KnownCarProblems2018 Honda Odyssey Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,004 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Odyssey, most often about the electrical (26% of complaints, typically around 13,000 miles). It is the most complained-about Odyssey model year since 2000 and has 16 recalls.
Most common 2018 Honda Odyssey problems
Electrical
260 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 13,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, instrument panel.
Cabin watch screen goes black and shows error "camera system problem image cannot be displayed". This occurs while in use traveling. Continues to happen intermittently.
Crakling sound on dash from side to side, noisy and stronger by the weeks. Took ca to the dealer with 12k miles; three attempts were made. Honda service replaced the audio system, next attempts they said it was my iphone cable. Now, with 14k miles, can't use radio, bluetooth, carplay and the ent system freezes. Any…
Driver assistance
229 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: adaptive cruise control, warnings, automatic emergency braking, assist.
When driving with the adaptive cruise control on the vehicle frequently abruptly decelerates while trying to pass other vehicles. It does not matter if we are behind the vehicle we are trying to pass and pull out in the left lane, or if we are always in the left lane and just approach the vehicle we are trying to pass…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, the adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation system, and auto high beam system warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that multiple failures occurred soon…
Engine
202 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 93,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and…
Check engine light came on while driving and engine making rattling noise. Stopped vehicle and restarted with difficulty starting and loss of engine power. Towed to nearest Honda dealer and diagnosed with cylinder 3 rod bearing damage. Engine replaced under Honda extended warrenty with used engine per warrenty company…
Transmission
165 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 29,000 miles.
Auto shifting anywhere from 20-30 MPH results in hard shift and knock. When van downshifts around 20-30 MPH there is a jump of acceleration and knock. Sometimes when accelerating and gears shift there is un expected jump in acceleration
Owner of 2018 Odyssey exl resnav w/ 9speed at wife is primary driver and we recently returned from a road trip. Vehicle performs very smoothly 95% of the time. The other 5% you can expect abrupt and violent up and down shifts. Further, this is the safety vs annoyance issue, the vehicle will hesitate when accelerating…
Other or unspecified
147 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 8,000 miles.
The passengers side sliding door would not open automatically. The open/close button on the dash would not open the door either. The key fob wouldn't open it. We shut off the automatic door feature and the door still would not open manually. This is a huge safety issue. After driving the car home, the door opened…
On monday, june 18, 2018 at about 8:00 am my wife was sitting stationary at a stoplight and the window in the rear hatch exploded. There were no other cars/vehicles around her and the weather was clear. The window exploded for no visible reason. The glass shattered everywhere into the rear part of the van and rear…
Fuel system
107 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a strong fuel odor in the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuel odor was overwhelming. In addition, the contact stated that the fuel odor was also noticed outside the vehicle. The…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the start button and the accelerator pedal were pushed simultaneously to…
Body and structure
98 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 8,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The passengers side sliding door would not open automatically. The open/close button on the dash would not open the door either. The key fob wouldn't open it. We shut off the automatic door feature and the door still would not open manually. This is a huge safety issue. After driving the car home, the door opened…
While vehicle is stationary, after closing the rear door. The door latch will not always hold the rear door in a fully closed condition, causing a door open warning condition. It may take several attempts to forcefully slam the rear door closed before it locks correctly. This happens multiple times each month. On…
Speed control
54 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 18,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
Upon proceeding through an intersection the van began to automatically break to a complete stop from approximately 30-35mph, screeching tires, then shutting completely off. The entire dashboard cluster was dark as was the computer display for the radio/other controls. Looking down the "park" indicator was lit red. I…
I was driving the car at 40 miles per hour on a back road without cruise control engaged. The road was one lane each direction, fully marked with lines, and gentle rolling hills. In a about mile long straight stretch I came upon a cyclist using the center of my lane and climbing one of the hills. I coasted a little…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Honda Odyssey recalls
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed august 24, 2026. Owners may contact honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is hox. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 20v438. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning july 9, 2026.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 odyssey vehicles. Water may enter into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image to fail to display when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 111, "rear visibility."
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed july 7, 2026. Owners may contact honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are bol, wo9, ooa, wom, xoh, noc, pod, boe, uof, pob, eog, aoi, qo8, toj, do7, and sok. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24v064. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning may 29, 2026.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 acura tlx, 2019-2024 rdx, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 mdx, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 honda ridgeline, 2017-2022 pilot, 2019-2021 passport, 2018-2026 odyssey, 2019-2022 insight, 2019-2021 hr-v, 2018-2020 fit, 2020-2022 cr-v hybrid, 2017-2022 cr-v, 2017-2018, 2021 civic type r, 2017-2021 civic hatchback, 2016-2020 civic coupe, 2016-2022 civic, 2017-2022 accord hybrid, and 2016-2022 accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags: software
Risk: Air bags that deploy unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic control unit (ecu) software or replace the ecu, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed may 27, 2026. Owners may contact honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is unw. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning april 16, 2026. The information in your report suggests that honda (american honda motor co.) may have been aware of this issue more than five business days before filing a report with
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2022 odyssey vehicles. A software programming error can cause the side and side curtain air bags to deploy unexpectedly.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed september 6, 2024. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are kgc and kgd. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21v-215 and 20v-314.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 honda accord, civic coupe, civic sedan, civic hatchback, civic type r, cr-v, hr-v, ridgeline, odyssey, acura ilx, mdx, mdx hybrid, rdx, rlx, tlx, 2019-2022 honda insight, passport, 2020 honda cr-v hybrid, 2018-2019 honda clarity phev, fit, and 2015-2020 honda accord hybrid, pilot, acura nsx vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed march 28, 2024. 2016-2017 acura mdx owner letters were mailed november 1, 2024. 2016-2020 acura mdx owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-december 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of march 18, 2024. 2015-2016 acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-december 2024, 2018 acura tlx owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of march/early april 2024, 2019 acura tlx owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-may 2024, 2020 acura tlx owner let
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 acura tlx, 2016-2020 acura mdx, 2016 and 2018-2019 pilot, 2017 and 2019 ridgeline, and 2018-2019 odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Backup camera: display function
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the most cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed july 24, 2023. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are eel, zem, and sfc.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 odyssey, 2019-2022 pilot, and 2019-2023 passport vehicles. Due to a faulty media oriented systems transport (most) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 111, "rear visibility."
Seat belts: buckle assembly
Risk: An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed april 18, 2023. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are nda, qdb, bdc, mdd, ld9. Tdf, fdg, odh, ydi, zde.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 cr-v, 2018-2019 accord and accord hybrid, 2018-2020 odyssey, 2019 insight, and 2019-2020 acura rdx vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.
Fuel system: storage
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: Braun will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles. If evidence of a fuel leak is present, a new fuel tank assembly and a new honda charcoal canister will be installed, free of charge. The recall began february 22, 2021. Owners may contact braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Full defect summary
Braun corporation (braun) is recalling certain 2018-2021 braun-modified honda odyssey vehicles. The fuel tank assembly installed by braun may be susceptible to the fuel tank overfilling into the charcoal canister. If the charcoal canister fills with a sufficient amount of fuel, fuel may leak out.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A power sliding door that fails to latch may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power sliding door outer handle cables, free of charge. The recall began september 23, 2020. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is a88.
Full defect summary
Honda (america honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 odyssey vehicles. Water may enter the outer door handle cables for the sliding doors. If this occurs, the outer door handle cables may freeze in cold temperatures, preventing the front and rear sliding door latches from securely latching.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: Operating a vehicle without a functioning instrument panel or rearview camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began september 23, 2020. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is t89.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 odyssey, 2019-2020 passport, and 2019-2021 pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) numbers 101, "control and displays" and 111, "rearview mirrors."
Electrical: wiring
Risk: An intermittent electrical short could overheat the wire harness, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row seat accessory power outlet wire harness for damage, replacing it as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and re-route the harness. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began march 16, 2020. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is t6u.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 odyssey vehicles. The wire harness for the third row seat accessory power outlet may get pinched between the unibody and rear trim panel, possibly damaging the wires and causing an electrical short.
Electrical: 12v/24v/48v battery
Risk: A damaged parking rod can allow the vehicle to roll when parked, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will ensure the battery terminal connections are secure and will update the tcu software, free of charge. Additionally, the parking rod effectiveness will be checked. The recall began may 31, 2019. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are z4j, y4k.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 odyssey vehicles. Loose battery terminal connections or a degraded battery may cause the transmission control unit (tcu) to unexpectedly reboot. Upon rebooting, the tcu may shift the transmission to the "park" position, possibly damaging the parking rod.
Brakes: wheel speed sensor
Risk: If the rear wheel speeds cannot be correctly monitored, the anti-lock brake system may not engage properly to prevent the wheels from locking up, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Braun has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the rear wheel speed sensor harnesses, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on april 4, 2019. Owners may contact braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Full defect summary
Braun corporation (braun) is recalling certain 2018-2019 honda odyessy vehicles modified to be equipped with an in-floor wheelchair ramp conversion. The rear wheel speed sensor harnesses may have been routed to the incorrect rear wheels, resulting in the possibility that the anti-lock brake system will not recognize each rear wheel speed properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 135, "light vehicle brake system" and 404, "electronic stability control systems."
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If the power sliding doors fails to latch, the doors may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right power sliding door rear latch assemblies, free of charge. The recall began january 3, 2019. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are z33 and o36.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain model year 2018 and 2019 honda odyssey vehicles. The latch assemblies for the power sliding doors may stick and not properly latch to the door strikers.
Brakes: caliper
Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners will be notified, and honda or acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began december 11, 2018. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are c31 and l30.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 acura mdx, 2017-2018 acura mdx sport hybrid, 2018-2019 honda hr-v and honda odyssey, and 2016 honda hr-v vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 135, "light vehicle brake systems."
Seat belts
Risk: If in the event of a crash, the seat belt cannot restrain the occupant they have an increased risk of being injured.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row center seat belt to make sure that it has the correct tongue, replacing the seat belt, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began july 31, 2017. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is kf7.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018 honda odyssey vehicles. The seat belt tongue for the third row center seating position may not be compatible with the latch, preventing the seat belt from latching securely. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 208, "occupant crash protection."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Inadvertent deployment of side air bags
Summary
On october 28, 2025, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe25018 to investigate complaints of inadvertent deployment of the side curtain and/or side thorax air bags. These complaints concern model year (my) 2018-2022 honda odyssey vehicles manufactured by american honda motor co. (honda). Honda issued recall 26v227 on april 9, 2026, to address concerns of inadvertent side air bag deployment. In the recall filing, the company stated that â[a]s of april 2, 2026, honda has had 130 warranty claims, 25 reports of an injury, and no reports of death related to this issue from january 24, 2017 â april 2, 2026.â honda states that the supplemental restraint system (SRS) electronic
Engine failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5l v6 engine used in the following vehicles: model years (my) 2018-2020 acura tlx, my2016-2020 acura mdx, my2016-2020 honda pilot, my2018-2020 honda odyssey, and my2017-2019 honda ridgeline.â the subject engine failures were analyzed as part of a recall query (rq24013).â it was determined that these engine failures are outside the scope of honda recall 23v-751. Further, evidence gathered in conjunction with rq24013 does not suggest this failure is caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect that is addressed by honda in recall 23v-751.â based on analysis of data from rq24013,
No restart after auto start/stop engages
Summary
On june 3, 2022, the oï¬ce of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe22005 after the agency received voqs and several ï¬eld reports concerning the auto idle stop (ais) feature on 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traï¬c light or road intersection with the ais function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5l engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On january 6, 2023, honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 acura tlx, 2016
Engine failure
Summary
On november 8, 2024, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened recall query rq24013 to assess the scope of honda recall 23v-751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23v-751. In november 2023, honda recalled 248,999 various model year (my)2016â2020 honda and acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5l v6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a crankshaft manufacturing defect that caused premature connecting rod bearing wear and engine seizure. While the out-of-scope failures involved in these complaints appear to have a very similar failure mechanism as the recalled engines, a thorough analysis o
Questions about the 2018 Honda Odyssey
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (260 complaints, typically around 13,000 miles); driver assistance (229 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles); engine (202 complaints, typically around 93,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Odyssey have?
- 16 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from July 1, 2026 (backup camera). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Honda Odyssey?
- It is the most complained-about Odyssey model year since 2000, with 1,004 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.