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Does the 2018 model have reliability issues?

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#22 ·
The magic slide is really one of the few things the 5th gen has that older models don't. While older models do have the walk in feature for the third row, magic slide is a 5th gen feature.
 
owns 2006 Honda Odyssey EX
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#23 ·
One reason a lot of 2018's plus are for sale is people can get what they paid, or nearly what they paid and trade in for new. I have never bought a new car, it's just not been worth it to me, but a lot of 2018's were going for 5k off new sticker price unless they were high mileage. At that rate, it wasn't worth it to me and I found new to be better value with the new warranty.

I'd buy a low mileage 2017 if I had to buy used, just because that one year seems to make a big difference in price since it's an older model generation.
 
#24 ·
I had to sit out the 17 and older Odys because there just wasn't the leg room I needed in the driver's seat. We'd have bought a 16 if I'd fit, we ran down to grab the "new" 17 only to find it a clone of the 16s.

I'm happy enough with the reliability but the original assembly was a big mess. I'd not hesitate to get another 18 if the owner had the faults fixed, and of course it was a good bit cheaper than new models.
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Stan-qaz said:
I had to sit out the 17 and older Odys because there just wasn't the leg room I needed in the driver's seat. We'd have bought a 16 if I'd fit, we ran down to grab the "new" 17 only to find it a clone of the 16s.

I'm happy enough with the reliability but the original assembly was a big mess. I'd not hesitate to get another 18 if the owner had the faults fixed, and of course it was a good bit cheaper than new models.
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What kind of assembly issues in the 2018 are you referring to?
 
#26 ·
What kind of assembly issues in the 2018 are you referring to?
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If I my break in here, jmg32...
  • Multiple body panels way out of alignment.
  • Doors that when closed were so improperly fit that the internal indicator light would not go out unless you really slammed the door.
  • Incorrect A/C charge levels that caused the A/C to be basically useless in the hotter areas.
  • Battery terminals that were only finger tight, causing electrical failures.
  • Poor DC grounds that required disassembly, scuffing, reassembly, and then painting or some other coating.
  • Carpet that had to be replaced because it was one inch too short.
  • Leaking body members because the factory caulking was incomplete or so sloppy you wondered how it held any water back at all.
  • Creaking suspension during turns or when going over bumps because of incorrect torque values.
  • Premature peeling paint.
  • Side doors that would open at will.
  • Side doors that wouldn't close due to faulty pinch sensors.
These are just a few that I can remember from the forum posts. Some on the list are from my own experience. After owning an earlier Ody Model, I was astounded at how poorly my 2018 was built. I had it back to the dealer five times for these defects to be corrected. Unacceptable. I think the inspectors at the Alabama plant were on one long coffee break during their shift 🙃!
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
Hodna said:
If I my break in here, jmg32...
  • Multiple body panels way out of alignment.
  • Doors that when closed were so improperly fit that the internal indicator light would not go out unless you really slammed the door.
  • Incorrect A/C charge levels that caused the A/C to be basically useless in the hotter areas.
  • Battery terminals that were only finger tight, causing electrical failures.
  • Poor DC grounds that required disassembly, scuffing, reassembly, and then painting or some other coating.
  • Carpet that had to be replaced because it was one inch too short.
  • Leaking body members because the factory caulking was incomplete or so sloppy you wondered how it held any water back at all.
  • Creaking suspension during turns or when going over bumps because of incorrect torque values.
  • Premature peeling paint.
  • Side doors that would open at will.
  • Side doors that wouldn't close due to faulty pinch sensors.
These are just a few that I can remember from the forum posts. Some on the list are from my own experience. After owning an earlier Ody Model, I was astounded at how poorly my 2018 was built. I had it back to the dealer five times for these defects to be corrected. Unacceptable. I think the inspectors at the Alabama plant were on one long coffee break during their shift 🙃!
Click to expand...
Yeesh. I think I'd rather stick with a '17 then.
 
#28 ·
I think you'll be fine with a '17. I almost bought one myself but no, like an idiot, I had to have the newest one! My friend cautioned me to never buy a first issue car. He was right of course. And to be fair, I think a lot of those nightmares have been corrected, but there's still no excuse for sloppiness, when you have to pay more for a car then your first house!

At any rate, good luck.
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
Hodna said:
I think you'll be fine with a '17. I almost bought one myself but no, like an idiot, I had to have the newest one! My friend cautioned me to never buy a first issue car. He was right of course. And to be fair, I think a lot of those nightmares have been corrected, but there's still no excuse for sloppiness, when you have to pay more for a car then your first house!

At any rate, good luck.
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Honestly, the main reason I'd look at the '18 is that it seems to have a better backup camera and it has Apple CarPlay. My wife will primarily be driving it and she would probably appreciate those features, but those factors are obviously much less important than build quality.
 
#30 ·
Yes, the backup camera is good. There was a recall on it. I forget what for. But it works well. I don't use Apple Car Play. Some of the electronic toys on the 2018+ models have proven to be a nightmare of reliability.

The other issue is with battery longevity. The off hours drain is substantial due to some these electronic do-dads running in background. You're lucky if you can get more than two years out of the battery. My wife has a 2012 CRV and its battery lasts about 5 years with no issues. For my 2018, I bought a battery maintainer. It not only charges the battery but it also restores it.
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
Hodna said:
Yes, the backup camera is good. There was a recall on it. I forget what for. But it works well. I don't use Apple Car Play. Some of the electronic toys on the 2018+ models have proven to be a nightmare of reliability.

The other issue is with battery longevity. The off hours drain is substantial due to some these electronic do-dads running in background. You're lucky if you can get more than two years out of the battery. My wife has a 2012 CRV and its battery lasts about 5 years with no issues. For my 2018, I bought a battery maintainer. It not only charges the battery but it also restores it.
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Thanks. I do like the tech stuff, but from what I'm reading here it does seem to be buggy. Unfortunately, anything newer than 2018 is out of the range of what I'm willing to pay for a car.
 
#33 ·
I purchased a new 2019EX with the 9 speed transmission. I’ve not had any problems with the transmission. It’s going on 3 years old and have only needed to take it in for routine maintenance and I think 4 recalls. The recalls were all done at the same time so it wasn’t a big deal.

I really like all the new safety features. It was one of the reason we bought new instead of an older model. I also like the backup camera especially at night. The extra lighting in the rear of the vehicle really makes it easy to back up at night.

The gas mileage is also good for such a large vehicle. I get anywhere from the low 20’s to almost 30 mpg. It all depends on how many highway vs city miles you drive and if you have a headwind or tailwind.

I drove my previous Honda Odyssey 2000 for 19 years.
 
#35 ·
We bought a 2018 Elite when new. Had almost zero problems with it. Still original battery. Driving in town getting around 18 mpg. Took a 3000 mile trip last summer. Got close to 40 mpg. Only problems I have noticed was the electric sliding doors are not smooth, and sometimes the 10 speed transmission acts strange.
 
#37 ·
perniculous said:
Aside from recalls, my 2018 has been rock solid. Zero issues at 57000 miles. I am, however getting very aggravated at the gas mileage. I'm only getting about 16 in the city now down from 19-20 earlier on.
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I have a 2018 that we purchased used last summer (2022) and noticed gas mileage wasn'tas good as reported. I added fuel additive and had a huge increase in my mileage. Went from 7-12 mpg to 20 - 29 mpg.
 
#39 ·
I've gotten 60,000 miles on my van and I do mostly City driving in Honolulu.get about 19-22 miles per gallon, that due to the fact that I almost rarely ever have to use the AC and that I drive is empty as possible rarely have extra stuff in the van. Keep the tires up do my annual oil change using amsoil synthetic. Like everyone else I just did the recalls when they applied ,had the injector problem. Otherwise no major repairs and typical wear and tear of the rubber trim and whatnot I have half a garage in which the van sits in partially covered. Also did some minor aerodynamic changes to increase efficiency.
 
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