general problems of the 2018 Honda Odyssey - part 1

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.

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.

Multiple times of driving the vehicle as I am trying to press the gas pedal while driving it acts like it is not working and suddenly it stutters and stalls. The car will shut off and put you into to neutral while you try and pull over to the side of the road without being hit. It happens randomly and without rhyme or reason. After it shuts off codes are thrown such as brake failure, emissions failure, hill assist failure, steering failure, and lane assist failure. The car will be really hard to restart and if eventually will and then everything will disappear and go back to normal. Codes leave and car drives fine until it messes up again. First time it happened was months ago from this report, and then it happened monthly, weekly and now almost daily but only when you try and drive. Very unsafe and there’s no reason cars should stall at high speeds going down interstates!.

Our 2018 Honda Odyssey repeatedly and without warning completely loses acceleration power, creating extremely dangerous driving conditions. This occurs in two distinct situations:(1)while driving at highway speeds when attempting to change lanes or accelerate, and(2)when stopped at a stop sign or intersection and pressing the gas to merge into or turn into traffic. In both situations, pressing the accelerator results in little to no response — the vehicle will roll but fails to accelerate as needed. These failures have placed our family in multiple life-threatening situations. On interstate 285 in atlanta, georgia — one of the busiest and highest-speed highways in the country — our vehicle has failed to accelerate during lane changes on multiple occasions, nearly causing serious accidents. Most recently, within the past week, my husband was driving on I-285 when he pressed the accelerator and the vehicle had absolutely zero acceleration response. He narrowly avoided a collision. We have also experienced complete loss of acceleration when turning from a stop sign into traffic and when merging — situations where immediate acceleration is critical to safety. The vehicle lags for several seconds before any power is delivered to the wheels, leaving us dangerously exposed in oncoming traffic. All manufacturer recalls have been completed, including the fuel pump recall. The problem persists and has not been resolved by any dealer service or recall repair performed to date. We are aware that this is a known, widespread defect affecting 2018 Honda Odysseys equipped with the zf 9-speed automatic transmission. Hundreds of other owners have reported identical symptoms to NHTSA and to Honda directly. Honda has acknowledged the transmission's behavior to some owners but has stated it is "how the car is supposed to drive" — a response that is wholly unacceptable given the documented near-accidents this defect is causing. We are requesting that NHTSA open or expand its investigation.

While driving on the highway, the engine light came on and off. Pulling over, I inspected the engine compartment and heard what I believe was cylinder knocking, but could not obtain an engine code with an obd code reader. Oil was of sufficient level as it had just been replaced within 1,000. After this I attempted to drive it to the dealership, where on going 45 mph, I pulled to the right lane for emergency police vehicles and when the vehicle was stopped, the engine stopped and seized up. After not being able to start the vehicle, I could not find the neutral safety switch to put the transmission in neutral to move the vehicle from the flow of traffic (turns out the switch is not readily accessible and is on the side of the transmission underneath the air intake and battery compartment. Police officers pulled behind the vehicle and assisted me in getting a tow truck to take the vehicle to the dealership for inspection. At coggin Honda in jacksonville, the vehicle was inspected and the engine would not turn over manually by the crankshaft. The engine was deemed to have catastrophic failure and would need to be replaced at 126,000 miles. This vehicle is a 2018 which is on TSB 24-003, however is not listed on the applicable vins. This TSB is for connecting bearing rod failure which would lock this vehicle’s engine the way the dealership found it. I believe this to be the issue as several Honda engines have had this failure. The vehicle was maintained per Honda’s maintenance programs and even had an extended warranty of up to 100,000 miles which when the TSB the vehicle was underneath that mileage and would have been covered by Honda if they had released the full list of vins for that year to be inspected instead of a sub list of vins of the production. Honda needs to be investigated to see if that TSB needs to be expanded since 2023-2024 timeframe other users have had a similar failure and seized engines.

Noise coming from engine. No engine light nor warnings otherwise. Van was taken to dealership where it was confirmed that a rod bearing inside the engine assembly is faulty, which could cause sudden stalling of the vehicle, even while traveling at high speeds on the highway. This is a known issue (Honda service bulletin 24-003) with this model van manufactured at the same time, for which a national recall notice was issued. However, my vehicle’s VIN was not included in the recall.

One week ago, I was driving on a highway, accelerating to the 65 mph speed limit on that road, my van's accelerator completely stopped responding. Despite pumping the pedal repeatedly, I was unable to control my speed at all, and the car continued to lose speed. I had my three children in the car at the time, and given that people regularly go in excess of 70 mph on that road, I was in danger of not being able to exit the road and/or being hit. I was able to coast off of onto an exit, and the car started responding at speeds of 30 mph, but it was lurching and jerking while driving. We immediately had the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic and have been advised that the transmission needs to be replaced. There were no warning lights for this failure. The car also had an incident about a year ago where all lights came on and it stopped responding. At that time, we had Honda dealership examine it, and they said they could not find any issues. Additionally, the car has been jerking slightly while shifting, but the issue improved when we had the transmission fluid flushed at the Honda dealership again about a month ago, and no issues were noted by them at that time. We have performed regular maintenance and safety inspections on this vehicle.

Engine failed while driving, will no longer start. Mechanic believe it is either connecting rod or main bearing failure. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer and will be sold to another person as is. No warning lamps or messages were present prior to the failure and didn't appear until after the failure.

This is in relation to investigation pe25008. The engine in my 2018 Honda Odyssey elite failed at 91,307 miles due to a connecting rod bearing issue, despite perfect dealership maintenance.

Before my vehicle reached the 100,000-mile mark, the check engine light began appearing intermittently. I brought the car to my local dealership multiple times, but they were unable to provide a diagnosis and repeatedly reset the light. Once the light remained on permanently, the dealer finally identified a known Honda recall/extended warranty issue and replaced the spark plugs at no cost. However, approximately six months after that repair, the check engine light returned. The dealership has now diagnosed a failure in both the front and rear catalytic converters at a cost of $5200 to replace them. I need to replace to pass my state of illinois car emissions tests. I have been working with Honda goodwill assistance (case #161-655-70), but their offer to cover only 20% of the replacement cost is unacceptable. This failure is not a standard "wear and tear" issue; it is a direct consequence of the spark plug issues I repeatedly attempted to address before my warranty expired. I was told the 20% determination was based on my vehicle exceeding 100,000 miles, but this fails to account for the fact that I brought the car in for this specific issue multiple times while it was still under warranty. I am looking for Honda corporate to acknoweldge the new spark plugs they directed my dealer to install caused this issue and cover the cost of the repairs. My local Honda dealer service manager, brian, is willing to speak on this issue on my behalf. He can be reached at [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

A small "knocking" noise was noticed a couple weeks or so ago in my 2018 Honda Odyssey. Noise got progressively worse. Vehicle was taken to the Honda dealership for assessment/repair. Was notified by a service technician that a rod knock was present on the lower end of the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. Options were: new engine, used engine, or trade in my vehicle towards purchase of a new one. All maintenance records are meticulous and performed by a certified Honda service department.

Vehicle experiences engine stalling and failure to restart at intersections when the auto idle stop (ais) feature is engaged. This creates an immediate life-safety hazard as the vehicle becomes non-functional in live traffic. This has occurred 2 times. Once on surface streets and once on the highway in stop-and-go traffic. This issue persists despite service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. Honda corporate and Honda dealership refusing to cover the repair. Separately, during a 37-day repair attempt (Jan 22 – March 2, 2026), autonation Honda chandler admitted the vehicle was sold with an 'incorrect' battery type (lead acid instead of required agm), which caused electrical instability. The dealership attempted a repair on Feb 13, but the vehicle failed to start again on Feb 11 during a pickup attempt. The dealer has since refused to provide accurate service records or further communication. The vehicle remains unsafe to drive as it continues to stall randomly.

Our 2018 Honda Odyssey (elite) has been diagnosed by our local Honda dealer with engine failure due to rod knock (rod bearing failure). This vehicle is well maintained with only 72,500 miles when the issue became noticeable. The dealer has verbally quoted $8,800 to replace the engine with another used engine, which I refuse to pay given the relatively low mileage and age of this vehicle (and history of other costly inexcusable issues). I opened a complaint/goodwill case (#16188784) with Honda corporate, which was denied. This Honda Odyssey was our primary family vehicle (the only vehicle we can all travel together in), and it is now siting in our garage completely inoperable. Honda America's lack of care here is beyond frustrating.

Engine has a rod knock problem at 72,000, miles. Vehicle will likely need a full engine replacement.

2018 Odyssey exl engine seized up at 111k miles. There's now a bunch of metal shavings in the oil. The engine will not turn over.

My car needs a complete engine replacement due to "rod knock" or "bottom-end failures. " it's my understanding that some Honda vehicles were recalled due to this (recall 23v-751). And that there were other vehicles having issues beyond the scope of this recall (query rq24013). I'm disappointed because my Honda mechanic and independent mechanic have cited my impeccable service records and have told me there is nothing more I could have done. This feels fraudulent.

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.

I own a 2018 Honda Odyssey elite. While driving to er for my daughter engine started making weird knocking sounds, when I stopped at a red light to turn left off the interstate Odyssey just died and began to smoke. My daughter and I were advised to get out of the vehicle for safety reasons, due to smoke. There was no warning lights or any other indication that the Odyssey had a problem. 911 was contacted fire and police responded, it was determined that engine reached max temperature. Odyssey was towed to Honda dealer for diagnostics, it was determined that connecting rod bearing was bad and long block needed to be replaced, starter also imploded and needed to be replaced. I contacted manufacturer to ask for a "goodwill repair" due to NHTSA campaign number 23v751000. Per manufacturer Honda would not offer any assistance for the engine repair even though recall matches exact part affected in the recall. All regular maintenance oil changes, 100,000 mile service, new tires, have been performed on the Odyssey. I can provide receipts and records. The failure mileage was 167,384.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving 60-62 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle lost drive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to tire choice auto service centers, where it was diagnosed and determined that one of the engine banks had failed. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced with a used or brand-new engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would receive a call back later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a case would be filed, and the contact would receive a call back later. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

My vehicle repeatedly and unexpectedly shifts into neutral while in drive, causing a sudden loss of power in traffic. This has happened multiple times without any input from me and has nearly caused a crash.

A rattle noise when initially pressing the accelerator pedal. When starting a vehicle, I had to press the start button multiple times. Kept stalling. All the lights on a dashboard started flashing. Saying check engine! we took it to the dealership and they confirmed engine problems. This was their diagnosis: confirmed concern - found noise coming from engine internally due to cyl no 2 rod knocking - oil heavily contaminated w/metal particles - recommend engine replacement! mileage is only 93805.

Rod bearing knock.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact became aware that there was smoke coming from the exhaust. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a loose rod bearing. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,750.

Summary: engine seized due to internal bearing failure with metal shavings found in oil filter. Full description: my 2018 Honda Odyssey experienced a sudden engine failure around 116,500 miles. The dealer confirmed the engine is seized and showed significant metal shavings in the oil filter and pan. I have performed all maintenance according to Honda’s recommended schedule using the correct oil and filters. Honda corporate denied assistance based solely on mileage, even though this issue matches symptoms described in current NHTSA investigation pe25-001 (connecting rod bearing failure in Honda 3. 5l v6 engines). There were no prior warnings other than a brief check-engine light and rough running before the engine locked up. The vehicle was in motion at the time and could have caused a hazardous stall, serious injury, or death. Given that Honda has issued recalls for similar rod bearing defects in other model years (2015–2020) and this failure mode presents a clear safety risk (loss of power, engine seizure), I request NHTSA include my case in its investigation and compel Honda to extend recall coverage to 2018 Odyssey owners. I can provide dealer diagnostic reports, photos of the oil filter debris, and all maintenance records if needed.

Recently had the fuel pump recall completed. Within days had intermittent dash emissions light come on then go away. Then a few weeks later, while driving, my Odyssey put itself into n and I coasted to a stop. It would not allow me to put the car into p or anything. I had to put the emergency brake on in order to not roll forward. The van at that point would not shift into any gear. It was towed to dealership and I was given the following 2k dollar repair needs. Problem. Advise. [other]: tcm (transmission control module) and transmission sub-harness needs replaced.

Short summary (for “briefly describe the problem”) sudden catastrophic engine failure — engine threw a rod at ~85,000 miles despite proper maintenance and fluid levels. Detailed description (for “provide details of the incident”) while driving, the vehicle began making a loud noise similar to a helicopter taking off. I immediately took it to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine had “thrown a rod,” requiring a full engine replacement. The vehicle has approximately 90,000 miles, has been regularly serviced per manufacturer recommendations, and all fluids were at proper levels at the time of failure. There were no warning lights or prior signs of mechanical issues. My mechanic and I contacted Honda to determine if NHTSA recall 23v-751 applied to my vehicle; Honda confirmed it did not. Despite this, the symptoms appear consistent with known defects covered by that recall. Honda has declined to provide assistance or repair. The sudden and complete engine failure under normal driving conditions, despite proper maintenance, suggests a potential manufacturing or design defect that poses a serious safety risk.

At highway speed on cruise control the engine went out. Van only has 118,000 miles on it.

I have a 2018 Honda Odyssey, with 66,855 miles. I maintain my vehicle with regularity at my Honda dealership. On [xxx], I was driving home from las vegas, nv to pasadena, CA, when near the state line at primm, nv, I started hear sounds from my engine and it started losing power. I had to pull over and then had my van towed to a dealership in las vegas, nv. The van is available for inspection. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer where I paid for a diagnosis to be performed. The engine light did turn on prior to me noticing the engine problem and a low oil light came on later. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My van has only 110,000 miles on it. Yesterday I was driving my family home from a sports event my wife myself and my four kids. I got a flashing check engine light and was able to pull over, but it was an unsafe area on the side of the interstate. After sitting there for a while. We were able to get the vehicle to Honda. Honda is telling me that it is bad rod bearings. But that my vehicle falls outside of the recall that is already issued for bad rod bearings in a van that is the same year as mine. This rod bearing issue put myself and my kids in an unsafe position.

The throttle can loose power at stop and then suddenly engine picks up the throttle which not normal and this is not maintenance issue as service station and Honda does not confirm the behavior a defect or a problem. This is very concerning.

Engine knock due to a spun bearing.

My 2018 Honda Odyssey (VIN: [xxx]) experienced a catastrophic engine failure due to a spun connecting rod bearing in cylinder 4. While driving, the engine suddenly began making a loud knocking/tapping noise. I immediately drove the vehicle to the Honda dealer, and as I was pulling into the service bay, the engine completely seized. The dealer confirmed that the engine suffered a spun bearing in cylinder 4, with severe crankshaft and connecting rod damage. The failed parts and metal debris in the oil system are available for inspection if requested. This failure occurred without any prior warning lights, messages, or check engine indicators. There was no advance notice other than the sudden onset of knocking just before failure. The defect caused loss of engine power and risk of stalling in traffic, which could have easily resulted in a crash or fire. This type of failure is consistent with Honda recall 23v-751, which covers connecting rod bearing defects caused by crankshaft machining errors, and also matches the ongoing NHTSA investigation into premature rod bearing failures in Honda Odyssey and other models. However, my VIN is currently excluded from the recall. I request that NHTSA review this case as potential evidence that the recall should be expanded to include additional Odyssey vehicles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The engine stalled while driving the 2018 Honda Odyssey van on the freeway. It happened while cruising on the freeway. Engine suddenly locked out/stalled after a loud 'thug' sound. The situation posed a high safety risk to the occupants. Luckily no vehicular accident occurred. The dealer checked it out and confirmed it is an engine problem. Their recommendation is to change the engine and charged the cost to the owner. Dealer said the problem is not covered by recall. Dealer will not specify the engine problem unless the engine is opened for inspection. There were no warning lamps and messages of the problem prior to the failure.

I have maintained 2018 Honda Odyssey regularly, getting it serviced when or before it was due. A month ago (at 90k) miles, we started to hear a noise in the engine. I took it to Honda and they said that I need an entirely new (rebuilt) engine. I did see there was a safety recall report 23v-751 regarding crank pins that were produced out of specification. This did cover some 2018 Honda engines, but my VIN was not one of them. Is there any possibility that this deffect could have effected other Honda engines of the same year? my engine should not be failing at 7 years and 90k miles. Currently the vehicle is not being driven until we figure out the best course of action.

While driving on the highway at speed, without warning or any dash check lights we heard a loud pop from the front of the car followed by white smoke. The engine seized, lost all power, and the along with it the brake system shutdown so the car became uncontrollable on a busy highway. The car was towed to a local Honda dealership and is currently being looked at. The vehicle was recently inspected at a Honda service center where there was no indication of any engine issues. There were no check engine lights untill the engine seized.