2018 Honda Accord Powertrain & Transmission Problems

Transmission started bucking at 50k miles, the problem has gotten substantially worse at 60k miles. Rough downshifting and upshifting in low gears. Will slam into gears 2-3 often and cause driver and passengers to lurch forward. Will cause very rough acceleration at times and causes a danger in traffic given the speed becomes unpredictable. Transmission does not know what gear to be in even after ATF type 2.0 fluid change following dealer procedure. This is putting me and other drivers at risk because I cannot control my speed when transmission is slamming in between gears. No warning lamps, undetected by cars TCU.

After recent service from local honda dealership vehicle started to drive sluggish. Had all fluids changed and the coolant flushed when serviced at the dealership. The vehicle now displays several different alerts upon start up "Emissions systems failure" Brake system failure" Hill Assist failure" Power Steering failure". Vehicle was returned to dealership and it was determined the head gaskets need to be replaced due to coolant leaking. This vehicle has been maintained consistently with documentation and shouldn't have this type of failure with only 100k miles. Repairs are $4800 and this should definitely be investigated because this is common in Honda Accord model years 2018-2022.

Head gasket failed at 58k miles without overheating per assessment at honda dealership. Safety was affected by going into limp mode instantly turning left onto 55 mph 4 lane road, no warning lights prior going into limp mode. Brief misfire occurred prior to incident, (did not know at time because it did not seem significant and no warning light). Dealer reports multiple 2018 honda accord 1.5L head gasket and fuel injector failures. Unknown if manufacture would inspect. In addition fuel injector has completely failed and requires replacement per honda dealership assessment, this occurred after dealership repaired head gasket. Waiting for final repair invoice, can and will provide upon request

My turbo and fuel injectors went out at the same time. It has been fixed, so I don't think it can be inspected My safety was put at risk. The car randomly went into limp mode on the interstate at high speeds and suddenly came to almost a complete stop Yes, it was inspected by a mechanic, everyone with a 2018 honda accords are having this issue Yes, it was inspected by a mechanic. No warning lamps or anything, just a blinking check engine light that appeared for the first time ever.

I have a blown head gasket which is a common problem with this vehicle. I have 85k miles. The car started to blow out smoke from the tailpipe which is very heavy.

The car can't start because of the recall

My Honda is shifting harsh going into 5th gear and sometimes reverse is not available. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership and they are telling me I need a new transmission to the tune of $9,600. It only has 64,000 miles and the warranty recently expired. I took the car to another mechanic and he told me the same thing. There is no way that the transmission should go out at such low miles. Honda needs to step up and take care of this problem. There are many complaints about this issue but nothing is being done. I have the 7 year/100,00 mile warrany but the car is a 2018. This was the first year of the 10-speed transmission and many people are having problems. This needs to be addressed.

I purchased this 2018 Honda Accord Sport brand new from the dealership, relying on Honda’s longstanding reputation for reliability and longevity. At approximately 120,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a blown head gasket during normal driving conditions. The vehicle has been properly maintained according to Honda’s recommended schedule. I have already opened a claim with Honda corporate regarding this issue and am currently awaiting their response. Despite proper maintenance, this catastrophic engine failure occurred, suggesting a design or manufacturing defect rather than misuse. This issue presents both a safety concern and a substantial financial burden, as I am a single mother of four who depends on this vehicle for daily transportation. Based on reports from other owners, this appears to be a widespread defect affecting 10th-generation Honda Accords with the 1.5L turbo engine, which I respectfully request NHTSA investigate.

Transmission keeps malfunctioning from 1-2 and 2-3 gear shifts. Mainly prominent on the 2-3 gear shift having issues. Severe transmission jerk and sometimes slams into the next gear. This has been happening since I bought the car at 52k miles and it is currently at 62k miles. It can be available for inspection upon request. It also jerks on downshift. The transmission fluid has been drained and filled with Honda genuine atf 2.0 but the issue still persists after the service. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. It has put my safety at risk because in low speed traffic my speed is unpredictable and I am worried of hitting a car in front of me. It is also an issue for vehicles behind me as well because the vehicle cannot find the gear and doesn't accelerate properly. When it slams into the next gear it seems to be a severe safety hazard for me and my passengers.

A 2018 Honda Accord 1.5T developed an engine misfire, coolant loss, and reduced acceleration shortly after purchase from a dealership on 01/07/2026 (around 156,000 miles / 15,000). On 01/23/2026, during a Honda dealer inspection at about 157,255 miles, the technician noted misfires on startup, found the coolant overflow reservoir empty, pressure-tested the system, and confirmed coolant leaking into cylinders 3 and 4 from the head gasket. The dealer recommended head gasket replacement plus spark plugs, drive belt, and valve adjustment. I was told that continued driving could worsen the condition, leading to overheating and further engine damage. After that diagnosis, the vehicle’s drivability worsened, and it became unsafe to rely on due to misfires and loss of acceleration, especially on the highway. The selling dealership refused to assist, claiming the defect was not present at the time of sale; Honda America acknowledged the head gasket concern but denied a goodwill claim, citing the high cost of the issue and lack of NHTSA enforcement on this issue. An independent repair shop then provided a second inspection/estimate consistent with the same head-gasket repair scope. The vehicle and repair records are available for inspection. No crash or injury occurred, but the defect caused a sudden loss of power and overheating while driving; I was stuck on the highway on two occasions with my hazard lights on after acceleration completely halted. Warning symptoms (the engine light) only appeared when the car suddenly stopped accelerating. Two days after an around-5,000 headgasket repair, drivability problems and multiple dashboard warnings appeared, including turbo-related concerns; this concern is ongoing.

The vehicle experienced a catastrophic engine malfunction resulting in a no-start condition. The vehicle is currently inoperable and is available for inspection upon request. The engine failure caused the vehicle to lose power and become unreliable, creating a risk of breakdown while driving, which could have resulted in being stranded in traffic or an unsafe location and posed a risk to my personal safety and the safety of others. Yes. An independent repair facility confirmed the vehicle would not start and diagnosed the engine as failed. The vehicle was subsequently towed to another facility, where the condition was again documented. The vehicle has been inspected by independent repair facilities. The extended warranty company, Route 66, reviewed the claim and denied coverage based on their assessment. No inspection by the manufacturer or law enforcement has occurred. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited warning indicators and operational issues, including overheating symptoms. These issues worsened over time and ultimately resulted in complete engine failure and a no-start condition.

My 2018 Honda experienced a catastrophic engine failure (blown head gasket) at only 30,012 miles. A head gasket is not a wear item and should not fail at such low mileage. I previously reported related symptoms during dealer service visits in July 2024 and August 2025, including signs consistent with cooling or engine performance issues, prior to the complete failure. The vehicle has been properly maintained, has not been abused or modified, and shows no signs of neglect. Honda has denied goodwill assistance solely due to vehicle age, despite the extremely low mileage and premature nature of the failure. This appears to be a durability defect resulting in premature engine failure well below expected service life.

The head gasket leaked and a piston warped. The symptom was feeling a piston misfire and then the car wouldn't go over 10 miles per hour. Our safety was compromised because we were on a busy (45mph) road and couldn't turn off quickly nor go fast to keep up with traffic. The problem has been reproduced at an independent service center. The vehicle has only been inspected by the mechanic. The previous week all the electrical systems reported a failure. That was repaired by replacing some hose that collapsed on itself. During the misfire, the check engine light flashed, but it didn't before or after (when we were driving very slowly).

turbo charger split causing engine failure which almost created a serious accident.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that one of the tires was punctured by a nail, and after the tire was replaced, the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was then taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the cylinder, engine, ignition coil, and spark plug. After the vehicle was repaired, it was returned to Auto Zone to be diagnosed again. The contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic, and it was confirmed that the spark plug in cylinder #2 was new. The contact continued driving the vehicle; however, a month later, several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #2. The dealer recommended replacing the fuel injectors and that an alignment of the radar was needed, and there was a failure with the transmission fluid, the CVT, and a software failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously included in a recall for the failure; however, the recall repair was already performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Coolant leak through the gasket into a cylinder so now I need a new head gasket. When I start my car, it starts to shake and don’t accelerate. I just got my turbo done in April because of the same issues.

Car stalled/went into limp mode in the middle of turning onto a busy road almost hit by oncoming traffic. Check engine light came on, as well as all other warnings. Ran diagnostics and show fuel running lean and cyl 2 misfire. Checked all other possible issues related to codes and all signs point to bad fuel injectors.

Upon commuting to work, the car failed to accelerate causing the car to almost suddenly stop while driving; at the same time of the failure warning lights and beeping occurred. No warnings prior to failure. By God’s grace, I was not yet on the expressway and avoided what would have been a horrible accident jeopardizing not only my life but the lives of anyone that would have been behind me. The gasket failed (cylinder #3) and is available for inspection upon request. It was a significant safety issue as the failure occurred without warning causing the car to stop no warning. Yes, the dealer has confirmed the failure and I was quoted a $5800 repair cost in spite of a owning a lifetime power train warranty. No, the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. I did place a call to American Honda and we were given a case #15822812 (but this case has since been closed without action.) No warnings occurred before the failure. (Beeping and messages occurred at the time of failure.) Had the failure occurred at a high rate of speed, on an expressway, loss of life could have occurred and no one would know what caused the accident since cars are usually towed away and declared “totaled.” Fortunately, I was on a road of 35mph but in just a few more minutes would have been at a speed of 65mph. There is a further safety concern that the dealer admits that there is a known problem with the OEM component but plans to continue to replace with the same product. Note: this car has a superior care record and only 110,000 miles which means the failure is likely to occur again with the same parts. Internet searches are confirming this is a known product failure with no recall.

The head gasket needs replaced because of a faulty design....this is an expensive fix and one I think Honda knows about, but because the fix if almost all labor, they don't care because it is making them a ton of money on repairs. The engine block cooling is designed to cause a head gasket failure with can ruin the engine and even if you catch it, is very expensive to fix. and Honda doesn't even offer an adequate fix and this WILL happen again. I have talked to Honda techs who have confirmed that belief.

My car is always having some electrical issue but when I type in my VIN number, no recalls are listed under my VIN number and then for the last couple of days I've been experiencing acceleration problems when I look up a 2018 Honda Accord it is saying that fuel pumps have been an issue, but my VIN number pulls up no information as far as me falling under that recall what are the proper steps to get my car looked at to see if my VIN number Even though it's not populating, any recall falls under the recall