of the issue and the guarantee the car was fixed

- Sanford, ME, USA

problem #76

Jun 212020

Odyssey

  • 34,500 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that on one occasion the battery was replaced due to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,500. Parts distribution disconnection.

- West Monroe, LA, USA

problem #75

Apr 132024

Odyssey

  • miles
On April 13th, 2024 our son was driving the family 2018 Honda Odyssey (Approx 83,000 miles) in a nearby city. He was driving at 43 mph when the vehicle shifted from drive to neutral without his shifting it. He tried to brake using the brake pedal but was unable to stop or slow the vehicle. He also tried to accelerate and was unable to accelerate the vehicle. All the lights on the dashboard lit up and he was forced to use the emergency brake to stop the minivan. A good samaritan stopped and assuming that the battery was the problem, tried to help jump-start the vehicle -- but they were unable to start the car. Our son called us, and I drove 20 or so miles to his location. After trying a jump box in the vehicle, we called AAA. After trying a jump start and a new battery, At this point the technician said that the vehicle would need to be towed. The transmission of the minivan appeared to be locked and the towing company was not able to find a means to unlock the transmission. As a result, the front tires were placed on skids, which allowed the minivan to be drawn up onto the bed of the tow vehicle and towed the vehicle 20 miles to the local dealer, which had originally sold us the vehicle and had completed all recent maintenance. On Monday, the Honda service technician assessed it. We were advised that the 2018 Odyssey would require a new engine. After involving American Honda, we learned that the transmission was also affected, and the car would need to have $28,000 of repairs. After a month of discussions with American Honda, they closed our case without a teardown to identify root cause of the event. Our son could easily have been killed by being in a vehicle that could not be controlled while it was moving down the street. He used the only means available to him to stop the vehicle -?" the emergency parking brake. American Honda has told us that we must pay the $1600 to tear the engine apart to learn the cause. We have more history than can fit here.

- Collierville, TN, USA

problem #74

May 142024

Odyssey

  • miles

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

Since 2020, we have noticed that the 2018 Honda Odyssey we own will not accelerate when the gas pedal is pressed. There is a noticeable delay between 1 to 3 seconds for the vehicle to accelerate. Once the vehicle accelerates, it does so at an increased rate of speed that is dangerous and scary. This has led to 100+ near miss collisions with pedestrians and other oncoming vehicles at 4-way lighted intersections, highway on-ramps and other driving scenarios. This has caused me and my family traumatic stress (injury) as we've had so many close calls due to Honda's manufacturing failures and failures to address this problem. We have to drive extra cautiously and under stress in anticipation of the acceleration delay. We took to the dealership several times and they said there appears to be no issue even though I'm certain they didn't do thorough test drive to inspect problem. We will seek legal remedies if NHTSA and Honda will not address this defect that is being reported by hundreds of other 2018-19 Honda Odyssey owners.

- Yucaipa, CA, USA

problem #73

Mar 122024

Odyssey

  • miles
I called Honda services when I received the recall letter from the mail and they kept on telling me that the parts has not come in yet, so call back later. So, I did do that I called back around 2-3 times and they kept on telling me the same thing that the parts have not come in yet and call back later and would not let me make an appointment. I called them the month of March and April and they still would not let me make an appointment.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #72

Feb 102023

Odyssey

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal, the signal changed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated before responding. The contact stated that the engine almost stalled while driving at various speeds. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle also lurched forward while responding. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Scotts Mills, OR, USA

problem #71

Apr 182024

Odyssey

  • miles

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

when stopped in traffic or a light, the engine idle engages. on several occassions (5-6) the stop is too short but the Auto Engine idle is engaged and rather than restart the engine, it turns the engine off. THe car will not restart or turn off unless i open the driver door then hit the on/off button and let the whole car completely shut down before turning it back on. It can take almost full minute or more to go through the process. The danger to myself and those in my car, when we are stopped on the highway, busy road and traffic begins to move again, and i have to open my driver door to get the car to turn back on. I have informed the Honda Dealership (Pohanka Fredericksburg) about the incidents almost every time they have occurred to have them look at the vehicle, but informed they cannot reproduce the problem. I have had video of the incident occurring.

- Stafford, VA, USA

problem #70

Apr 172024

Odyssey

  • miles
Car stalls out and completely shuts off when auto start/stop is engaged. In the 2018 model there is no way to turn off auto start/stop. The car has been unable to turn on for 3 minutes causing major safety and traffic issues. On average it takes 10-20 seconds to manually restart the vehicle with the engine start/stop button. We have taken the vehicle back to the Honda dealership multiple (3-4) times with no resolution and in they can-??t find the problem, but has happened to them during test drive. They did a system update hoping it will solve the problem, but it hasn-??t. I-??m going to have to take it back to Honda again. Please issue a recall, this has been a known problem/issue and is on Reddit. The issue first started about a year and a half ago with the most recent occurrence being today, April 17th 2024. The vehicle has failed to turn back on after the auto start/stop engaged over 20 times.

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #69

Feb 162023

Odyssey

  • miles
* An engine failure occurred due a connecting rod bearing seizure. The engine was replaced at Bryan Honda in Fayetteville NC. Unless the dealer is required to save the parts I don't have them for inspection. * The engine failure occurred on the travel portion of [XXX] stalling the vehicle on the highway. Luckily we were able to move the vehicle off the traveled portion of the highway but it was not safe to be slightly of the road until a tow arrived. * The problem with this type engine is known and subject to recall number [XXX] although Honda says my specific VIN isn't covered when I submitted a claim, possible the recall could be expanded. engine and components were inspected at the Honda dealer. check engine light started flashing just as the engine lost power. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Ellicott City, MD, USA

problem #68

Feb 182024

Odyssey

  • miles
At 60 mph, the fuel injectors failed on cylinder 1/2/3 (known issue based on TSB [XXX]). The vehicle produced various error codes but did not go into limp mode. We proceeded to the nearest exit on the highway to safely pull off. The engine shortly after turned on limp mode as we neared the exit. We heard an audible ping noise and the engine power changed (could still keep the vehicle moving but shaking in the steering wheel). We were on a straight path of road so the steering wheel shaking was manageable. We had the vehicle towed to nearest Honda Dealership and they completed the TSB putting in new injectors. The fault codes cleared on cylinder 1 & 2 but not 3. They performed compression test and assessed dead cylinder requiring new engine replacement. Technician also noted that #3 injector had locked open and spark plug was soaked with fuel from flooding the engine cylinder. I escalated to Honda Corporate (case # [XXX]) and they looked into the matter believing it wasn't that severe. After 1 month, they closed the claim at the regional manager level, with no earnest money, and said we were on our own for an engine with 74k miles since it was out of 60k warranty. I towed the car to my private certified mechanic (who had done all the oil changes since purchase at 34k miles). He checked with borescope and cylinder wasn't moving while crank turning. He has diagnosed broken piston rod and looking for used engine to try and replace. Honda Asheboro quoted $6,400 for repair. We believe that #3 cylinder hydro-locked when ECU turned off injector and spark plug but couldn't closed the injector properly (known debris in fuel system) causing the piston rod to break and luckily not drop the piston into the crankcase. Car is sitting idle waiting for repair or further review. Will be taking Honda Corporate to small claims court in Stanly County, NC. Other known issues for this model/year is fuel pump and piston bearings (both also TSB's and not recalls). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM

- Albemarle, NC, USA

problem #67

Dec 012023

Odyssey

  • miles

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

We are having the same issue as indicated on the Service Bulletin 20-100 but our VIN is not listed as covered by the manufacturer.

- Monkton, MD, USA

problem #66

Jul 102023

Odyssey

  • miles
My wife was driving our 2018 Honda Odyssey when there was acute diminished and very unstable engine power on 7/10/2023. She heard a "knocking" noise like metal-on-metal and pushing the accelerator resulted in very uneven increase in speed - in fact, it would not go above 30mph. She immediately took the van to our local car dealership, but it was very difficult to drive the 1-2 miles it took for her to get there. Her safety was put at risk because the engine did not provide reliable power to drive after that acute event and she easily could have been rear-ended or involved in an accident. We were both very thankful that our children were not in the van at the time. The check engine light immediately came on as well when this happened and when she got to the dealer, the service department identified a P0303 stored code suggesting a cylinder 3 misfire on the lower block. There were metal fragments in the oil and they noticed internal noise/knocking. They informed us that we would need to have a new engine installed. I spoke to our dealership today 2/13/24 and they felt like it was highly probable that a manufacturing defect related to the Honda service bulletin 23-097 for Connecting Rod Bearing problems could be the manufacturing defect and culprit for why our engine stopped working. This bulletin covers build dates of 2018-2019 Honda Odyssey vans from 4/9/2018 through 8/28/2018. Our build date was prior to October 2017 is what our dealer has told me. I do not believe that our defective engine would be available for inspection as I believe the dealership discarded it after installing a salvaged engine, also from a 2018 Odyssey. I do not believe any other agency inspected our defective engine after it was removed. The dealership also was unaware of the 23-097 service bulletin, since they were informed of that later in the year during November 2023. We took excellent care of this vehicle (bought new) and all service was performed on-schedule at dealership.

- Rochester, MN, USA

problem #65

Dec 182023

Odyssey

  • 178,667 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and was restarted. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled on approximately eight separate occasions. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the connecting rod was damaged, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,667.

- Fenton, MI, USA

problem #64

Feb 032024

Odyssey

  • miles
The transmission is unreliable. You push the gas and it hesitates to accelerate or switch to the next gear to speed up. It can shake or rattle the car. Has a trouble at low speeds or shifting to the next gear to increase speed. This makes it dangerous to try to pull out into an intersection because the transmission or gear shifting doesn't always hit and you can get hit or injured. This transmission has been weird since the car was new.

- Orem, UT, USA

problem #63

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

problem #62

Feb 022024

Odyssey

  • miles
10/4/2023 (55K miles), the vehicle suddenly lost power at interstate speed and dropped to three cylinders. Warning lights came on disabling all automatic safety systems. I took the vehicle to a parts store and OBD indicated an oil pressure sensor in VTEC Bank 1. After restarting the vehicle I once again had all 6 cylinders, but all safety systems failures were still indicated on the dash. I replaced the battery (5.5 years old) and all systems returned to normal. After a the PGM-FI update for idle stop issues (recall) was performed at the dealer on 1/31/2024, two days later (2/2/2024) the previous event recurred resulting in severe loss of power and all safety systems indicating failure. I replaced the 4 month old battery under warranty believing the battery had failed prematurely. The problem did not resolve after replacing the battery and multiple restarts. I returned the car to the dealer service center on 2/3/2024 running on three cylinders and then suddenly 6 again after a restart part way there. Dealer diagnosed issue as intermittent fault P2652 Rocker Arm Oil Pressure Switch B (Bank 1) and replaced it at my cost but did not charge diagnoses. Operation returned to normal. ** have driven Honda vehicles for 25 years with very few issues. Something is seriously wrong in their ECU program/electrical system that causes vehicle to suddenly lose power and safety systems due to an intermittent oil pressure sensor fault. I am a Mechanical Engineer with more than 18 years working in mechanical and electrical aerospace systems. Honda needs to identify the root cause of this failure mode and issue yet another recall to address the systemic hardware and software issues. Both times this occurred, I had 4 young kids in the car and could not maintain safe interstate speed or accelerate to get on the highway.

- Kearney, MO, USA

problem #61

Dec 222023

Odyssey

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" Rod bearing failure lead to engine seizing How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We started hearing the ticking in October, I visited the dealership and contacted Honda multiple times and either told to take no action or wait for the recall. Case #[XXX] We expressed our concern to both the dealership and Honda about not addressing the issue because we had a big trip for Christmas coming up. My mother-in-law has terminal cancer and the entire family was getting together for Christmas with her. To get there we drive 20 hours from Arkansas to Utah. We followed the advice of the dealership and Honda and waited. Unfortunately about 50 miles out of Amarillo the van started to make loud engine noise and stalled. While going 75 miles an hour down the interstate I lost power steering and my brakes were very unresponsive. Luckily, we were in the farthest right lane and I was able to get us safely to the shoulder. We feel blessed to have made it off the road, it was a very dangerous situation. Now my van with 70K mile has a seized engine and is stuck 12 hours away in Amarillo Texas. I am requesting that Honda reimburse my rental, ship my van back home to Bentonville, and send a new engine for the dealership to fix the now seized engine. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes the issue has been diagnosed by Brown Honda in Amarillo TX by Todd Burkham the Fixed Operations Director Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Only by Brown Honda in Amarillo TX Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" Only the ticking sound that we took the vehicle in for starting in late October. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Centerton, AR, USA

problem #60

Dec 082023

Odyssey

  • miles
I have a 2018 Honda Odyssey Touring. On December 8th exactly one week after I had my van serviced at the local Honda Dealership I broke down on the interstate. My van started making strange noises and the check engine light started blinking. I lost all power and had to merge over to the emergency lane almost causing an accident. I contacted the service manager at the local Honda dealership. I explained to him what was going on, I also told him that I noticed a slight tapping sound the week prior and asked them to check it out when I brought it in for service on November 30th. I was told they didn't notice anything wrong and that the only thing I needed was front brake pads. Upon searching the internet I found there is currently a recall on some of the models for faulty connecting rod bearings. Preston Locklear the service manager was unaware of the recall, so I emailed him the recall service letter. He called me back to inform me that my van does not fall under the build dates approved for the recall. That afternoon the service writer called me to inform me that my engine is blown, when I asked him how they determined that his reply " we sent a tech out and he pulled the dipstick and seen metal". He then went on to say that if I want to determine the cause of the failure I would have to pay to get the oil pan dropped. When I asked ow much that would be they said they had to get back to me. They finally called me back December 22nd with a quote. I was told it would be about $600. I contacted Honda recall center and asked for help. I was assigned a case worker. He called me back December 29th saying there was no help they could offer. I had my van towed from Honda to an independent shop. They pulled the oil pan and found the #6 connecting rod bearing failed. I would like for Honda to help me with this matter. It is an obvious problem with this engine. They are o it recalling 250k but they need to recall all of them in those years.

- West Columbia, SC, USA

problem #59

Jan 232024

Odyssey

  • miles
My odyssey is running rough and Not accelerating correctly. All lights on the dash come on including emissions and power steering and traction control. I recently spent close to $3,000 doing the timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, and valve adjustment. All maintenance is up to date.

- East Granby, CT, USA

problem #58

Sep 202023

Odyssey

  • miles
Car has acceleration issues when making left turns, merging onto freeway, or passing cars on freeway. Transmission and blind spot light went on and we took car to Honda dealer. They could not find anything wrong, no codes were stored and they were not able to duplicate the issue. Scanned vehicle and unable to trace root cause. Updated TCM software which helped for about a month but acceleration issues are now back again. This is a serious safety issue as the car hesitates to accelerate. We have kept up with all car maintenance.

- Germantown , WI, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?