Complaint volume
904 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Honda Odyssey Complaints
904 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Honda Odyssey, grouped by component category.
904 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
3 Fire reports
15 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, electrical system, power train. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 3 fire reports, 15 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 243 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 37,613 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, electrical system, power train?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Honda Odyssey?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Honda Odyssey
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Honda Odyssey complaints?
13 Crash
3 Fire
15 Injury
1 Fatality
20 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Honda Odyssey complaint categories?
ENGINE 86
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 84
POWER TRAIN 79
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 60
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 59
STRUCTURE 56
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 32
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 30
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 22
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 21
904 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | COMPONENT: Power Liftgate Control Module (PTG module). Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. WHAT HAPPENED: On approximately April 7, 2026, while driving in rain, a "Power Tailgate Problem" warning appeared on the instrument cluster. Following that event, all powered liftgate operation became permanently inoperable — interior button, exterior button, and key fob all failed. CAUSE: An authorized Honda dealer confirmed in writing (service invoice, May 1, 2026): "Power Liftgate Control Unit has corrosion from water leak." The water intrusion originates from defective factory polyurethane seam sealer on the rear drip rail — a known manufacturing defect on 2018-2019 Odysseys documented in Honda TSB MC-10152401. SAFETY RISK: The same water intrusion that destroys the PTG module is documented to cause the liftgate to open unexpectedly while driving, posing a direct hazard to occupants and other motorists. NHTSA is already investigating this issue across 2018-2022 Odysseys. WARNING SYMPTOMS: "Power Tailgate Problem" warning on instrument panel cluster appeared during rain exposure prior to full failure. MANUFACTURER RESPONSE: American Honda Motor Co. declined to cover the repair under goodwill despite the dealer-confirmed defect, an active TSB, and an ongoing class action lawsuit (2018-2021 Odysseys) for this exact issue. Honda has not issued a recall. Estimated repair cost: $691 (module) plus body seam repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Vans forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking occurred when no vehicle was in-front of the van. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | The vehicle started to have failing sensors all of a sudden. I tried a new battery but the codes returned. all ADAS systems tied to the camera module all went out. I had 5-7 warning lights for all driving functions. additionally the seat belt buckle is not always clicking in properly. the belt about half the time is not retained in the buckle section. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While the vehicle is in motion, it is loudly beeping that there is a problem with the rear tailgate and that it is open when it is closed. This is due to manufacturing defect wherein water is getting into the tailgate control module and ruining the electronics. This is making the tailgate unusable as it will not open and just reads off the error message. This is a well documented issue all over the internet on these vans and Honda should recall the vehicles to fix this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | 2018 Honda Odyssey with 3.5L engine, Honda dealership diagnosed engine noise to worn/failed connecting rod bearing. Vehicle has 109,000 miles. Noise started within last 6 months. No other symptoms experienced. Oil services and other maintenance performed per maintenance minder using fully Synthetic MobileOne oil and extended life filter. Pictures and bearing measurements from tear down and diagnosis show significant bearing wear beyond normally expected wear for vehicle with only 109k miles. clearly not normal wear, and is consistent with failure seen on other Honda rod bearing stories for 3.5 L engines. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Rear hatch latch failure. Seal failure resulting in water leak, causing electronic failure. Risk off items falling out of vehicle causing road hazards. Independent repair shop unable to diagnosis/repair. Dealer able to make repairs as they were familiar with the problem, had made many similar repairs. No warning lamps prior to issue, light/alarm when issued occurred. Honda Corporate customer service declined “goodwill” repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN | When driving at speed, the car will lose power, and you cannot go anywhere until the transmission reengages Also when starting out there is a hesitation sometimes very dangerous at intersections | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | While driving down an interstate going approximately 70 mph, the engine, all of a sudden started losing power and showing a check engine light. I immediately pulled over to a safe location. Check the oil which appeared okay and called a tow truck. Bring my vehicle to a local shop. The shop did some inspections and found that there was some failures on the connecting rods. Nothing else has been done at this point | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle driving at highway speeds and put itself into park while at speed without operator intervention. Vehicle became uncontrollable and an extreme hazard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Transmission slow to respond when accelerating from a stop, also when going from reverse to drive the transmission is also slow to respond, causing interruption in that moment of traffic. The possibility of causing an accident. The incident has not been confirmed by a reputable dealer. Also, it has not been inspected by a reputable Honda dealer. there has not been any warning lights on regarding the delayed transmission shifting. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, the engine did not start, multiple warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle had an issue previously with loud noises and slow acceleration and the vehicle taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a high pressure and low pressure fuel pump failure and was repaired at the time. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic a second time where it was diagnosed as a fuel pump failure. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate 147,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 147,000 |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | While driving on highway, multiple warnings displayed at the same time as adaptive cruise control stopped, lane keep assistance stopped and collision mitigation system stopped abruptly without warning. Independent service check confirmed the problem. No inspection performed. Vehicle has never been in a collision during ownership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Experiencing problems similar to recall 23V-43. Audio popping/crackling, radio unavailable, screen display issues- screen does not come on resulting in no rear camera, display says “network connection lost” while driving. Vehicle has been inspected by Hondo of Hot Springs Arkansas multiple times for radio/screen display issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle experiencing loss of power especially on hills and when attempting to pass on highway. Experiencing difficulty starting drive from full stop. Slow ignition start. Occurs daily. Known fuel pump issue in year/make/ model, however VIN is not included in the safety recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Water is leaking through back tailgate every time it rains. Water pools on the back floor and gets into the tailgate control unit. As a result, mold has grown on the floors and water has gotten into the power tailgate control unit causing my tailgate to stop opening and propping up (I have to manually hold the heavy door while lifting items out). This has caused electrical problems with cruise control and several lights blinking on and off my dashboard throughout the duration while driving. I have had the engine and transmission all tested and everything is working properly in that regard. The conclusion is that these electrical malfunctions are due to water damage. I have already had the control unit replaced once a year ago. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | The camera for these sensors has gone out and it appears to be an extremely common issue. It makes all safety features un-usable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The acceleration lags or stalls after braking to almost a complete stop. The lag is anywhere from 1 to maybe 3 seconds and I’ve almost gotten into multiple accidents as the vehicle has stopped in the middle of a lane or intersection when I’m trying to turn. The Honda dealership says they have been able to duplicate the issue, but said they don’t have a fix for the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | When I turned on the ignition to drive the vehicle, multiple warning lights came on to include failure of lane keeping assistance, forward collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. Additionally, after acknowledging these lights, the "brake system" light remained on in the amber color. If these safety features are not working properly, it can put the occupants of my vehicle as well as others at risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Honda Odyssey. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 66,700, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 178,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 178,000 |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When accelerating from a stop position while pushing on the accelerator the vehicle will not move. Takes a couple seconds. Almost struck by oncoming car when attempting to turn left onto Main road. Happens frequently. Next: left sliding passenger door doesn’t close all the way then opens back up. Takes several attempts before it decides to close or with my assistance. Third: rear cargo door shuts without me pushing the button. Alarm sounds and immediately shuts. Been hit in the head once while closing. I’ve seen complaints about this and Honda is apparently aware. Last; the car will inadvertently emergency brake when an oncoming vehicle approaches from the front. Very disturbing when traveling at any speed going into an instant stoppage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | ADAS camera malfunction causing all driver assist functions to not work | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This has been an ongoing issue with the sensors on the sliding door. When closing the door, it would start to close half way, then opens. This makes it really unsafe for children or anyone sitting next to the door as it would open unexpectedly or not close all the way without having to physically pull the door to close. When walking away from the vehicle, sometimes the car would lock automatically (as it should) but there are also times where the door would automatically open when walking away and things has been stolen from the vehicle because of it. The sensors on these sliding doors has been a real safety issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My car has started breaking randomly without reason. Just a few days ago it slammed on the brakes. I was driving on the interstate and went around a bend, and my car slammed on the breaks. I. Talking from 70- 5mph in seconds. I didn't have time to do anything. Nothing in front of me, nothing on the side. The car behind me had to swerve into the median to avoid hitting me. My car almost caused an accident. Im honestly afraid to drive it. Im not sure if the radar system is an issue in other Hondas, but if i was in an accident it would have been my fault. If the person behind me wasn't paying attention my children could have been seriously injured or worse. Please look into this issue. Its more dangerous than the other recalls. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | My 2018 Honda Odyssey began exhibiting intermittent acceleration lag several years before the repair, and the condition progressively worsened. At the time of repair, the vehicle had 68,957 miles. The safety concern occurs when accelerating from a stop, such as at a red light, stop sign, or when merging into traffic. I depress the accelerator normally and the vehicle does not respond. There is a delay where the engine and transmission fail to engage, leaving the vehicle stationary while surrounding traffic begins to move. To compensate, I must press the accelerator further. When the vehicle finally responds, it does so abruptly, causing a sudden surge of acceleration. This creates two safety hazards: (1) loss of control due to the unexpected “kick” when power finally engages, and (2) increased risk of collision when attempting to merge or cross traffic, because the vehicle does not accelerate when expected. I have been honked at by other drivers and have experienced near‑miss situations because the vehicle failed to move when it should have. Owner forums show many similar reports from other ~2018 Odyssey owners describing the same acceleration lag and abrupt engagement. Based on these reports, the commonly recommended fix is a throttle body cleaning and a transmission “teach‑in” procedure. An authorized Honda dealership performed these procedures on my vehicle at my expense (approximately $500–$550). These procedures are not listed in Honda’s factory maintenance schedule, yet appear necessary to correct a drivability issue that presents a safety risk. Given the frequency of similar owner reports and the safety implications of delayed or unpredictable acceleration, this issue may indicate a design or calibration defect in the throttle body, engine air‑management system, or transmission control logic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | monocular camera code set and several dash messages - failure of ACC, FCW, LKA | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |