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's parents own a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted to drive however, the vehicle failed to move. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission software needed to be reset. The contact stated that the transmission software was reset however, the vehicle stalled inadvertently while driving. The warning message "Do Not Drive, Transmission Trouble" and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the dealer who reset the transmission software however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the dealer for the third time and the transmission software was reset; however, the failure persisted. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while stopped, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. On another occasion, the contact stated that while his wife was driving, the message "Stop Driving when Safe - Transmission Failure - See Owner's Manual" was displayed. The contact stated that his wife pulled over to the shoulder of the road and parked the vehicle, and the vehicle became difficult to shift out of park. In addition, the contact stated that the RPM occasionally fluctuated and there was a delay with the vehicle responding. The contact also stated that the transmission was shifting hard. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an internal cylinder failure and that the 9-speed manual transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
[redacted]: Van failed while driving on interstate / all dash / warning lights while driving on [redacted] / car inoperable while driving / Towed to Crest Honda, Nashville TN Feb 11, 2025: Crest Honda repaired airbag and replaced negative battery connector and cable (believed to be the source of the [redacted] van operations failure. Drove it home (6-7 miles) from Honda dealer. Later that evening, started van at house - all warning lights / would not go into gear. Towed to Crest Honda Feb 12. Feb 14, 2025: Crest Honda said transmission had failed, it was not the battery connector, provided a quote $7714. In March 2025, Crest HOnda replaced the transmission for total price of $7714.65 - I paid for the transmission. The transmission failed at 117K miles. The Van has a comprehensive dealer service history, including all transmissions fluid changes. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the check engine and several other various warning messages appear on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for service; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose or duplicate the failure. The contact then stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly downshifted and failed to shift out of neutral(N). The contact pulled over and attempted to correct the failure; however, the vehicle shut off. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the diagnosed the vehicle with a failed torque converter and transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was given a case number. The vehicle remained in the dealer's possession and was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission failed to operate as needed and was shifting hard. Additionally, the vehicle would hesitate to respond and there was an abnormal loud mechanical sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a Transmission Control Module (TCM) software update. However, the failures persisted. The contact also stated that the vehicle would jerk and would shudder when depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the rear driver's side and passenger's side sliding doors would reopen independently after being closed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 50,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Engine Management System Failure" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was a failure with the engine and the transmission. The dealer was then notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the engine or the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration with the transmission message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a transmission specialist who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V299000 (Power Train, Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal, the signal changed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated before responding. The contact stated that the engine almost stalled while driving at various speeds. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle also lurched forward while responding. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted to park(P), and the vehicle shut off while approaching a traffic light. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while driving and exiting a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Transmission complaints in other Odyssey years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2018 Honda Odyssey?
NHTSA has 165 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 16% of the model year's 1,005 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Honda Odyssey transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain 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.