Complaint volume
940 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
940 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Honda Odyssey, grouped by component category.
940 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
3 Fire reports
18 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, 18 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 260 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 40,559 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
18 Injury
1 Fatality
24 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Honda Odyssey complaint categories?
ENGINE 88
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 87
POWER TRAIN 81
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 65
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 62
STRUCTURE 57
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 33
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 31
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 22
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 22
940 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I have 2018 Odyssey EXL . on instrument display got message "Power Tailgate Issue". The tailgate can not open either by control button or manually. I have already had this issue 2 times. I sent it to dealer and been told the power tailgate control module was intruded by water. I replaced the control module, and after several months, the issue recovered. The power tailgate can not open and close will cause my trip in danger. I hope the honda can fix this issue for the customers free. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I was driving the vehicle as normal and stopped at a Red Traffic Light. I attempted to drive when the light changed to green. The car stuttered, the dashboard lights flashed and the car shut down. - Multiple attempts to re-start failed. No prior warning lights etc. Car just return from Dealer to address Recall Issues etc. Dealer made comments on Brake Maintenance etc which was then serviced. No Mention of Auto Stop/Start issues. - FULL failure: No brake, no steering, no radio, dashboard went blank. No lights. - FAILURE OF HAZARD LIGHTS TO WORK. - This is a SHUT down in the middle of a busy street with 2 kids in the car. NO Hazard lights working. - Mulitple near accidents from incoming traffic. No lights working??? -Spoke to mechanic over the phone. He thought it was NOT likely the battery and I needed to get a tow truck. -Tow truck not available for several hours. - Mechanic was able to send someone to me. He worked on it and eventually got it to start. - Immediately took it to the Mechanic Shop. They Tested the Battery, alternator, starter and connections. Stated No Problem detected. - Mechanic thought it could be related to the computer/Auto Stop/Start system and suggested I get it checked at the Dealership. -Spoke to the Dealership the following day and base on the description of events they also mention the Auto Stop/Start system???? -This seems to be a problem they are aware of but????? The Dealership recognize this problem base on the conversation???? It is thus well known???? - Car left at Dealership - This is EXTEMELY DANGEROUS. The car Shuts Down/Freezes in the middle of Traffic. - NO HAZARD LIGHTS WORKING?????? - This is an Accident/Deaths waiting to happen. - Why is the computer even controlling the HAZARD lights. That is a HORRENDOUS Design Error. Hazard Lights should be HARD WIRED to switch. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | several times when stopped at a light, the vehicle's auto idle engine engages and shuts the car off. When the brake has been released, the vehicle has failed to start. Most recently, this occurred while waiting in a car line of traffic and it took many different attempts to get the car engine back on - about 10 minutes before the engine could be started, resulting in myself and my children stuck on the road while we opened doors, the hood of the car, tried to start the car and turn it completely off. It was in a stuck position until it wasn't. that was the first time the vehicle wouldn't start after numerous attempts to start the engine. We have been told there is no way to fix this - only to manually turn the function off every time the car is started. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The high pressure fuel pump is not working causing a noise like a motorcycle. took to dealer they advised it is a safety issue. Could cause gas lines to blow out while driving. Part is saying it is discontinued and is on backorder. Honda dealer is the one who diagnosed the problem. No warning no check engine light | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle has roughly 32,000 miles. KEY SAFETY ISSUES [with vehicle parked, engine off and doors closed] (1) vehicle randomly and without warning locks driver out (cannot open car with key fob by pressing unlock button, cannot open car manually by entering key into door). Had to call AAA on 4 different occasions to pry open door with specialty tools. After that, had to leave window fully open in order to ensure we would not get locked out. (2) when vehicle locks driver out it also sets off the alarm, turns the car on to idle, and turns on the radio (even if its off) thus draining the battery until its dead. Why this is a major safety issue? -- Scenarios I though of (1) child/toddler getting accidently locked into car with no way to open and AAA not readily available (2) getting locked out of your car in a remote location with no cell service (mountains, desert, etc) When this issue happened the dash screen would show an error of "Auto Engine Idle Stop System Problem". I took the van to Honda and they diagnosed the problem to be a faulty keyless access control unit. Fees to replace were +/- $1,100. Honda decline to provide any cost reduction or assistance stating that warranty for the part had expired. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | SEAT BELTS | The third row seat belt latch constantly gets stuck when lowering the driver side seats down. It has bent over time and it finally broke in half. We constantly try to move it to be safe but as the driver side seats go down, they catch the passenger side seat and pull the seatbelt latch with it. It results in the latch part being crushed between the seats. It was still usable up until this weekend when it got caught again and broke the latch completely. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SUNROOF EXPLODED - glass was contained by cover but I had to hold cover shut until I got to dealer - insurance inspected the damage - no warning before it happened | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | SEAT BELTS | The driver's seat belt consistently came 'unbuckled'. There were times that I had to pull over to re-insert it into the base. On 14 DEC 2022, I took the van to Honda of Gainesville FL to have this evaluated and repaired. The seat belt was replaced that day for a total of $269.67 (a receipt is available upon request). Last week, I checked the recalls online and Honda is recalling its 2018 Odyssey vans for this same problem. When I called about this, I was told by both the local dealer's staff member and Honda's Recall staff member (888-234-2138) that our VIN was not included in the recall. This is the reason I am writing to you; I believe that our VIN should have been included for this recall and the seat belt replacement covered by Honda. I don't see how it could not be included. Also, we want to notify you of this situation should other Odyssey owners be affected. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | POWER TRAIN | when starting from a stop, occasionally when the accelerator is first pressed, the van doesn't immediately accelerate, there is about a two second hesitation where the car does nothing, and then finally it engages and starts to move forward. This happens occasionally in DRIVE, but I don't think I have ever seen it in reverse. It seems to happen more right after the vehicle is first turned on. I have seen many others complaining in various forums about the same issue. Here's one site: https://www.odyclub.com/threads/2018-odyssey-having-1-3-second-acceleration-lag-from-stopped-or-rolling-on-9-speed-transmission.368250/ This has been happening for a long time, I don't recall when it first started to happen. the date I put below is pretty much a random date | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Just bought the car used with 60240 mi at the end of March on a Friday. 30 minutes after leaving the dealership the Auto Idle Stop warning notice appeared on the dash stating this feature was unavailable. It would not engage when idle at a light and as a result, when the gas was pressed to accelerate the car would hesitate and jerk into gear. This happened the entire 1.5-hour ride home, whether for a short pause or longer pause. It was a bit scary because the car would hesitate to move and clearly there were cars behind me. At any point and time, someone could've rear-ended me thinking I was able to accelerate properly. About 1 hour into the ride the brake lights came on flashing red at the bottom of the dash the entire time and would not go out. I immediately called the dealership once I reached my destination to announce the problem. The following Monday I took it back for a look over. In their investigation, they found a tracker attached under the dash and assumed this was interfering with the transmission of messages for the Auto Idle stop to engage. The dealer claimed there were codes, but after removing this attachment the auto idle stop feature engaged and they cleared all the codes. To my surprise, after 4-5 hours of being there, I drove home to find as I neared by destination all error codes returned including the brake lights flashing. I immediately called the dealer again and complained. This time to not further inconvenience me with the back and forth, they came and picked up the car on a Thursday with the intent of troubleshooting it over the course of some days. They had the car from a Thursday to the next Friday for me to arrive after them saying it was good, to find it was still doing it. This time the codes were reviewed with me in the car and the issue was "it was unlearned". After the reset, it started working again. Four days later it's still happening. Engages when it feels like it which causes a rough drive and acceleration. Honda help! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Electrical issues with camera, screen & infotainment system. Terrible crackling noise coming from stereo system. Screen randomly goes black for prolonged periods of time. While in reverse and relying on camera….all of a sudden you do not have visibility. Screen will stay off as well as the music and randomly turn back on. Car has been in shop 5 plus times for this issue and several remedies tried…..nothing seems to work. Whatever remedies have been tried, problem is now worse and more frequent. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | ENGINE | Vehicle intermittently engine does not accelerate when gas pedal is pushed. Seems engine is hesitating and will not react to input from gas pedal. Very dangerous situation when you are merging onto highways or turning on to a road. Has done it for some time now. Cannot replicate when taken to dealer. I have read on Honda Odyssey (Ody Club) that this is a common issue with this vehicle. I am afraid my wife is going to wind up in a nasty accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE | While driving multiple system failure- warning lights then failure of: blind spot alert, lane departure, back up camera, wipers, tailgate function. When able to stop, power locks did not function. Inability to access rear of car via sliding doors would pose serious risk if accident occurred due to system failure. Prior to all systems alert, tailgate warning light had been intermittently appearing for a few days. Dealer service center noted water leak from unsealed section between window and frame in back driver side panel that corroded body console module. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | This issue been going on for a while now. I Have taking it to the dealer for issue. They said was the battery i replace the battery. Still doesn’t fix the issue. Last week we stuck on the hogging in traffic with my family of 5 including children. We came to a stop and it went into idle stop then it when i released brakes the engine didn’t turn back on tell me to shift in park in the middle of the highway. I could have been hit from the rear with this issue especially if you’re stuck in traffic. This issue has been going on a few times thinking it was because of a battery. I replaced my battery twice because that what Honda said is the issue . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | POWER TRAIN | On March 13, 2023 my Honda Odyssey 2018 would not shift out of "Park". The message,” Stop Driving When Safe. Transmission Problem. See Manual” appeared on my dashboard. I turned off the Odyssey and started it back up. After this I was able to shift into drive. This message never appeared before March 13, 2023. Later as I was driving, the Odyssey shifted into "Neutral" by itself without any action on my part. The vehicle became unresponsive, the Odyssey lost all drive train power as we were driving on a steep decline. I was only able to slow the Odyssey with the foot break. This was an extremely dangerous situation that put the safety of my whole family at risk. I was able to steer the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway out of on coming traffic. The next day, March 14, when I started the Odyssey it would not shift out of "Park" and the same error message about the transmission appeared. We were left stranded on the side of the road with freezing temperatures.The mechanic at the Honda dealership stated he could not get the Odyssey to shift out of Park until it had been running for 45 minutes. The problem was confirmed by the Honda dealership. The Odyssey was inspected by the Honda dealership. He could not determine the exact cause and suggested a new battery. I purchased a new battery, and the Honda technician installed it. I had the old battery tested at AutoZone, the battery passed the test, it was a good battery The Honda Dealership changed the Transmission fluid and updated the software of theOdyssey. After being serviced and repaired by the Honda Dealership, the same transmission problem happened again on March 21 as I was driving my boys to school in the morning, going down a decline, again the Odyssey shifted into "Neutral" by itself without any action on my part. The power train lost all power, I could not shift it into "drive". Again this loss of control put my family's safety at risk. This was the third time my family was left stranded. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The radio goes out on my van and the van shifts into neutral while I'm driving. This has been going on for months I've had it to the Honda dealership twice this last time thay said the only thing they could come up with is that the alternator is losing power but alternator is on back order until June and still no guarantee this will fix the problem since none of there test showed up anything other then they were able to get it to go into neutral for them while they were driving it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I have a 2018 Honda odyssey 9 speed and I am well aware of the many issues people have been complaining of and I am experiencing many of those same issues. My number one issue is my acceleration. I need to step down all the way on the gas pedal to make the car move and once it does my rear tires spin because of the acceleration. I have also had many instances where my car will not accelerate fast enough while turning causing me to sometimes be stopped in on coming traffic. I have had my main screen turn off while driving but did not affect the car however and a handful where I will be stopped at a light and my car shifts to park. I have had the car brought into the dealer 3 times for these issues and all that was done software updates. I did have one instance where my check engine light was on and they replaced the fuel injectors which did not solve the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS | Car was parked at home. Entered car to get something, noticed car smelled of faint smoke. Didn't think much of it. Next day when I went into the car noticed a large burn hole in passenger side seat. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 2018 Honda Odyssey - 120,738 miles at time of occurrence Premature failure of the monocular camera (Honda Part Number 36160-THR-A04). This impacted Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Breaking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assistance and automatic high beams. This part failed very suddenly when I was on a major highway. No warning lamps prior to failure We kept the part for inspection. The problem was confirmed by a Honda dealer and the part was replaced at my expense ($1,335.88). Reported to American Honda who told me this was no longer under warranty. When i tried to find the part myself, it was on a long back order and I was told by many other dealers that this is a common failure | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | On 2 occasions, the "Auto Engine Idle Stop" has caused my vehicle to completely die while stopped at a stop light. The car did not start, leaving me stalled in active traffic. Eventually the car reset itself and I was able to restart the car. After this happened the first time the battery in the vehicle was replaced. The second time this happened the battery was only 2 years old. The manufacturer should fix this problem with a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | My Honda Odyssey 2018 has a problem that sometimes, particularly during winter, that a lot of check lights are on, and sometimes the car starts to slide. The check lights may include the check engine light, the power steering light, the power brake light, and the transmission light. An independent mechanic determined that this is addressed by the Honda Service Bulletin 20-100, but Honda service representative denies a warranty coverage as they say the VIN is not in the range even when the Model, Make, and the diagnosis all matches (Honda Service representative: case # [XXX], [XXX]). INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,LANE DEPARTURE | Blindspot monitoring, emissions system problem, transmission system problem all come on at the same time when vehicle is motion. Unable to manually shift if needed. A lot of vans had recall, however ours is not on the recall list, but we highly believe it should be due to safety concerns due to transmission failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 43,000 |
| Feb 2023 | ENGINE | My car would not switch gears quick enough which resulted in a brief stalling when trying to cross traffic. This is just the most recent issues when it comes to faulty gear shifting in this vehicle. if it weren’t for other cars slamming on their brakes, it would have been a bad accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | As I was driving down the interstate in my 2018 Honda Odyssey, clear of other vehicles or debris, I heard a loud bang and saw glass slide off the back of my car. I could instantly hear the air in the moonroof as if it was open. Fortunately, I had the cloth/hard cover closed so no glass got in my car or on me. For obvious reasons this is extremely dangerous and puts many people in the car and outside the car at risk. The shock of the exploding sunroof while driving on the interstate is not safe but if the cover wasn't closed, it would have covered me and my children in glass shards. One week ago, January 27, 2023, I had my a few recalls repaired on my van. One being, "Safety Recall Campaign: Replace Harness Clips and Moon Roof S/B 20-012". | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |