2018 Honda Odyssey Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 13,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-431 for the MOST bus/FAKRA fiber-optic connector defect. The recall remedy has completely failed. The entire infotainment network blinks on and off, which when off completely disables my rearview safety backup camera and dashboard navigation. The dealership is demanding…Owner complaint, filed 2026

A warning for Power Tailgate Problem keeps coming up. It tried to open multiple times while driving, beeping at us. It wouldn’t open with the buttons at all. We had to manually open and close it. This makes the second time it’s done it. And it always has to do when it rains. Honda knows this is a well known issue with their odyssey’s and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 65,000 miles. Parts named most: Adaptive cruise control (142), Warnings (130), Automatic emergency braking (88).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

All my warning light come on every time I turn on the van. Been going on for several months. Was told the issue will get fixed if the front camera under rear view mirror get replaced. Feel like this needs to be recalled to get fixed, especially finding out Honda already knew there was a issue.Owner complaint, filed 2026

All this warning lights just come on out of no where due to the safety camera feature on the windshield that controls all the safety features of the car and this vehicles are not even 10 years old and the repair cost is too expensive for just that camera and almost every Honda odyssey is having the same issue I think there should be a…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 93,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving and my check engine. Light came on, the car was slow to accelerate. I pulled over and I had it towed to a honda dealership, the closest one. They diagnosed it with needing a transmission replacement and replaced a transmission. Then, after the transmission was replaced, suddenly there was a knock in the engine. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2018 Honda Odyssey suffered a catastrophic engine failure while I was driving to work on the morning of XXX. I had my vehicle towed to Safford Brown's Honda in [XXX]. According to my service rep at the Honda Dealership, the failure was due to the connecting rod bearings. After some research, I found that the V6 Engines for Honda had a…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

2018 Honda Odyssey EX-L, The vehicle consistently has a significant delay in acceleration. This is especially noticeable when starting from a stop or low speed and attempting to make a left turn across traffic. The accelerator pedal is pressed, but the vehicle sometimes provides little or no acceleration for 1 to 2 seconds. The vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My vehicle intermittently shifts from normal automatic Drive (D) into S mode without any intentional driver input. I do not touch or activate the steering-wheel paddle shifter when this occurs. Searching on reddit and other forums I see many other drivers have the same issue. The problem appears to happen primarily after coming to a…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (96).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The motor on the passenger side sliding door on our 2018 Honda Odyssey failed. The door could not be opened electrically - or Mechanically from inside or outside the vehicle. We had it repaired at the dealer at a cost of ~$2,000. The sliding door was INOPERABLE when the motor failed. If the car was in an accident the door could not be…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the rear passenger’s side power sliding door unexpectedly opened, with a message displayed that the rear door was opened. The contact stated that there was a failure with the automatic operation of the rear sliding door. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 113,987 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 58,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Car takes longer to start, difficult to accelerate and stalls. Shaking hard when accelerating at certain speed. There is a p0087 code when autozone scanned it.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Back in the fall/winner of 2024 (could have been 2025) my Honda Odyssey had a recall for a low pressure fuel pump. However, Honda and many other dealers were dealing with hundreds of thousands of recalls, and we’re only recalling the vehicles with actual symptoms. My vehicle was hesitating and experiencing sudden loss of power during…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My vehicle stalls when I turn left or right from a stop light or sign. It’s incredibly dangerous especially when I have my kids in the van with me. We’ve taken it to the Honda dealer for repair and they’ve done work but the issue has not been resolved. I’ve seen countless forums of people with this year make and model who have had the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 13,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Today I was driving thru a green light and my car started breaking and jerking in the MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. I was not following closely behind another car. Sometimes if i am going around a curve and a car is approaching me on the curve my car will suddenly BREAK and jerk. My kids are very scared to ride with me due to the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Soft or Low Brake Pedal The brake pedal have a soft feeling and travel to the floor with low effort. This is causing low braking performance and increased pedal stroke. This condition is increasing the risk of a crash.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Subject: Airbag Deployment After Recall Repair - 2018 Honda Odyssey My 2018 Honda Odyssey received the Honda airbag recall repair in XXX. After the recall remedy was completed, the driver's side by side curtain airbags deployed unexpectedly while I was driving. At the time of the incident, I struck a curb at approximately 25-30 mph.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a pothole and the driver's- and passenger's-side curtain airbags deployed. The air bags deployment frightened the contact’s wife, and the steering wheel was jerked, and the vehicle crashed into the concrete median.…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 135,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 23,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while his wife was dropping off their son at school, the sunroof was open, and the close button was depressed while the son’s hand was hanging out of the sunroof. The sunroof proceeded to close, and the sensors did not prevent the sunroof from continuously attempting to…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 111,000 miles

The Touring and Elite trim levels on the Honda Odyssey have 'rain sensing' wipers, as well as a low, high, and one-wipe function. The rain sensing function cannot be disabled, and takes the place of any intermittent feature. The rain sensing is always on and not disableable, unlike other vehicles that allow the operator to choose whether…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 6,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Repeatedly, often several times a day, the front seatbelts become unlatched. They become unlatched without any warning either immediately after fastening them, or while drivingOwner complaint, filed 2026

While my child was riding in the second row drivers side captains chair of my 2018 Odyssey, she fell asleep and unknowingly moved the shoulder strap portion of the seat belt behind her head/ upper body. I was driving and could not see that the belt had been moved because she was seated behind me and was also covered by a blanket. After…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 36,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I purchased a 2018 Honda Odyssey and reported during my 7-day inspection window that the transmission was acting sluggish. The Carvana-authorized inspection service (Pep Boys) claimed the transmission was fine. Over time it showed more and more signs of failure until it completely failed. On the directive of the seller (Carvana) and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While driving on a clear road, with or without heavy traffic, the collision mitigation warning shows up on the dashboard display. Sometimes the warning for the collision system goes off and the system tries to brake and jerk the wheel. If I have the wheel firmly I can correct it and it resolves. It can happen on a clear road with no one…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear spring suffered a catastrophic failure, breaking while driving with occupants inside vehicle. The rear coil springs suffer from poor materials or paint protection causing premature failure and rust.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Vehicle: 2018 Honda Odyssey Component: Suspension, Rear Shock Absorbers Mileage at Failure: ~50,000 miles I am submitting this complaint to report a premature and potentially unsafe failure of the rear shock absorbers on my 2018 Honda Odyssey, as well as what appears to be a systemic defect affecting 2018, 2024 Honda Odyssey vehicles. At…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey with Vredestein Tires, Tire Line: Quatrac Pro Plus, Tire Size: 235/60/R18, DOT Number: 023 45E427 1425. The contact stated that the side wall on the front passenger tire had begun to form bubbles. The tire distributor was notified of the failure, and the tire was replaced however shortly after having…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 86,767 miles

The bridgestone turanza tires are not holding up I have popped both front tires- on separate incidents in the past 2 months since in got the van. I previously drove a sienna and a pathfinder and have not had a popped tire before .Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 8,806 miles