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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | My 2018 Honda Odyssey elite regularly hesitates from the stopped position. This often causes a safety hazard when turning right into traffic or making a left turn because I am not able to accelerate for several seconds and the vehicle feels as if it is stalling out. It is a known mechanical defect with Honda and they do not currently have a resolution. When reported, I was told the mechanical system defects to switching through all the gears before accelerating, causing the delay. I have brought the car into the dealership regarding the issue and have been dealing with Honda headquarters with no resolution. There have been several close calls when I have made a left turn/ right turn into traffic and the vehicle hesitates for a few seconds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | It is very common for the vehicle model to experience water intrusion toward the back lift gate because of rain. This can cause electric problems with the vehicle that can result in property damage or death. Airbags may not deploy due to water damage as well. Theses vehicles should be recalled as soon as possible. Most owner are not aware of this issue because they park vans in a garage. Please investigate this matter and issue a recall | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate, there was a delay in response from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure however, the TCM module software was updated and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated the dealer informed him that the failure could reoccur. The manufacturer was contacted and suggested that the vehicle be diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 17,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,000 |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration with the transmission message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a transmission specialist who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V299000 (Power Train, Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 153,000 |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle keeps turning on accessory mode uncommanded. Resulting in draining battery. Battery is then recharged and process starts over again. Took vehicle to Honda dealership for diagnosis. Dealership diagnosed tailgate control module. Disconnected all connections to that module and problem persists. Constant discharge and recharge of battery presents a fire hazard. A automotive/mechanical engineer evaluated the problem, suggested it was the body control module and highly recommended I not park my vehicle in my attached garage until the problem is resolved. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The automatic tail gate hatch closes when its fully open. It will close while under it and bumps your head if you're not careful. I have bumped my head a few times. Nothing serious enough to see a doctor but it happens 95% of the time the gate is opened. I reported this to Honda dealer where I purchased the vehicle over two years ago before COVID but it doesn't seem to concern them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | My wife was waiting outside in our vehicle with our kids while I was running an errand. She stated that she went to move the car and as she put it in reverse, the car rolled forward and automatically engaged itself into park. Then she stated that the van also started sputtering and shaking. She shut it off and got our kids out of the car. When I got back to the car, she was explaining it to me. I then started to troubleshoot by checking for blown fuses, bad battery connections and etc. Everything appeared as it should be. I turned the car on to the accessory mode, and it was throwing almost every code possible if not all of them. It showed emissions system, abs systems, hill start and several others. With the car still in accessory mode, I noticed the radiator fans were not coming on as they should have. Also the engine bay was hot, as in the air filter housing was hot enough that you could not keep your hand on it. After letting it cool down, I inspected the battery terminals again for any loose connections and could not find anything. We ended up having to get a tow truck to tow it to a shop to get it worked on. The van has 73k miles on it. The vehicle would not go into gear for us. It was also sputtering when running. It sounds like an electrical issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The component that is giving me issues is the power liftgate. As I have been driving down the road, it has unlocked and opened even at a stoplight. And would go up and down up and down until finally it runs the battery completely dead. I have taken it to Honda. They did not know what’s causing it. I am taking it now to another service dealer. to see if he can fix it. I’m in hopes that he can do something. But upon reviewing other complaints online, this has been an issue for other people. That could cause a lot of safety issues for anyone around the vehicle or driving the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | i was backing up and the camera failed to warning me of people walking behind me or the vehicle passing | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the passenger’s side air bags deployed without warning or a crash. The contact was able to pull over safely. The contact’s daughter was injured and taken to the hospital to seek medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a Collison Center and then towed to the dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and notified the contact of a hole under the subframe of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The failure mileage was 135,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 135,000 |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | While attempting to cross a road the vehicle suddenly will not accelerate. This happened after entering the roadway with cross traffic coming at you. This happens more and more frequently and seems to occur after the vehicle initially rolls out from a stop or after coasting at low speed. If you press the accelerator pedal all the way nothing happens and you panic as traffic comes barreling towards you. Then after a brief moment of fear the vehicle jerks into gear making everyone slam back into their seats. This has been reported by many owners on various forums, some of which were in accidents. This will not end well for a few drivers and their families. Honda technicians when diagnosing this complaint say No Trouble Found or do not have a repair or recall for this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | I have taken my Honda to the dealership on multiple occasions, regarding lack of acceleration, after a complete stop. The engine does not engage after pushing the pedal down, so that my vehicle can move. It has a very long delay after coming to a stop. This is a huge safety concern, considering when making a right turn, and perceiving there is enough time to accelerate my vehicle, before another oncoming vehicle, there is a delay a potential accident will occur. This should never happen and my family has been in multiple situations where there was almost an accident. I love my Honda but this safety concern has made me rethink and potentially inform others of this matter. Please help me find a solution to this problem. I even purchased an extended warranty I hopes there may be a solution, but I’m beginning to lose hope. I have a family of 7, and I shouldn’t fear having to drive a stock vehicle, that my families life may be in danger due to this faulty engine delay. Please help a pleading father feel safe. Thank you and I hope to hear a response. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | When coming to a stop, usually in stop / go traffic and at times when coming to a complete stop, the auto-idle stop kicks in, but then immediately shuts the engine down and shifts vehicle into park. Vehicle has to be entirely shut down and restarted to bring the engine back. We have been taking the vehicle to the dealership since we bought it a couple of years ago. Seems to be mostly occurring in warm summer months. Also affects the audio entertainment, all sounds stop. And after the most recent repair by the dealership (replacing the tuner), the display screen will not come on for 10-15 min when first starting the vehicle (including the back-up cam and warnings) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | POWER TRAIN,LANE DEPARTURE | Own a 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite w/10 Speed Transmission that is still under powertrain warranty. Current Mileage is approx 51,400 miles. On 06/23 while driving on I-680 south bound driving my kids to school - experienced severe jerking and gears slipping in Drive. Car continued to drive, but there was hesitation in gearing. As a precaution decided to pull over and stopped the vehicle in Milpitas, CA. On restart the car was completely stalled, The car would not engage in "Reverse" gear and on pressing accelerator it seemed like it was in Neutral. All modes, Drive, Sport, Neutral and Reverse were flashing and got a warning in the dashboard saying "Transmission System Problem/Blind Spot Info System Problem". Also see this thread. https://www.odyclub.com/threads/2020-ex-l-10-speed-transmission-failure-at-11k-miles.358491/ - Problem exactly similar to this reported and others in Odyssey Consumer Forums. Looks like Transmission Manufacturing Defect by Honda Car totally endangered my and my 3 kids safety today and we fell lucky we did not stall on the highway. Answers to questions: 1) Component Malfunction is Transmission System - and ADAS/Blind Spot 2) Car was slipping and jerking on the Highway 680S in the middle of high speed traffic and trucks endangering our safety. Car completely stalled and was not drivable after pull over. 3) Problem reproduced 100% of the time on 06/23. Towed the car to nearby Honda Delaer. Awaiting further Diagnosis 4) Car has been towed to Envision Honda of Milpitas, CA and no further info received on root cause. Created case with Honda Automobiles. Case #13101086 5) Yes warnings in dashboards - recorded video - see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cImyqZl5cc. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Auto restart feature when enabled did not restart vehicle after coming to a stop at stoplight on multiple occasions in the last few months rendering vehicle unable to proceed. We recently saw news article about same issue with Pilots. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I was driving on the freeway at 60mph and the all dashboard notification lights started flickering (lane departure warning, odometer, blind spot warning, etc) and the car went from drive to neutral. This occurred twice while i was on the freeway on 6/6/22. This has also occurred twice before. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Sliding door not latching all of the way, opening and closing on its own | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Anytime the temperature is below freezing (32F), the infotainment system fails to boot. This prevents us from properly defrosting windows for visibility, or using the rear-view camera while backing, or accessing many of the other features of the vehicle that are controlled by the infotainment unit. The lack of a rear-view camera is especially concerning on a van with otherwise poor rearward visibility through mirrors. Many people have car seats in their mini-van which further obstructs rearward visibility without the camera. We have visited the dealer numerous times for a fix for this issue, and there either is none, or Honda's dealers arent interested in fixing it. Essentially, we are without most of the vehicles advanced features whenever it is cold outside. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | STRUCTURE | Driver and Passenger Sliding Doors have issues closing sometimes. It would close ranging from 70% to 90% of the way, and then slide back open. This happens occasionally enough to not have confidence in the doors consistently closing. We made sure there were no obstructions to the door, as well as nothing preventing the sliding rail roller from completing full movement. The family would have to attempt to shut it several failed attempts, sometimes up to as much as 10 x times, until it closes. This happens randomly to both driver and passenger sliding doors. This happens every thousand miles or so, and has happened since owning the vehicle. Recall was previously performed on the sliding doors for a seperate issue, but this issue still persist, and am pretty much sure it will continue to happen through the life of the van. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | In lower gears, there is hesitation when accelerating which causes driver to unknowing lurch forward. Sometimes peeling out. In stop and go traffic, the van does not accelerate for a few seconds when gas pedal is pressed. There is sometimes a clunking sound which causes van to lurch when accelerating at a lower gear which feels like someone has hit my van from behind. It is a safety issue because I don’t know if the van will accelerate or not right away when I press the gas pedal. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission delays in shifting from neutral to first on acceleration, when it engages it finally squeals the tires. Also at around 25 miles an hour it club is into the next gear and the whole car shudders. It is a safety issue and makes crossing roads scary. It has been looked at multiple (4?) times by different Honda dealers and they always reply it is functioning normally. There are no warning lamps or errors showing on the instruments but it is not normal. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE WHEN SUDDENLY THE ACC, LKAS, BLIND SPOT, LANE DEPARTURE, WENT ON. ALSO I PARKED MY VEHICLE THEN THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM INDICATOR WENT ON. TOOK IT TO HONDA WAS TOLD IF ITS DRIVEABLE ITS FINE. SO I LEFT. PUT GAS WHICH THE RANGE READ 130 MILES TIL EMPTY HAVE WAY DOWN THE BLOCK I SUDDENLY HAD 121 MILES TIL EMPTY. THERES NO WAY I DROVE 9 MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My transmission on my 2018 Honda Odyssey has failed multiple times since I have owned the vehicle. I have brought this safety issue up to the dealer multiple times and nothing has been done to fix the complaint. My safety concerns have been ignored by Honda. The vehicle is shifting into park while it is moving creating a safety risk for my family and I. You can feel the entire car shift gears while driving and the vehicle shifts/accelerates forward on its own without pressing on the gas. I have almost hit the person in front of me when the car shift gears and accelerated on its own. The problem has been recently noticed by the dealership as well. The transmission warning lights did not come on prior to all of the failures. The transmission warning lights came on for the first time on 04/17/22, which was way after all the problems started occurring. Another safety concern that I have is my passenger side sliding back door will pop open while driving and often will not close. This has been witnessed by others in my child's car line. I have to pull over, stop the engine and restart the vehicle to get the door to close. This is a safety concern when I have a child sitting next to a door that opens while the vehicle is in motion. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My sunroof exploded while driving on the interstate. Nothing hit the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Like many others, I am experiencing hard shifts between the 25-30 mph range. The downshifting is also very hard. While I don’t hear clunking like I do with a gear shift, it will jerk down to a gear that seems too low and almost feels like the brakes are being applied when they are not. The most terrifying issue is the lag time between gas being applied. My engine remains idle and then jolts forward. This has almost caused an accident with oncoming traffic when I am trying to turn left. I beg of you to research this for a possible recall. Since it isn’t a constant issue, Honda says it runs normal and nothing is wrong. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |