2018 Honda Odyssey Electrical System

My computer screen that has my radio and backup camera will black out randomly while I’m driving. There are times I can’t use it for a backup camera because it won’t cut on. I’m not able to control my heat and a/c when it goes blank too.

Since I own this vehicle, 3 times tailgate failed. I have done repair it twice in Honda dealership at Paramus NJ. Now it happened again after a year of last fix. Instrument cluster = Warning sign appears stays there. Somewhere on back = Constantly sound beeping - When driving Tailgate = Does not open and if open some how, it does not close. Neither automatic nor manually. I have to drive vehicle since I have no choice. I inspected all fuse in front under hood and in rear at cargo area.

Defective body seam on roof panel over drivers side rear wheel - resulting water leak on control panel for power liftgate caused the rear tailgate to continually open and close while driving. The vehicle was parked and the fuses controlling the tailgate were removed to enable the closure of the hatch and allow vehicle operation. Prior to this, the vehicle battery died while parked due to the continuous tailgate operation and required a battery jump. The vehicle was taken to D&J Auto (an independent service center) where a previous liftgate control panel was replaced for failure to open the tailgate. A search of the internet on 2018 Honda Odyessey liftgate problems revealed multiple instances of water leaks on the liftgate control panels due to body seam issues which caused liftgate failures. This information was relayed to the auto repair shop where the leak was discovered. The vehicle was taken to a body repair shop across the street where the seam was fixed, returned to the auto repair shop where a third tailgate control panel installed.

The Tailgate Control Module failed due to water getting in to it from normal rain. There seems to be a leak in the seam and caused the failure. I took it to the shop and confirmed the failure, purchased a new control module and replaced the faulty one. I opened up the faulty one and it had water damage inside.

The Infotainment Display has been malfunctioning. The display goes black and the back-up camera is not available. On the night of December 12, 2025, we were driving the car on the highway and the screen flickered in and out and then went black and so did the dashboard display. This was very scary as the entire car went dark and we were driving blindly on the highway. It appears that all 2018 Honda Odysseys have a recall for the Infotainment electrical system except for the Elite model that we purchased. I called the dealer last week and was told no recall available and we will need to pay the $179 diagnostic fee plus the cost to repair which will be significant. We will take the car in this week as the car cannot be driven safely without full dashboard and backup camera display.

The media touch screen display periodically goes blank and reboots during driving, which affects the backup camera, defrost control, and every other component controlled on the touchscreen display.

Like many other people on the [XXX] forums, our Honda Odyssey has a water leak that dripped onto the Tailgate Control Module, causing it to corrode and stop working. Now, our tailgate door will not open or close electrically, nor even manually using the handle outside. We have to crawl through the vehicle into the trunk, open a trim piece with a screwdriver, and stick our finger into the mechanical parts to disengage the latch to allow the door to open. Safety issues: 1) It's hard to know whether the door is fully closed and latched, so it could pop open while driving. 2) In the event of a car crash or other emergency, we may need to rely on that tailgate door being operational, so it being jammed by a widespread and known problem seems like a predictable life threatening issue. Links to some of the forum threads where other people report the exact same issue: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

D passenger side, rear electric door get stuck a lot of times and open by itself. When you close it , it goes all the way till get close to the end then open as it there is something it try not to close on . This being going for the last 2 to 3 years.

The infotainment center has completely failed. It began with sporadic shutting off and then restarting of the infotainment system as if a wire or connector were loose, along with popping sounds until the unit no longer turns on and appears to have completely failed. This effects ability of back up camera to function because the screen no longer works. There appears to be a recall of other Honda vehicles needing new wire connectors for a similar problem but it does not seem to include this vehicle.

The vehicle body weather seal did not function water was leaked into the rear trunk of the vehicle, resulting in water damaged carpet/ foam and malfunctioning/ broken power liftgate control module for the rear hatch. The control module was found to be corroded resulting in a nonfunctional rear hatch.

The power liftgate stopped working so the rear door won’t latch. We had to drive home with it closed but not latched and beeping the whole way. I believe water has leaked into the control unit from the roof. The error on the dashboard says Tail Gate: Power tailgate problem

Defect-Linked Electrical Failures and Refusal of Support – 2018 Honda Odyssey I am filing a formal complaint regarding Honda’s refusal to cover a known, dangerous defect in my 2018 Honda Odyssey (VIN: [XXX] ). My vehicle is experiencing electrical and system-wide malfunctions that directly match Technical Service Bulletin 21-013, yet I’ve been denied goodwill coverage, and I am being forced to pay out-of-pocket for diagnosis and repair. The problems include: •Ongoing, loud popping sounds from the speakers while driving and after shutdown •System power failures, with audio and Bluetooth activating before the key is turned •Low battery warnings without cause •Factory HondaVAC system failure, now showing “PWR SAVE” despite a running engine I am a parent of five children and rely on this vehicle for daily transportation. These failures not only distract and stress the driver but compromise safety, communication, and vehicle reliability. Honda’s decision to shift financial responsibility for a known defect to the customer feels unjust and exploitative especially as many others have reportedly received goodwill repairs for the same issue. I am asking for assistance in holding Honda accountable under Massachusetts consumer protection laws. This is not typical wear and tear it is a manufacturer defect with ongoing safety implications. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The circuit board for the module that controls the power lift gate is damaged from water. Water seeps in the roof rail and wets the panel causing the the power tailgate to lock shut and unable to be opened.

The automatic tail gate stopped working. When I went to replace the tailgate control module I found out that it was damaged due to water that leaked into the rear driver side cabin area. After doing some research to figure out the problem, I found that there where many others that have had the same problems on the same year, make and model as mine.

The power tailgate has a failure. I took my minivan to a local mechanic who said the motor has failed. I tried to see if I could do the repair myself and came across a number of forums and YouTube videos that detail this is a known, reoccurring issue.

Failure of the tailgate module and blind spot sensor simultaneously. Electrical issues previously fixed due to water infiltration and this seems to be a recurring issue.

Auto engine stop feature shuts off the vehicle when engaged. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop at a light or in heavy traffic, the auto engine stop feature will engage but the engine will not restart. The only way to restart the engine is to shutoff the vehicle, open and close the drivers door, then restart the car. This problem has been occurring for a few years. We have brought the vehicle to a dealer but they say nothing is wrong.

The power tailgate opened by itself while I was driving on high way at around 60mph. Later it stopped working/won't open and the car battery died as well. Went to Honda dealership for a Diagnosis and found a water leakage on the roof of the back, causing the tailgate control module to be burned out by water damage.

My car has had all recommended service completed by the dealership since I purchased my Honda Odyssey in 2018. On 2/18/25, my power liftgate started malfunctioning. An error message beeps inside my car 4 times, every 4 seconds and cannot be manually turned off. I took the car to the dealership and was quoted $7500 to make the repair. My car only has 90,000 miles on it and has passed all of my previous service inspections. Supposedly, water is getting into the rear control module. I have never had water in my car so this is clearly a manufacturer's defect that is allowing water to seep into the rear control module.

Power tailgate malfunctions. Random errors showing on dashboard and randomly attempts to open on its own.

The Tailgate Control Module (TCM) was infiltrated with water due to a crack in the seam on the rear driver side panel. This caused the tailgate to be unusable and no longer latch as a result of no power to the tailgate latch. The TCM (Part #: 74970-THR-A12) had to be replaced as well as all seams needed to be sealed.

Rear tailgate is inoperable because of water damage. The rear driver side seatbelt is wet, the floor of the trunk is wet, the water damaged the control module for the rear tailgate, it does not open.

Water leaks into tailgate control module causing tailgate not to work. Replaced module, problem came back after 3 weeks. This is a common issue for the current generation Odyssey.

When audio system is turned on, a very loud crackling sound occurs, and will continue after audio is turned off. Sirius XM works most of the time (with crackling sound). However, when the regular radio is turned on the audio will work for just a minute (with crackling sound), and then it will suddenly stop working and a message pops up on the display that says "audio connection lost". This also happens when a phone's Bluetooth audio is connected to the car. It triggers the audio system to suddenly fail. There has been other electrical issue with the rear lift-gate suddenly closing, with no way to stop it. It almost pinned my daughter and I on separate occasions. I'm not sure if this electrical issue is related to the audio issue, but as with any electrical issue I worry about the possibility of an electrical fire.

There is an electrical drain causing the battery to drain to the point where it will not start. Alternator was replaced, then the issue persisted. Most recent problem include the power tailgate opening on its own. Rear power tailgate issue. The rear tailgate will attempt to open while driving, but the warning sound chimes and alerts to the problem. If the vehicle is left unlocked the tailgate will open itself. The power tailgate button in the driver seat does not work. The close button on the bottom of the door is illuminated (has power) but will not close the door. The soft rubber button above the license plate will engage the motor to lift the tailgate, but not to close it. Others have filed complaints about a water leak impacting the rear control board and causing it to fail. Leak may be from the fin on the roof or related to the cracking and rotting seal on the bottom of the rear windshield.