Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Honda Odyssey owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that water was seeping into the trunk during inclement weather or while washing the vehicle. The contact stated that several warning lights remained illuminated, and the cruise control, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and powered tailgate failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the metal on the power tailgate needed to be welded to stop the leak, and the dash camera and computer needed to be replaced due to the water damage. The vehicle was repaired; however, water was still entering the vehicle during inclement weather or while washing the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started while driving at various speeds, the contact observed a pinging alarm, and the "Driver's Side Sliding Door Failure" message was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the door was heavy while being opened. The vehicle was taken to a dealer over ten times where it was diagnosed that the door motor and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
After leasing our car for less than 1 year - the power liftgate malfunctioned (which coincidentally there had been a recall in the past on our honda odyssey 2009 for appears to be the exact same issue.) It seems to be exactly the same thing happening again with the 2018 model we have now. So that the trunk won't open by itself. So for the past few years we had too manually lift the trunk and it's extremely heavy to lift and slow and can bang you in the head because it does not lift very high. If this wasn't bad enough a month ago the electrical power/fuse to even accomplish what I just explained electrically shorted for no reasonable explanation. So that my husband has to quite literally climb through the two rows of seats take the plastic off permanently on the manual/nonelectric trunk release from the inside of the car in order to get our trunk door to open at all. …
During my recent recall repair by Ed Morse Honda in Riviera Beach, FL, I was advised that the rear tailgate sensor was reported as "wet". I do the maintenance myself, so I passed on a repair at that time by the dealer. Today, I researched what might have failed both online and with my Alldatadiy subscription, and accessed the part. Indeed, the Liftgate Control Module was molded and need of repair/ replace. However, I have grandchildren now, and during the removal - realized that in a water accident or other hazard where power is lost, there is NO WAY for rear passengers to exit the van by the rear tailgate. There is NO readily accessible latch or pull to open the tailgate from the inside, and NO key nor latch available from the outside for outside assistance. Additionally, if a child is in need of exiting the rear tailgate, there is NO child safety pull to allow them to exit. …
Dear NHTSA Team, My Honda Odyssey 2018 EX has been having issues with my Driver side Sliding door opening/closing using the Auto power. It was randomly sometimes not fully closing (kept reopening). Then it would get fixed automatically . This was happening for 3+ years . I had got the open recalls done over the years. This week it just stopped opening suddenly . And it was not getting resolved either manually or even after turning ON/OFF car . I took it to Honda Dealership in Dublin, California . They said error code B2049 the left slide door motor and door cable , latch were all faulty. And it would cost about 2500$. This was very expensive and I asked them to just put the door back and they charged the labor cost of 730$. When i look up online I see in forums multiple customers having such issues in this 2018 to 2020 odyssey model. …
The seam seals on the rear driver's quarter panel of the vehicle are faulty and allowed water to flow into the cabin of the vehicle. The resulting damage was loss of function to the rear power lift gate, front seats, remote start and other key fob functions, as well as a dead battery(assumedly due to arcing on wet circuitry). The damage rendered the lift gate inoperable as I it initially closed but came open during operation. We continued to receive a power lift gae problem on the "Heads Up Display" but the power gate would not open or close, electrically or manually. After a few days the gate opened but would not close, rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. Furthermore, the battery was dead and would not start. Had this incicdent not occurred in our driveway we could have been susceptible to being stranded in sub-freezing temperatures with kids. …
Water intrusion, verified by observation/application of water. The leak resulted in water dripping on the Tailgate/Liftgate Control Module and the general rear cargo area, causing corrosion inside the control module rendering the control module inoperable, which made the power liftgate inoperable as well. Additionally, the rear cargo area had standing water that had accumulated over an unknown period of time that was visible when you lifted the carpeting. The liftgate latch mechanism also "locked" while the liftgate was open, making securing it closed in the normal way impossible. I would have needed to secure it with bungee cords or tape or some other haphazard way if I wanted to drive it safely on the streets or any contents in the back of the van could have fell out in traffic, or the liftgate may have inadvertently lifted at any time or place uncommanded, causing any type of hazard. …
The vehicle doors have given issues where they open when attempting to close. The doors will start closing and then reopen or don't close at all. We've had this van for about a year and started having this issue early on. Upon searching online, it was discovered that are many instances where door issues have occurred and a site found to further support this but my VIN was not listed even though the same issue occurs. …
A water leak above the tailgate control module flooded it to the point that it operated erratically and would raise and lower the tailgate randomly or not work at all. I plan on replacing the module myself but will retain the old one. Anytime the entry or exit points on a vehicle open randomly cannot be a safe condition. The dealer charges $130 for any inspection or diagnostic so no I am not paying them to tell me something is broken. The vehicle currently is showing a "Power Tailgate Problem" and a yellow box with "TAILGATE" in it on the dash display and is currently unresponsive to any input that would operate it: remote, tailgate buttons, and driver button. The power locking system is still operable. The Odyessy forums clearly describe multiple occurrences of this failure and the culprit is a water leak in rear window or rear section of roof trim strip on the drivers side. …
My tailgate stopped working, I was getting messages on my dash board that there was transmission system problems, reverse warning problems, keyless entry system problems. It always seemed to happen after a rain. I found that the van is leaking water through the driver's side roof rack gully, near the back, and water is leaking right on the tailgate control system, causing all these other problems. It is also causing the battery to drain when car is parked idle. There should be recall to fix the leakage and replace the controller. It's a design defect, water shouldn't sip inside and burn the electrical components. Costing me hundreds/thousands. This is also safety issue because water damaged controllers causing issues with ADAS components too - getting check engine, break lights, etc. while the car is in motion. If those safety features are not working, that can be very dangerous. Thanks
Body complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the body & structure of the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 10% of the model year's 1,005 complaints. The component named most often is body (95 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Honda Odyssey body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2018 Honda Odyssey, though it has 16 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Honda Odyssey body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 8,000 miles, and 87% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.