2018 Honda Odyssey Engine Problems

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.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light and attempting to make a left turn on an exit, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact called 911 and the Fire Department; however, there was no fire. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine and starter needed to be replaced. 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 in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 167,000.

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.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while parked on the shoulder of a busy interstate, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.