2018 Honda Accord Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
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Head gasket failed after car was fully serviced at authorized Honda dealer.It is a common issue with the 1.5t Honda engine.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
The cylinder head gasket on this vehicle has failed, causing engine coolant to leak into the combustion chambers (coolant intrusion). This has resulted in a recurring and dangerous loss of motive power that has put my safety and the safety of other motorists at risk on multiple occasions. Specifically, the vehicle has repeatedly entered "Limp Mode" while in active traffic, causing a sudden, drastic loss of acceleration that left me unable to maintain the flow of traffic or safely maneuver. This component failure is available for inspection upon request. The problem has been officially confirmed by Holman Honda of Fort Lauderdale, where technicians diagnosed the blown head gasket and confirmed the presence of coolant in the cylinders. The manufacturer's authorized dealership has inspected the vehicle and provided a formal repair estimate. Prior to the multiple "Limp Mode" failures, the vehicle exhibited clear warning symptoms starting in late 2025, including violent engine stuttering and a "shimmering" vibration during cold starts. Additionally, a distinct "gurgling" or bubbling sound was audible behind the dashboard, indicating combustion gases displacing coolant. During the actual failure events, the dashboard displayed a "Christmas Tree" effect of warning lamps, including "Emissions System Problem," "Brake System," and "Power Steering System" alerts, which disabled critical safety and driver-assist features while the vehicle was in motion. This persistent design defect has created a high risk for rear-end collisions and total engine seizure.
Head gasket failure. Dealership did inspect vehicle and said this is a common issue. No warning prior to headgasket issue.
Engine Head gasket failure even after regular proper maintenance
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.
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.
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.
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.
I was driving on the interstate and suddenly I could no longer accelerate, my engine light started blinking and I had to pull over to a gas station as my car would not go above 25-30mph. I turned it off and back on and it work so I took it home. I took it to Honda’s the next day and after diagnosis they said that my head gasket was damaged causing coolant leaking into my engine cylinder and warping of the engine. They recommended an engine replacement. I never had any warning indications on my dashboard until then. I filed a case with American Honda to assist with repairs and it has been over two weeks without resolution. I no longer felt safe continuing to drive my car and I traded my car in for safety.
Blown head gasket
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).
Head gasket issues and turbocharger issues
I had to have the injectors replaced in April 2025. In November I was told a had a busted head gasket $5800.00 to fix. Many Honda owners have had this problem. Honda customer services refuses to help.
Car engine overheated while driving and car stalled and was unable to start . Took it to a mechaning and was informed that I had a blown head gasket that may be leaking coolant into the engine internally. Not having the money to fix it I had to slowly drive it home and find alternative solutions . Researching the situation and seeing that this seems to be a reoccurring and common from for 2018-2022 Honda owners and if indeed it is a company defect I would ask for a charge free recall to resolve the head gasket. This has created much stress in my life and financial worry.
Car falls into limp mode in traffic when a misfire is detected. I have had a mechanic investigate the misfire and has determined coolant in the cylinders, indicating a blown head gasket. This is a widely reported problem with this engine and the large number of complaints indicate this is a safety issue caused by Honda.
I was driving to college all of a sudden the car went into limp mode. Before I could do anything I called Honda and they didn’t answer so I personally drove it to the Honda dealership 10 minutes away from me. They inspected the vehicle and told me the head gasket has been blown. The car has been garage kept never abused and they are charging me $6,100 for the repairs. It’s been a common issue for the 1.5t engine of the Honda accord and they have yet to acknowledge their manufacture defect. Please do something about this I have to pay for college how in the world am I gonna have money to pay $6,100 for a repair cost.
I am submitting this complaint to report a potential safety-related defect in the 1.5L turbocharged engine used in the 2018 Honda Accord. My vehicle experienced a sudden and severe head gasket failure that appears to be related to a known design flaw affecting a significant number of Honda 1.5T engines. Many owners are reporting the same. Vehicle Information: Owner: [XXX] VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: 127,000 miles Location: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] or [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The problem I am having with my vehicle Honda accord 2018 is with the head gasket. I was on the highway and as I was driving suddenly all the signs came on the display and gave a warning that my vehicle is overheating and it came down to 20mph while I was on the highway. This was very risky to me and the other vehicle around me. Then when I took it to the dealership to diagnose they said it is a head gasket failure. The repairs they have recommended are very expensive and after researching this problem it shows this is a very common problem Honda vehicles are having. This is a manufacture problem which they should have a recall on hence with such expensive repair and I only have 93K miles on my vehicle. I always thought Hondas were the best vehicle going long term and as I am first time owner and this being my first vehical brand new I am very disappointed with the problem I have been facing with my vehicle.
defective turbocharged engine that is prone to overheating, head gasket failure and other problems. Design defect that causes engine coolant to leak into the cylinders
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The 2018 Honda Accord has 177 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.