2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Owner Complaints

On 2-252026 my wife and I were driving on highway I-15 in California when the car started to accelerate, decelerate and jerk and the engine light came on. It was very scary because we were on a major highway driving around 60 MPH and cars were behind us when the deceleration happened. We could have been hit by cars traveling behind us or either we could have caused a major accident. We had to get off the highway and have the car towed to Honda for assessment. There was no engine light warning or service warning from Honda prior to this happening, it just randomly happened. The car was repaired at a Honda dealership and they said there was a leaking head gasket on cylinder number 4. When we looked up information regarding this head gasket failure we saw that other Honda cars have had the same problem and Honda is currently involved in lawsuits regarding this leaking head gasket on cylinder number 4.

NHTSA ID

11746562

Incident

Feb 25, 2026

While driving on the highway at approximately 65 mph with my child in the vehicle during rush-hour on May 21, 2026, my 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring (105,746 miles) suddenly dropped speed, and began backfiring and stopped responding to the gas pedal. The check engine light flashed and the vehicle ran rough. I activated emergency flashers and drove slowly to the shoulder. Sunnyvale Honda (Sunnyvale, CA) diagnosed coolant intrusion into one of the cylinders and head gasket failure. The vehicle had never overheated and showed no prior warning signs. All maintenance was performed at Honda dealerships per the maintenance minder schedule. The dealership performed a head gasket repair costing $7,500+ out of pocket. On the first highway drive after pickup, again with my children in the vehicle, the identical failure occurred: backfiring, complete loss of throttle response, vehicle unable to exceed 48 mph with the accelerator fully depressed. The repair did not resolve the defect. The vehicle is currently back at the dealership for further investigation. This failure created an immediate safety hazard on both occasions: sudden loss of speed on highway with no warning. Honda Customer Service denied goodwill assistance. I am aware of numerous similar complaints involving coolant leak and head gasket failure on 2018-2022 Accord including complaints documenting the same failure on the Accord Hybrid 2.0L engine. NHTSA should investigate this as a potential safety-related defect affecting multiple Honda engine variants.

NHTSA ID

11746305

Incident

May 21, 2026

Over the past several years, there have been multiple instances where I or my wife are driving on the highway and the engine light comes on or starts flashing, and I am unable to go faster than 50 miles an hour, and the engine itself feels to be underpowered. We have taken it to the dealership for repair at least five times over the past five years and in each case they have attempted to do a repair and said the issue has been resolved, but the issue continue. At at least one of those visits, they have diagnosed the issue as an engine misfire issue. The issue has intensified from the initial symptoms, (which were as I described, but resolved by turning the car off, waiting 30 seconds to a minute and then turning the car on again) to how it is now: in addition to the check engine light, every other light and warning system has gone off when driving on the highway and the engine was unable to go faster than 40 miles an hour, and it does not resolve by restarting the car. The dealership and Honda America’s main phone line have as of yet been unable to give me a clear answer as to why this is happening or whether it can be fixed. A sudden drop in speed and power on the highway as we have experienced many times over the last five years is inherently extremely dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11715485

Incident

Jan 31, 2026

The car loses power. It starts as a misfire on cylinder 2 (P0302 code) and the engine starts to shutdown (or goes into a safe mode with no power). The result is loss of speed which creates a safety hazard especially on highways. This has happened multiple times and the car has been in the shop 4 times for this issue. We have to pull off the road, turn the car off, sit for a minute and restart the car. It will then run ok. This has happened during acceleration and when just trying to keep speed on an incline. The dealership has not been able to identify an issue. The head gasket was replaced in April 2025 because they thought there was a pin hole that was causing oil to push into the cylinder. The misfire continued to happen. It was in the shop on October 2025 and they found nothing wrong with the spark plug, induction coils, gas feed. Therefore no understanding of the root cause.

NHTSA ID

11693248

Incident

Oct 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, various warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the Lane Departure, Lane Keep Assist, ACC, and Blind Spot Detection warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the malfunction or warning lights were a result of the camera being faulty and that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

NHTSA ID

11686086

Incident

Sep 9, 2025

Mileage

105,000 mi

The engine head gasket failed due to design flows. I have to put coolants and oil on a daily basis to keep the car running to avoid overheating.

NHTSA ID

11683633

Incident

Aug 27, 2025

At approximately [XXX]. Pacific, I was traveling southbound in the fastrak lane of the [XXX] departing from Pleasant Hill, California headed to Pleasanton, California. As I began to accelerate, the engine began to sputter. Immediately, the check engine light flashed on, then the dashboard reported a number of issues ranging from brake failure, TPMS failure, power assisted steering failure, vehicle stability assist failure and a number of other issues that I have never encountered since purchasing the vehicle. The sudden deceleration almost resulted in other cars impacting my car as this occurred during the morning commute. I was able to safely navigate off of the freeway. I was on speakerphone with Honda when this occurred. Had I not acted swiftly, a potential high speed rear end collision was likely to have occurred. I immediately took the car to Concord Honda. The team at Concord Honda performed a diagnosis and advised me that my head gasket was leaking water into the combustion chamber which resulted in the sudden loss of power. I was and continue to be dissatisfied with the handling of this issue by Honda as my car has never been handled by another mechanic. My car has a perfect or near perfect maintenance record and should not have a blown head gasket at 80k miles especially since my car is meticulously maintained and serviced by Concord Honda. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11679970

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

when i am driving in an area near my home with road construction- there is a certain area that has a metal plate in the road and when i approach in from the east my car will automatically brake hard. luckily this has not caused an accident but i suspect that it may because it is a busy road.

NHTSA ID

11668985

Incident

Jun 24, 2025

Subject: Safety Complaint – Premature Head Gasket Failure in 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ) Dear NHTSA Representative, I am submitting this letter as a formal complaint regarding a serious and premature mechanical failure in my 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ). At approximately 96,000 miles, the head gasket failed, resulting in major engine problems and potentially unsafe vehicle performance. I am the original owner of this vehicle and have maintained it consistently in line with Honda’s recommended service intervals. The engine has never been overheated or misused, yet the head gasket has failed much earlier than expected for a modern vehicle, especially a hybrid model. After researching online, I have found multiple reports of similar issues involving 2018 Honda Accord models experiencing premature head gasket failure, many of them under or near 100,000 miles. I am concerned that this may point to a widespread defect that could compromise the reliability and safety of these vehicles. A sudden head gasket failure can cause the engine to overheat, lose power, or even stall — all of which present potential risks to the driver and passengers, especially at highway speeds. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this issue further to determine whether a safety-related defect exists and if a recall or manufacturer action should be issued. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me if any additional information is needed to support the investigation. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11655397

Incident

Apr 15, 2025

About two weeks ago, I could have been killed on the New York State Thruway when my 2018 Honda Accord suddenly lost all power. One moment, I was driving normally—then, without warning, my check engine light came on, I had zero ability to accelerate and was forced to pull over as my car rapidly lost speed. II had my vehicle towed to Morehead Honda where they ran diagnostics and told me my car needed nearly $6,000 in repairs due to coolant leaking into the engine, which caused cylinder misfires and valve damage. But here’s the kicker—this same issue has happened to other Honda Accords of the same model year, yet Honda refuses to recognize it as a widespread problem. Morehead Honda admitted to me that they’ve seen this issue before in other 2018-2020 Honda Accords and 2017-2018 CR-Vs. In fact, they said Honda quietly fixed the problem in newer models (2021+)—but they still won’t acknowledge it as a defect in mine. That means my engine failure is not some one-in-a-million fluke—it’s something that has happened to multiple owners of the same model and year. But Honda refuses to take responsibility, leaving me on the hook for an absurdly expensive repair. Many others have had the same or similar issues. Below are some: 2017-2020 Honda Accord owners who have reported coolant leaks, cylinder head cracks, head gasket failures, or related issues: 2018 Accord 2.0T owner blew a head gasket, with a potential cracked engine block. The dealership diagnosed the issue on cylinder #3, with coolant mixing into the engine oil. A 2018 Accord EX-L 2.0T owner experienced a coolant loss leading to a blown head gasket and coolant leaking into cylinders 2 and 3. A 2018 Accord 1.5T owner had dashboard warnings and the car failed to accelerate. The dealership diagnosed a blown head gasket, with coolant leaking into cylinders 3 and 4. A 2020 Honda Accord owner suffered a blown head gasket at 58,000 miles. The dealership confirmed it was the fourth such case they had seen.

NHTSA ID

11642998

Incident

Jan 18, 2025

Mileage

99,169 mi

DEFECTIVE RECALLED-REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMP? NHTSA Campaign # 23V858000 “Fuel pump failure can cause engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.” My 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid had gotten 50 mpg in September & October of 2024 – as it had been getting consistently, reliably for the past six years. Also, I have Always driven 545 miles per tank of gas consistently, reliably for the past six years. My original fuel pump, which was recalled (NHTSA #23V858000), NEVER failed and operated perfectly efficiently for six years. In December 2024 I observed the NHTSA fuel-pump-recall and had the “perfect” original fuel pump replaced. As soon as the “New” fuel pump was installed at the dealership, my MPG dropped to 39mpg AND miles-driven-per-tank of gas dropped to 445 miles! Shocking! My 2018 Accord Hybrid lost 100 miles of driving Range, and mpg dropped to non-hybrid performance! This leaves me to question the SAFETY of the NEW Recall-Replacement fuel pump. Also, since the “New” replacement Fuel pump was installed, my High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery Pack has been “kicking-in” more frequently to assist the less efficient new fuel pump. This causes the gas engine to rev longer at high rpms whenever I start the car in order to constantly recharge the HV Lithium Ion Batteries that must assist the less efficient New fuel pump . It appears to be a precarious cycle of decline for both the fuel pump and HVLI batteries! Help! I would like NHTSA to determine: 1.Is the replacement fuel pump “failing” from the time of installation? 2.Was a “new” fuel pump actually installed, or was a “defective part replaced in the original recalled fuel pump? 3.Is the replacement fuel pump not designed technologically as the original fuel pump? 4.How SAFE is the “NEW Fuel Pump”? 5.Are other Honda Hybrid owners who had their fuel pumps replaced under # 23V858000 complaining of poor performance? Is this a serious indication of rapid replacement (New) fuel pump failure?

NHTSA ID

11642798

Incident

Feb 14, 2025

On 2/3/25 a warning light came on in my 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid while driving home (supplemental restraint system problem, see your dealer). I immediately called the Honda dealer where I get my car serviced to explain the problem. I was told I would need to bring the car in and pay $200 for a diagnostic and they would have to keep the car for a few days. Well I know the problem, MY DRIVER SEATBELT NO LONGER LOCKS WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES. I TESTED IT THE WHOLE 1 HOUR DRIVE HOME. I then called Honda Customer service and they were closed. However they did mention the car I have based on my phone number and said there were no recalls. I was in a panic driving home from work for an hour with no fully functioning seat belt. I went online and there is a seat belt recall on Honda cars but apparently not the year mine was made. I bought my car brand new, it's only 6 years old and I expect to have functioning seatbelts. I also do not expect to pay out of pocket for ANY DIAGNOSTIC COST WHEN MY SEAT BELT CLEARLY NO LONGER FUNCTIONS AS IT SHOULD. I would like this information reported to Honda ASAP. I do not have a second car and I'm in a panic about having to drive to work. Please HELP ME. I will also try again to call Honda corporate office tomorrow.

NHTSA ID

11640533

Incident

Feb 3, 2025

Since the recall has been in place, I have attempted to get it fixed. I have reported to Honda lights coming on and off since January 14th. On January 17th took photos and video. On Thursday [XXX], the emissions light came on regarding this issue and losing power. I called Napa Kastner Honda and reported the issue and spoke with Lizette at 330pm she said it was part of the recall, but I could continue to drive the vehicle and they would call me when parts become available. Each time I go in I have to pay for diagnosis testing. I don’t want to continue to wait and want to sell my vehicle now, but no dealer will accept a trade in or offer the actual value of my vehicle given the emission light. No one is helping me remedy this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11638657

Incident

Jan 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11638031

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

Honda of Kirkland (12420 NE 85th St, Kirkland, WA 98033) failed to remedy a recall on my vehicle within a reasonable period of time. I received notice by mail from American Honda in late November that the parts to remedy a recall on my vehicle were now available, and I could have it serviced for free at any authorized Honda dealer. I contacted Honda of Kirkland on December 2, and they told me the parts were not available and declined to schedule an appointment. I called them again on December 9, and they said they placed an order for the parts, and would call me back to schedule an appointment. On January 2 (24 days since last contact, 31 days since initial contact), they still had not called me back, so I called them again, and they informed me that the first available appointment would be on April 17. I then reached out another authorized Honda dealer, still on January 2, and they ordered the parts and said they would call back. A few days later, they called back to confirm they had the parts, and scheduled an appointment for January 27. So it was clearly possible to remediate the defect in a reasonable period of time -- Honda of Kirkland simply chose not to do so. In summary, Honda of Kirkland obstructed each of my three attempts to have this defect remediated, by: 1. Falsely claiming that the parts were not unavailable. 2. Promising and then failing to contact me to schedule an appointment. 3. Offering me a first-available appointment 136 days after I first contacted them.

NHTSA ID

11635542

Incident

Dec 2, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11632690

Incident

Dec 27, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11629821

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

Multiple times in the state of Oklahoma, driving from Oklahoma to Maryland, and in Maryland Washington DC area, the automatic brakes apply at highway speeds on the interstate whenever there is a shadow in the road. It is extremely frightening. I am having the fuel pump recall Repaired at the Honda dealership today. I told the Honda dealership about this problem and they said they were unaware of it. They said they would reset the calibration on the anti-breaking system. However, upon research, it looks like you are investigating this problem. Please add my car to the list of cars affected. I do not know the exact dates that this happened but it has been. I would say at least 20 to 30 times since 2020 when I bought the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11624186

Incident

Oct 30, 2024

My complaint is concerning NHTSA Recall Number 23V-858. The problem I have is this. I called my Honda dealer today saying I wanted to bring in my vehicle to have the fuel pump replaced as is stated in the recall. I was told that the part would have to be ordered but before ordering the part the dealership would want to perform a diagnostic test on my vehicle to see if my fuel pump had an issue. Here's the part that I have a BIG problem with. If my fuel pump is deemed to be defective, they will order the part and replace it at no charge and will not charge me for the diagnostic test (I seem to recall it being in the ~$180 range). BUT, if the fuel pump is deemed to not be defective, I would be charged for the diagnostic. I argued with the receptionist that this is not something that's up for discussion as this is a Safety Recall from NHTSA and that Honda's own paperwork states that they will "replace the fuel pump for FREE" with no mention of first having to pass a diagnostic exam. I did manage to talk to the service manager and plead my case to show him that this would amount to a "money grab" if my vehicle were to not show a problem with the diagnostics. I also pointed out that the only way to see an "improperly molded impeller" (which is apparently the technical problem) would be to remove and inspect the fuel pump at which time you should just replace it anyway, since that's what Honda recall notification indicates. The service manager says he is going to waive any fee for my diagnostic test but I still have to have the diagnostic in order for them to be able to order the part. So I'lll be taking my vehicle in next Friday morning to have the diagnostic. I wonder how many people may have, over the past year or so, taken their cars to this dealership and had the diagnostic performed with a negative result for a failed fuel pump and incurred fee for something that they would not have brought their car in for had they not gotten the recall notification?

NHTSA ID

11623853

Incident

Nov 6, 2024

Car has been throwing check engine light codes for different things for the past three years. First, the spark plugs needed to be replaced, then the electric coolant pump. After each repair, the check engine light came back on as soon as 4 days after but as late as a month after. Most recently, while driving on the highway the car check engine light came on and began flashing and the vehicle would not accelerate past 20mph. I took the closest exit and parked the car and had it towed to the closest Honda dealer where they informed me that there is an active recall and they are waiting for a call to see what they can do to help but that there is a head gasket issue as well as a fuel pump code. Previously when the check engine light came on and it took it to get checked I was told there was no code holding in the system.

NHTSA ID

11623735

Incident

Nov 3, 2024

I was driving in between 40 and 50 miles per hour and the automatic braking got activated automatically for a few seconds. The road was clear and there were no vehicles or obstacles anywhere. It was about 9.15 am and approx temp was 40 F. This is the second time it occurred. The car is not under factory warranty and the dealer would be charging diagnostic fees and unlikely to find anything wrong.

NHTSA ID

11623261

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11623087

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Experience engine running rough. - There are multiple misfiring cylinders. available for inspection upon request. - My safety and the safety of others was put in immediate risk when the engine started to jerk violently back and forth on the freeway. - The problem been reproduced and confirmed by a certified local Honda dealership. - There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

NHTSA ID

11614914

Incident

Sep 3, 2024

Emergency braking happened several times with NO obstacle in the way. Perfect driving conditions in daylight. Twice it slowed down my vehicle on the highway. A few other times the braking light came on but didn’t seem to actually put on the brake

NHTSA ID

11611957

Incident

Jun 6, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance feature was activated; however, the Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance was activated while there were no vehicles nearby. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed however, the contact declined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ID

11602449

Incident

Jul 5, 2024

Mileage

20,000 mi