2018 Honda Odyssey Powertrain & Transmission Problems

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

When driving the transmission is slipping meaning it jerks forward when accelerating on the road.

Car shifts out of drive and reverse to Park randomly. It also doesnt shift out of first gear on a cold start. I have to stop the vehicle, shift back into park and turn the car off then on again before it will shift out of first gear.

Upon pressing the accelerator from a complete stop, the vehicle does not respond right away. The main incident was when traveling around 50 miles per hour on a highway, the van shifted into neutral on its own and the accelerator would not respond. An error message of transmission failure showed on the dash briefly. The van had to coast through traffic an eventually push off the road.

Vehicle lags in acceleration from a slow rolling start, at random times. There is a clear 1-2 second lag in the acceleration, then a sudden harsh shift into gear. Mostly happens during turns, and if traffic is present, may cause an accident. Also when traveling at low speeds 20-35 mph, there is a transmission jutter. Have spoken with service reps at dealerships and they claim to have no knowledge of these transmission issues

After I received a software update for my 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite the car has been stalling when idle. It is very dangerous because I will be at a stop light in drive, and the vehicle will shut off with no power. Cars will be behind me or no cars, and I have almost been rear ended. I did not have this problem until I received the new software update. It keeps occurring more and more often.

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.

The transmission failed at 108k miles. Honda is charging 10000USD for repair. They want to replace the 9 speed transmission. This transmission is notorious for failure and Honda hasn’t issued a recall yet.

2018 Honda Odyssey (10-speed automatic transmission) What happened: The vehicle is experiencing intermittent loss of reverse and delayed gear engagement from a stop. When shifting into reverse or drive, the engine revs but the vehicle does not immediately move, then jerks into gear. The issue is worse when cold. Warning lights / codes: Check Engine Light on. Honda dealer retrieved diagnostic trouble code P0763 – Shift Solenoid C Electrical. The code returned as a hard code after being cleared. Safety risk: The vehicle hesitates or fails to move when shifting into reverse or from a stop, creating a safety risk in traffic, parking situations, and when backing up. Current status: Diagnosed by Honda dealership. Repair recommended. Honda corporate case opened.

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.

On [XXX], while driving in traffic, my 2018 Honda Odyssey suddenly and without warning shifted itself into Park. The vehicle slammed to a stop in the middle of an intersection, stranding my family and creating a serious risk of collision and injury. The vehicle would not move afterward and had to be towed from the scene. After the failure, the dashboard displayed multiple warnings: “Transmission Problem,” “Stop Driving When Safe,” “Emission System Problem,” and *“Blind Spot Information System Problem.” The gear shift indicator also blinked. The Odyssey has remained undrivable since the incident. The vehicle is at Stockton 12 Honda in Sandy, Utah, where the dealer confirmed a hard transmission failure (RO #[XXX]). Honda Corporate opened two cases (#[XXX] and #[XXX]). Despite my repeated calls and emails, Honda’s assigned case manager verbally denied coverage on Sept 12, 2025, stating the denial would only be reflected in Honda’s internal case notes. This failure is identical to the defect described in NHTSA Recall 19V-299, in which the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) can reboot due to low voltage and cause the transmission to shift into Park while driving. Although my VIN is not currently flagged, my Odyssey EX-L uses the same ZF 9-speed transmission and TCU as affected trims. I have a tow record, witnesses, and video evidence documenting the event. The vehicle remains disabled, leaving my family without safe transportation. This is a serious safety defect that should require investigation and expansion of the existing recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2018 Honda Odyssey gear shifting switch letters are rubbing off. This caused the drive to click wrong button as they do not have letters to identify the functionality of the each button. This can cause accidents. I see many online forums customers are discussing the same issue. [XXX] [XXX] / [XXX] [XXX] This is manufacture defect and please be kind to investigate it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the failure has caused the vehicle to hesitate while attempting to accelerate. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions while driving on the interstate and the freeway. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the software needed to be updated and the vehicle needed to be driven approximately five thousand miles to correct the failure. The vehicle was repaired, and the transmission was replaced once before. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, the warranty department failed to return the call. The approximate failure mileage was 108,900.

As reported previously to Honda the vehicle jerks when accelerating at high speeds.It was recommended to die a transmission flush which was performed and did not resolve the issue.slow acceleration at times is also a safety issue especially on highways.

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 [XXX] 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). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The transmission is very jerky and has completely lost power before. It has refused to shift and stalled in the middle of the road. It is very scary.

Honda issued a recall on the fuel pump December 2023. They did not have any parts available to replace mine. I had brought in my Odyssey Elite to Space Coast Honda multiple times before the recall stating my engine wouldn't crank. I was unable to get the fuel pump replaced until December 5, 2024. ONE YEAR after the recall. I am now getting Emissions System Problems and Stop Driving When Safe Engine Temperature Too Hot. The dignostics that were pulled were P219A Secondary P219A, P0420, P219A. Also, my intake manifold gaskets are leaking coolant. I have had nothing but problems with this van since April 5, 2023 with my car not starting and stalling. My kids and I were stranded at their school two times and there were multiple times at my work. I don't believe I should have to pay thousands of dollars for these items to be replaced since I believe they're an issue due to me driving on a faulty fuel pump. I even called Honda Customer Service multiple times and they told me to keep driving it even though I expressed concern for my kids and having been stranded multiple times. Both dealerships said there was nothing wrong even though I brought it in multiple times for the same issue.

The vehicle would make noises and stalls during accelerations and decelerations. It would struggle to shift into gear, especially from 1st to 2nd gear. When the vehicle comes to a stop at traffic lights or stop signs, it's really hard to get the car to move when accelerating. In high speed on the highway, the vehicle would struggle to increase speed when accelerating and the vehicle would automatically slow down and get weighted down. This would result in having to pull over. Sometimes, the vehicle would not be able to be put into Park, and automatically shifts to Neutral not allowing it to be put into Park mode. When attempting to put it back onto Drive, the vehicle would not go and emission and transmission warning would start flashing. The majority of the time, the emission or transmission warnings would not flash. This is very frightening because I was not able to control the speed of the vehicle, and luckily when the car automatically shift to N and came to a stop, I was able to pullover to the side of the busy highway right on time. The car has been inspected for the same issues in the last 3-4 years by the dealership for the same problem. The transmission fluid got changed and that was all. Now it's happening again.