2018 HONDA ACCORD Complaints

Head gasket problem. Coolant leaking into cylinder #2, head gasket needs replacing. The car is currently at a Honda dealership & they inspected/ confirmed that this was the issue. They expressed this was a common issue with this car. The first signs of issues happened while driving uphill on the freeway, the car started to “jump” when trying to accelerate. A couple of minutes later, the car would not accelerate while driving & the check engine light turned on. The second time, this happened much quicker. In a span of a couple of seconds, the car “jumped” while driving on the freeway again, and slowed down and would not accelerate, but various lights on the dash turned on this time. This is obviously very dangerous as a car suddenly decelerating while driving can cause the driver and others on the road to crash. There were no warning lights on prior to the first incident.

100k miles on our Honda when there showed Misfire in cylinder 3 kept coming up. Changed the coils and spark plugs. The car lost power on the freeway almost resulting in a collision. Had the car towed to Honda dealership where they quoted us 4800$ for a head gasket. Honda knows what they’ve done. I will never in my life buy another Honda.

The fuel injectors became faulty at about 90,000 miles, a mechanic could not identify the issue until about 110,000 miles. A blow head gasket followed.

While driving, my 2018 Honda Accord suddenly lost power and went into limp mode with no prior overheating or warning signs. The acceleration dropped instantly, and the vehicle nearly caused an accident as it seized up in traffic. Diagnostic scan showed a P0303 cylinder 3 misfire, which is consistent with head gasket failure. The issue has been widely reported among other Honda Accord owners with the same engine, and it appears to be a recurring defect. This failure is dangerous because the car can lose power abruptly at highway speeds or during normal driving, putting drivers and passengers at risk of collisions. The vehicle was properly maintained and had no prior indication of internal damage or overheating. The head gasket failure is sudden and mechanical, not caused by user neglect. It needs to be investigated as a manufacturer defect before it leads to serious accidents or injuries.

I have changed turbo, coil packs, fuel injectors, spark plugs, battery, fuel pump and my vehicle still give misfire in cylinder 3. Honda knows it’s a turbo and head gasket issue and will NOT do a recall on this for the vehicles. HORRIBLE company. Will never buy another Honda

Car has been giving me issues with the check light engine. They changed spark plugs and the head gasket and still giving me issues.

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.

I lost power to the vehicle in the middle of the road as I was accelerating uphill approaching a stop light getting ready to get on the on ramp to the highway. All the dashboard lights came on and the check engine light was flashing. I had to let my car idle it's way to the side of the road. I took my car to a Honda dealership. Diagnosis showed cylinder 3 misfire, coolant leaking into cylinder 3 indicating a blown head gasket. A couple of weeks before the loss of power to the vehicle, my car was sputtering and jerking when accelerating. It would get really bad when accelerating uphill.

Bad fuel injectors reported by diagnostic testing done by Honda dealership after recall was completed on fuel pump. All warning lights on dashboard lite up and multiple warnings from car. This is a known issue with these specific Honda engines. Very costly repairs that if not completed can cause other engine issues.

I own a 2018 Honda Accord with approximately 131,000 miles. The vehicle suffered a blown head gasket that my mechanic identified as originating from a known design or manufacturing defect in Honda’s 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. They diagnosed the problem before they had my vehicle in their possession because they have already seen this so many times in other 2018 Honda Accords. The engine began showing symptoms such as coolant loss, rough idle, "Christmas tree" engine lights, and an overheating warning light. There was no sign of external coolant leakage. A professional inspection confirmed head-gasket failure. I have maintained the vehicle according to Honda’s recommended service schedule and have documentation for all maintenance. I contacted my local Honda dealership and Honda’s customer service department seeking goodwill or warranty assistance. Despite multiple attempts and escalation to a “warranty specialist,” Honda denied coverage and refused to contribute to repairs. The repair estimate exceeds $5,700, which is unacceptable for a vehicle with regular maintenance and a known pattern of premature engine failures. Online owner forums and public databases show many other reports of the same issue. I believe this defect poses a safety concern, as overheating or sudden engine failure can occur while driving, creating risk of loss of power, stalling, or fire. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the widespread head-gasket and engine failures on late-model Honda vehicles equipped with this engine to determine whether a recall or manufacturer accountability action is warranted.