general problems of the 2018 Honda Odyssey - part 1

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.

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.

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.

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.

While driving vehicle, check engine light began to flash. Vehicle was moved safely to side of road and turn off. Vehicle was allowed to sit for more then five minutes and started again. No check engine light or other indicators were illuminated. Vehicle was driven another 60 miles when suddenly multiple warnings appeared with a solid check engine light. Vehicle was moved to a safe location and parked. Vehicle was transported to a Honda dealership the following day and was discovered to have metal in the engine oil due to connecting rod bearing failures with grooves worn in the crankshaft.

Rod knock diagnosed and confirmed by dealership July 15, 2025. Van is currently at dealership and is available for inspection. I have paused work to allow Honda (case 15705425) and now this team the opportunity to diagnose and inspect first hand. Inspection and first hand visuals have only been completed by certified Honda dealerships. All warnings and my concerns are documented in our ros with Honda dealerships. When any light or reminder came on, I immediately took the van to Honda for service. Safety: slow starts and sluggish acceleration. Noise that was not normal. Out to eat 30 minutes away from home July 13 and van wouldn’t start. Dealership thought initially battery but then kept van overnight and nod rock confirmed. Also repaired back suspension. Additional details: problem has been reproduced and confirmed. Have been experiencing slow start, van not driving properly. Our family went out to lunch July 13 and van wouldn’t start. Waited handful of minutes and then started. Immediately took to dealership next day. Honda dealerships have done all servicing and repairs on this van. (I was told there are 55 repair totaling $22k for your research purposes. ) Honda notified me July 29, 2025 that they will not offer any assistance and/or goodwill because of the age and mileage of the van. Escalating case 15705425 up Honda chain - we have been very loyal to Honda. As of today, July 31, 2025: van sits at dealership; has been there since July 14, 2025. I have been advised not to drive the van, esp on the highway. I want to keep the van and want to drive it for many more years. Took very good care of it and followed all of Hondas recommendations for servicing. Just put brand new tires front suspension (March 2025) and rear suspension (July 2025) on it as well. Appreciate your investigation. I’m working diligently to do the right thing and allow the proper people time to investigate the van before any work begins on the engine.

I bought a 2018 Honda Odyssey new. When the recall for the fuel pump came out, I had it completed on the emergency basis because it said if you had been experiencing the engine cutting out, to call and get it completed soon. I had had issues with the engine cutting out. Recently, I noticed a loud engine rumbling and rough noise during idling and acceleration. I took it to a Honda dealership, and they diagnosed a failing high-pressure fuel pump that required immediate replacement. There were no warning lights. The most frustrating part is that so many other 2018 Odyssey owners are reporting the exact same issue. It’s all over forums and reddit — people with Odysseys from around this year are dealing with premature high-pressure fuel pump failures. This is clearly not an isolated case — it's a widespread defect that Honda has yet to acknowledge. While Honda recalled the low-pressure fuel pump, they’ve ignored the high-pressure pump — even though it presents serious drivability and safety concerns. I am being forced to pay $1,775 out-of-pocket at a Honda dealership to replace this failed part. I’m urging NHTSA to investigate this pattern and hold Honda accountable. This is not normal wear and tear — it’s a systemic failure that deserves a recall and reimbursement for affected owners.

I bought a 2018 Honda Odyssey ex-l with around 80,000 miles. Not long after, I noticed a loud engine vibration and rough noise during idling and acceleration. I took it to a Honda dealership, and they diagnosed a failing high-pressure fuel pump that required immediate replacement. There were no warning lights or messages — just a sudden failure. The most frustrating part is that so many other 2018 Odyssey owners are reporting the exact same issue. It’s all over forums and reddit — people with Odysseys from around this year are dealing with premature high-pressure fuel pump failures, often between 70,000–90,000 miles. This is clearly not an isolated case — it's a widespread defect that Honda has yet to acknowledge. While Honda recalled the low-pressure fuel pump, they’ve ignored the high-pressure pump — even though it presents serious drivability and safety concerns. I was forced to pay $1,273 out-of-pocket at a Honda dealership to replace this failed part. I’m urging NHTSA to investigate this pattern and hold Honda accountable. This is not normal wear and tear — it’s a systemic failure that deserves a recall and reimbursement for affected owners.

The auto idle stop system causes the engine to stall or fail to restart after being stopped. The error that comes on sometimes says "collision mitigation system problem" on the dashboard, or sometimes "transmission problem. Apply parking brake when parked", but either way it happens when I release the brake to drive again after a stop when the auto idle stop comes on. To fix, I'll have to turn off the car and turn it back on.

Engine has been running very rough the last 20k miles, and east coast Honda in surfside beach, SC noted engine bearing wear prior to the rough engine performance during a service visit in may 2023. In June-July 2025 driving on interstate 95 driving between washington d. C. And surfside beach, SC, we went to pass and the engine cut rpm's drastically and went into 'limp mode' nearly causing an accident with the sudden decrease in speed. We have asked american Honda customer service [800-999-1009] to provide an engine evaluation but they have declined and have stated our VIN is not included in the rod bearing recall/TSB. We did mentioned about the further investigation for 2018 Honda Odyssey's but was advised any action we take would not be compensated since the vehicle is out of warranty by date and mileage (73,000 miles).

There is a recall on other 18 model year vans for the rod bearing failure. This happened to me on my van and it has had regular oil changes and has around 139000 miles on it. This could have been catastrophic for the ones around me if I was driving on the interstate and the bearing gave out and hurt my family due to the engine seizing. The vehicle has not yet been inspected due to this just happening. I am not the only one with this model year having this issue and my VIN not being covered by the existing recall. There were no warnings prior to the issue. Oil was always clean and changed on time. This vehicle has a good history report and records.