2018 Honda Accord Problems

What owners report

Owners most often report stalling, loss of power or hesitation linked to fuel system recall 23V858000, where complaints describe the recall repair parts as not yet available. Automatic braking that applies without a visible obstacle, and head gasket failures at higher mileage, are the next most common groups.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Stalling or hesitation linked to fuel system recall

   • 307 complaints (16%)
   • median 93,342 mi at 6.5 yrs old (110 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,800 (median of 35 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle stalling, going into limp mode, or losing power at speed, sometimes with several warning lights on. Many say they were told the recall repair was not yet available, and some say the dealer could not find a fault or said a diagnostic test was needed before the recall would apply. Reports range from about 20,000 to 174,000 miles, with a median near 97,000.

   Recall 23V858000

   What to check: Look up recall 23V858000 with the VIN and ask whether a repair date has been set and whether the repair was completed. Ask the dealer to read stored codes and check the fuel system, and get a written record of the result.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed after several attempts, and the contact was able to drive to the residence. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11606410, filed 2024-08, 115,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and then went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11664932, filed 2025-06, 150,000 miles
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic braking applying without an obstacle

   • 577 complaints (30%)
   • median 14,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (233 state mileage)
   • 24 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,700 (median of 21 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe the car slowing or stopping on its own when no vehicle or object was ahead, sometimes at highway speed, with brake or collision warnings on the dash. Several say the dealer found no fault, and some say the braking or cruise features were switched off until the car was restarted. A service bulletin describes software changes to how the driver assist system decelerates the vehicle. Reported between about 21,000 and 98,000 miles, and many are under 50,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the Honda Sensing software update described in the service bulletins has been applied to this VIN. On a test drive on an open road, check for unexpected braking and for brake or collision warnings on the dash.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving down the road after getting coffee with active cruise control on and a message popped up saying collision mitigation system fault please visit dealer , I've read that it can get bug juice on it and cause it to say that but I wiped mine off and it is still saying that after I restarted the car, have read from many car groups that this happens alot with these cars.”

   NHTSA complaint #11341771, filed 2020-07, 68,862 miles

   “2 issues that I am having is that when I press the brake pedal the radio goes crazy ( interference). Dealer notified and apparently can not find anything wrong so no fix for it yet. The other issue is with cmbs it failed 2wice in the past 3 days. Conditions of the road were good, ( no snow, no rain) and the traffic was not heavy. Both times the system fails to operate mid cruse and shuts off. The only way to get it to work is by restarting the car but this is not an option driving on a highway.”

   NHTSA complaint #11382991, filed 2020-12, 27,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Head gasket failure with coolant loss or misfire

   • 260 complaints (14%)
   • median 75,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (46 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 34 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe a head gasket leak with coolant loss, a blown or cracked head gasket, misfires, and loss of power, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes with the check engine light on. Dealers often said the engine or head gasket needed replacement, and a few owners say they were told there was no warranty coverage. Reported between about 54,000 and 153,000 miles, with a median near 107,000.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the seller whether the cylinder head gasket service bulletin was checked on this VIN. Check the coolant level and the oil for signs of mixing before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Accord HG Issue Well my 2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5t that I’ve owned for not even 2yrs and | bought it with 54k and now has only 59k on it and has started acting up the last few weeks!!! It went into limp mode once a few weeks ago outta nowhere and just shut my car off and so I then turned it off and back on and it reset. Well fast forward a week later and limp mode again and so l hooked it up to a OBD scanner and said misfire cylinder 3 so l replaced the spark plugs and at that point. I then noticed the oil was low and due for a change and it smelled like straight gas. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11638962, filed 2025-01, 54,487 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11728728, filed 2026-04, 153,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pads and rotors wearing out early

   Mentioned in 5 of 80 sampled complaints

   Owners say the rear brake pads or rotors wore out well before the expected mileage, sometimes with grinding or scraping noise, and in one case the rotor was grinding on the pad backing plate. Some say the brakes were replaced twice in a short period, and one says the wheel bearings were also found to have failed. Reported between about 10,000 and 70,000 miles.

   What to check: Measure the rear pad and rotor thickness and check for uneven wear before buying. Ask whether the brakes were replaced under warranty and whether the wheel bearings were checked.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I went to the Honda dealer in 2019 to change my oil, they have said that my rear brake pads need to be replaced even though I have had the vehicle for a couple of months. It was very bizarre to me as the car is fwd and the engine is in the front, thus making more stress on the front brake pads instead of the rear brake pads. Other Honda Accord 2018-2020 owners have complained of this same issue and I hope it can be resolved as it seems that the rear brake pads wear off too fast. The car was stationary at the time of notice.”

   NHTSA complaint #11395488, filed 2021-02, 9,800 miles

   “Only the rear brake pads have completely depleted without any of the other ones being close to depleting. Rotor is now grinding on metal backing plate of pad. Car has been in normal use for 70,000 mi.”

   NHTSA complaint #11311497, filed 2020-02, 70,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Rough or harsh shifting and grinding gears

   • 46 complaints (2%)
   • median 8,850 mi at 1.8 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe harsh or rough shifts at low speed, a violent upshift when pulling away, and grinding between first and second gear. In one case the gear would not engage even with the clutch pedal fully pressed. Dealers were said to find nothing wrong and to describe the shifting as normal. Reported at about 8,000 to 23,000 miles, all at low mileage.

   What to check: Test drive from a stop and watch for hard upshifts or grinding between first and second. Ask whether any transmission software update or service campaign has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle shifts rough around 20-30 miles per hour. Today when I left the grocery store and was driving slowly through the parking lot, it jerked about 4 times before it decided to drive smoothly. However, on occasion, it has shifted so hard that everything fell off my seat and one time I thought it was going to stall in the intersection when I had started up after waiting for a red light. I've had the car in for service a few times for this problem since it was purchased in may, 2018 and each time I am told nothing is wrong with the car and that is just how it runs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11349728, filed 2020-08, 19,500 miles

   “2018 Honda Accord with 10 speed automatic transmission experienced a very violent upshift at low speeds (taking off from the parking lot). This happens intermittently and, of course, a dealer was not able to diagnose the issue as they only drive the vehicle for, maybe, an hour, while the issue occurs every so many hundreds of miles (can't quite pin down the exact interval).”

   NHTSA complaint #11385074, filed 2020-12, 23,040 miles

Buying note. Check the recall status for the fuel system and ask for proof of any repair before buying. Test drive from a stop and on an open road to check the transmission, braking and engine response.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.