2018 Honda Odyssey: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
990 NHTSA owner complaints · 12 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The fourth-generation Odyssey (2011–2017) is one of the best minivans in the dataset, scoring in the 70s and 80s. The fifth generation launched for 2018 with a ten-speed automatic and a new infotainment system, and the record collapsed: nearly a thousand complaints for each of 2018 and 2019, most of them transmission shudder and hesitation, sliding-door failures, and the rear-seat entertainment system. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 990 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Honda Odyssey and Pilot: the transmission years to avoid, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 990 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 123.75
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The front camera has failed so all of my forward driving safety features no longer work such as lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation. Every time I turn on the engine I have multiple warning lights that appear every time that have to manually acknowledge to clear them from my dashboard.
The Fuel Injectors are failing which is causing a safety concern with regards to moving the vehicle. There was a warranty extension on these items that does not go far enough to remedy the issue. The components have been inspected and confirmed by the Burns Honda Dealership in Marlton, NJ. Because the vehicle does not consistently accelerate, it is a safety risk.
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.
Recalls: 12 campaigns (6 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V777000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | 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. |
| 20V066000 | Electrical System:Wiring | 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. |
| 23V158000 | Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly | 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. |
| 18V795000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 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. |
| 19V299000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 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. |
| 23V751000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | 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. |
| 21V010000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage | 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. |
| 23V431000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a minivan of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System258 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance201 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Engine189 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train165 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other146 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Lane Departure138 complaints · typical job: Camera module replacement and calibration (2.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,700
Other Honda Odyssey years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (258 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Honda Odyssey a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 22/100, computed from 990 NHTSA complaints and 12 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Honda Odyssey's most common problem?
258 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Honda Odyssey sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Honda Odyssey cost to run per year?
About $7,091 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $35,455 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Honda Odyssey have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/11/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other minivans of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Honda Odyssey really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 990 complaints, 12 recalls on record
- 990 NHTSA complaints on record (123.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (28.0/yr)
- 12 recall campaigns, 6 touching safety-critical systems