What 1,812 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Accord Fhev

The first time was at 93,000 miles where my car started to surge and went into limp mode but once I shut the car off and turned it back on everything went away and the car was fine. It did happen a couple more times, but as soon as I would shut the car off and turn it back on the code was cleared and by the time I got it to a mechanic there was no known code.This last time was at 220,000 miles I was just entering the freeway and once on the freeway, my car started to power surge really bad jolting me back-and-forth back-and-forth. This did not let me continue to finish reaching my highway rate of speed with cars coming up fast behind me nearly hitting me. Car continued to surge, and then went into limp mode and I had to pull over on the side of the freeway. I brought my car into Honda of San Bruno, California. They informed me after inspection that I had a cylinder three misfire due to a bad head gasket. They are receiving 3 to 4 of these a day and is a huge problem. I later found out that there’s a class action lawsuit for this head gasket failure that put me in danger and now has my car sitting in front of my house unable to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11714675

Serval warning lights come on in my vehicle I’ve have seen this happen in other models of this car and nothing has fixed it. Car drives fine.

NHTSA ODI 11714306

Headgasket seems to be forming a leak. Checked coolant today, zero leaks on coolant system but coolant was extremely low. It is sad to see that Honda has become so unreliable.

NHTSA ODI 11714076

The vehicle experienced a catastrophic engine malfunction resulting in a no-start condition. The vehicle is currently inoperable and is available for inspection upon request. The engine failure caused the vehicle to lose power and become unreliable, creating a risk of breakdown while driving, which could have resulted in being stranded in traffic or an unsafe location and posed a risk to my personal safety and the safety of others. Yes. An independent repair facility confirmed the vehicle would not start and diagnosed the engine as failed. The vehicle was subsequently towed to another facility, where the condition was again documented. The vehicle has been inspected by independent repair facilities. The extended warranty company, Route 66, reviewed the claim and denied coverage based on their assessment. No inspection by the manufacturer or law enforcement has occurred. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited warning indicators and operational issues, including overheating symptoms. These issues worsened over time and ultimately resulted in complete engine failure and a no-start condition.

NHTSA ODI 11713797

The vehicle experienced a rough idle and white smoke blowing out the exhaust on a cold startup. It did have coolant loss over a period of time with no visible leaks. I waited until I got a check engine code that revealed a misfire in cylinder 4. Upon further diagnostic testing it was revealed that the head gasket was blown between cylinders 3 and 4. I paid for the repair out of pocket only to see that this is a very common issue with the 1.5 turbo engine.

NHTSA ODI 11711556

When I was accelerating the vehicle on 12/21/2025, a flashing check engine light came on, and the car started driving very roughly immediately, with an intense vibration. I noticed a lack of engine power, but the hybrid motor and battery kept me going for roughly 1 mile until they were depleted, after which I was unable to accelerate the vehicle. At that time, the car continued to decelerate, no matter how much I depressed the accelerator. I was able to safely pull over and turn the car off. I let it sit for one minute before turning it on again, at which point it behaved normally. I drove very cautiously to my destination, making sure to accelerate very gradually. This sudden lack of power put myself and others on the road at risk, as it was very sudden with no prior symptoms/warning lights, and I had no recourse besides pulling over as soon as possible. Over the next few days, I researched the problem online, and owners of Honda Accords from that generation (10th generation, model years 2018-2022) reported head gasket failure on all engines Honda offered the 10th generation Accord, including the 1.5 turbo, 2.0 turbo, and 2.0 hybrid engines. This problem is also reported on a slew of other Honda vehicles from roughly that time period. I brought it to Motor Werks Honda in Barrington, IL on 12/24/2025. After they completed their analysis, they determined it was a failed headgasket.

NHTSA ODI 11711031

Head gasket failed after car was fully serviced at authorized Honda dealer.It is a common issue with the 1.5t Honda engine.

NHTSA ODI 11710448

Blown head gasket at around 91,500 miles even though car have been kept up with oil change around 5,000k mile. It is currently in the mechanic shop as of 1/12/2025 awaiting repairs (parts are being order as we speak). So, probably can't have it inspected if requested unless it is soon. The random/early head gasket getting blown with not such high miles would have been devasting if I was driving on the highway. Since, it would cause the engine to over heat as the coolant is leaking into the engine piston and some case could cause lost of power on the highway. This problem seem to be quite common or expected as talking to the dealer and they were aware that a portion of these 1.5l turbo engine head gasket are getting blown. The vehicle or component has been inspected by an independent service center. I got misfire detected on cylinder 3 on 12/17/2025. I replace the sparks plug and it ran fine till 1/10/2026 when all of a sudden I can see the temperature gauge climbing. I stop driving the car that day on 1/10/2026. I check the coolant overflow reservoir on 1/11/2026 and found it strange that it was almost empty. I decide to take it to the mechanic on 1/12/2026 because I didn't see leaks anywhere and that was when they found the head gasket has failed and was slowly dripping coolant into the cylinder.

NHTSA ODI 11710534

All dashboard lights are on & will not go away!

NHTSA ODI 11710537

My car is having the head gasket issue which caused an issue while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11710055

My 2018 Honda experienced a catastrophic engine failure (blown head gasket) at only 30,012 miles. A head gasket is not a wear item and should not fail at such low mileage. I previously reported related symptoms during dealer service visits in July 2024 and August 2025, including signs consistent with cooling or engine performance issues, prior to the complete failure. The vehicle has been properly maintained, has not been abused or modified, and shows no signs of neglect. Honda has denied goodwill assistance solely due to vehicle age, despite the extremely low mileage and premature nature of the failure. This appears to be a durability defect resulting in premature engine failure well below expected service life.

NHTSA ODI 11710091

Blown Head Gasket, Coolant (possibly oil) leaking into combustion chamber. Confirmed by Honda of Kenner after getting Diagnostic. Car suddenly shook and temperature of car rose, misfires occurred shortly after with a flashing check engine light

NHTSA ODI 11710128

Head gasket blown at 75500 miles. This appears to be an issue with the 1.5T engine in these cars, as reported several times and at issue in a class action lawsuit Bissell v. Honda.

NHTSA ODI 11709929

My 2018 Honda Accord Touring with a 1.5L turbocharged engine began experiencing intermittent warning lights and error messages starting around 28,000 miles. I reported these issues to a Honda dealership on some visits however in most cases, the warnings were appearing and disappearing prior to my visit. However the error continued to appeared since then. At approximately 55,000 miles, multiple warning lights and error codes reappeared consistently. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealership for diagnosis and was informed that the issue may involve internal engine damage and that a full engine teardown would be required to determine the cause, at an estimated cost of approximately $2,000, before any actual repair could be identified. Seeking a second opinion, I took the vehicle to a different service location and completed a full tune-up at 63,000 including all standard maintenance expected at that mileage. Less than one week after the tune-up, the same warning lights and error codes returned. I took my car back to the same place where I had the tune-up completed and the same error codes appeared indicating the issue was not related to routine maintenance. I began to research online some common issues with my car, I became aware of a class action lawsuit (Bissell v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.) describing a known defect in Honda 1.5L turbocharged engines where coolant leaks internally near the cylinder head, causing engine misfires, efficiency warnings, and internal engine damage. The symptoms described in the lawsuit closely match the ongoing issues with my vehicle. The repeated warning lights and potential for engine failure raise safety concerns. The issue has been reproducible and unresolved despite inspection and maintenance.

NHTSA ODI 11710034

My 2018 Honda accord had coolant leaking in cylinder 3. Which caused the head gasket to blow. My car stopped on me in the middle of the hwy. I took my car to a shop down here to get fixed he couldn’t get it to run. All dashboard lights are on.

NHTSA ODI 11709466

My wife was driving on a highway while taking our grandchildren to day care. The vehicle lost power causing her try ti pull to the side of a main highway. All of the check engine lights went on. We brought the vehicle to Honda and the dealership said they found coolant in the combustion chamber. It needs a head gasket, at a cost of $4800.00. The car has 76,000 miles on it. We understand that there is currently a class action lawsuit for Honda Accords of this year and make. Kindly advise us as to what we can do as this is causing us extreme stress and financial hardship. We need help. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11709263

Emissions and engine light turned on which caused enginue to lose power and stall. Took car to dealership for diagnosis, and two codes related to failed fuel injectors and failed turbocharger. Tech said it is a known failure with this vehicle model, especially with the Honda turbo engine, so much so the warranty was increased from 100,000 miles to 150,000. Unfortunately my car was 15,000 miles over warranty and will be a costly bill. Online research yielded that tech was right, it is a known failure issue with this model but I missed the warranty extension. If this is a known issue by the manufacturer, should this not he a recall issue?

NHTSA ODI 11708454

I have a 2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5 The issue started after getting my fuel pump replaced as part of the recall. While driving, all of the dashboard lights came on. Warning messages kept flashing on the dash. This car was driving perfectly fine before the fuel pump was replaced. When the codes are cleared, the car drives perfectly fine. The dashboard lights will periodically turn off but ultimately come back on and as a result, the car goes into limp mode. Coils, sparkplugs, breakers have been switched out and oil levels have been checked. When the car is scanned, the codes are reading a misfire with the coils but, the coils that are allegedly misfiring were JUST replaced. The car jerks while attempting to accelerate, and after a few miles, it goes into limp mode. I have tried every type of repair that has been suggested to me by the mechanic but the issues persist.

NHTSA ODI 11707305

As I was driving myself and child on the interstate 65 mph the vehicle all of a sudden dropped speed and would not accelerate. I drifted the car off the interstate off ramp and pulled into a store parking lot. Luckily, we did not cause an accident or hit anything or anyone. All the lights on car's dashboard blinking some examples are EPS, VSA, Malfunction lamp, Breaking system, check engine light, etc. My car did not show that it was running hot, was not smoking, however would not accelerate. The car had a slight rattle, running bad, shaking slightly; all in all, not working appropriately. No earlier indication that something was wrong just came all of a sudden, no warning at all. Car was brought to Billy Navarre in Lake Charles, LA, where they concluded that head gasket was blown. I had to come out of pocket to fix the head gasket and all of the other problems that it caused. Car milage 84,097, bought brand new in 2018. This is a major safety issue for the public! Multiple people have this same problem. I have documentation on all the work the dealership completed. And I have filed a report to Honda.

NHTSA ODI 11707381

Hi, to whom it may concern my dashboard lights have been on for months now and I’ve taken it to the dealership I purchased my car from and it comes back that it’s the turbo that needs replacing. The pricing of that is ridiculous and I’m currently not the ONLY one with this issue ! It’s an ALL AROUND THE WORLD thing! I’m not sure about anybody else but I don’t have that type of money plus while paying other important bills ! There should be a recall against the turbo replacement as well! And just what if I was to get the turbo replacement and then the lights come back on, because I’ve seen multiple people saying the replacement didn’t help with the lights and still have gotten other things done and the lights only off for a couple days ! Indeed of answers because this is ridiculous!

NHTSA ODI 11707261

Fuel pump is bad causing the car not to start.

NHTSA ODI 11707301

Blown head gasket

NHTSA ODI 11707196

The head gasket of my 2018 Honda Accord, 1.5L turbo engine blew, allowing coolant to leak and pool into cylinder 3 of the engine. The engine was inspected by a Honda dealership and confirmed the defect/failure. I don’t have the failed gasket, but do have images of the coolant running into the cylinder from the inspection. My family’s safety was put at risk as due to this failure the engine misfired and would no longer accelerate on two different instances. Once in a local 55 mph road where the car would get above 30 mph. The second was when my wife was driving in a 70 mph turnpike when the misfire happened. There were no warning lamps or indicators of the failure. The symptoms were duffle, which included worsening engine performance, gas mileage, rough idling, and jerking while driving due to poor combustion in the bad cylinder. They first appeared around 87,000 - 88,000 miles (within this last year - 2025).

NHTSA ODI 11706860

FULL PUMP ENGINE

NHTSA ODI 11706579

Vehicle: 2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5T, VIN [XXX] , 108,584 m, registered Indiana. Vehicle suffered from well-known 1.5L turbo oil dilution defect (TSB 19-091) since 5/24/21, 35k m, towed Honda dealership check engine light on, loss acceleration. Dealership diagnosed misfires cylinders 2 &3 caused by faulty fuel injectors from gasoline contaminating engine oil, 4 injectors,related parts $1,495.53. Defect persisted, ongoing issues: VTEC solenoid failure, spool valve replacement, turbo full assembly replacement, multiple spark plug replacements over four+ years, due to same oil dilution causing fouling/misfires. $3,855+ spent related repairs, due to defect. 6/14/25 & 6/21 car decelerated, 9 warning lights illuminated. Examined, diagnostics clear. 10/29/25 engine light, loss of acceleration, almost resulted in highway crash. Towed Victory Honda Highland, IN 11/10, sat 40+ days. No communication. Eventually diagnosed blown head gasket, leaking injectors. No loaner provided despite request. Corporate requested teardown 11/25 wasn’t done. Manager demanded deposit before teardown. American Honda denied goodwill, refused escalation 3xs, assigned same unresponsive manager, but out till New Year. Broke 48-hour callback promise 12/17. Upon request, Honda towed Team Honda Merrillville, IN no repairs done at Victory. Since transported Team Honda nothing repaired, waiting teardown confirmation, leaving my family without transportation 2+ months. Defect documented TSB 19-091, ongoing class-action suit 1:22-cv-02662, N.D. Illinois 1,200+ NHTSA complaints identical failures. ‘18 Honda Accord Sp 1,200 + documented similar complaints, yet Victory Honda, Team Honda, & American Honda not addressed issue. Lack of communication, refusal to address known safety issue. Should investigation/mandatory recall/coverage. Safety Risk: Sudden loss of power on highway = crash hazard. Spent $3,855+; car undrivable, family without vehicle to/from work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11706655