Problems · NHTSA complaints

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid problems

Owners filed 116 complaints about the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid with NHTSA between May 2018 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (25).

Complaints
116
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine25
  2. Electrical system20
  3. Fuel/propulsion system14
  4. Service brakes13
  5. Forward collision avoidance13
  6. Fuel system, gasoline10
  7. Vehicle speed control9
  8. Steering9
  9. Power train7
  10. Structure6
  11. Wheels6
  12. Seat belts3
  13. Electronic stability control (esc)3
  14. Visibility/wiper3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20187
201927
202015
202114
20225
20237
202423
202512
20266

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

25 reports
“While driving on a bridge at under 20 mph, the vehicle's head gasket failed, causing the engine to overheat and coolant to leak from within the engine. The vehicle threw diagnostic trouble code P2601 and immediately entered "limp mode," severely cutting engine power and vehicle speed. Because this happened on a bridge with no shoulder to safely pull over, the sudden loss of power created a serious safety hazard — the vehicle could not maintain a safe speed or keep pace with surrounding traffic, increasing the risk of being struck by other vehicles. The vehicle was taken to a Tampa Honda (11000 N Florida Ave), where the failure was confirmed to be a blown head gasket that allowed coolant to leak into the engine cylinders. The head gasket and related components were replaced at a cost of approximately $5,000 to restore the vehicle to safe operating condition. The failed component is no longer available for inspection in its failed state, as replacement was required to make the vehicle drivable. No dealer, manufacturer representative, police officer, or insurance adjuster has inspected the vehicle; only at Tampa Honda facility that performed the repair diagnosed…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11761032

Electrical system

20 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 4, 2026Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11715485

Fuel/propulsion system

14 reports
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2025Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11679970

Service brakes

13 reports1 crash
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2025Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11668985

Forward collision avoidance

13 reports
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 8, 2024Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11624186

Fuel system, gasoline

10 reports1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 23, 2025Fuel system, gasolineODI 11638031
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.