Evaporator failed at 63,000 miles, resulting in poor window defogging during morning hours. The failed evaporator also led to loss of cabin cooling resulting in excessive heat stress during daytime operation. Additionally the flammable R-1234yf refrigerant leaked into my cabin creating a fire risk. I noted the odd odor to the dealership and manufacturer. The decomposition of R-1234yf inside the cabin potentially exposed me and the technician replacing the evaporator to hydroflouric acid, trifluoroacetic acid, and carbonyl fluoride, which are hazardous decomposition products.
The worst 2018 Honda Civic Type R problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes1
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes1
- Engine1
- Steering1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Recalls 2
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
- Risk
- Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning May 29, 2026.
Recall number 26V332000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
- Risk
- Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of the federal safety agency recall numbers 21V‑215 and 20V‑314.
Recall number 23V858000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Honda Civic Type R 16
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole
- Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the...
- American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of...
- Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the...
- Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement the...
- Dealer Message
- Dealer Message -American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2017-2021 Civic Type R with...
- Customers have complained of the air conditioning system not blowing cold air due to the oil/refrigerant...
- Repair Procedure Revision) Due to swelling of the fuel pump motor impeller, the fuel pump may seize and...
- Owner Notification Letter
What 2018 Honda Civic Type R owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On Thursday [XXX] I left San Marcos, CA and drove north to meet with my future father-in-law who lives in Shady Canyon, located in Irvine, CA. My car, a 2018 Honda Civic Type R, performed normally on the way to his house, without any warning lamps, messages, etc shown. The tires had regular pressure and all maintenance on the vehicle was current. Upon leaving my friend's house, I drove 1/4 mile down the road and stopped at a 3way stop sign before turning left through a gate which has an electronic arm--once a vehicle is sensed, the arm is raised and the vehicle continues forward. As I proceeded to the gate, the car accelerated, the steering froze, and I could not steer the car away from the oncoming gate. I slammed on the brakes and the brakes were non responsive although I applied immediate, hard pressure on the pedal. This is a performance car with very strong brakes capable of stopping it in a very short distance. Within a split second, my right front bumper slammed into a post right of the gate, and both front air bags and the side airbags deployed, and vehicle's momentum was stopped. I was unhurt other than a small scratch on my finger. Within minutes, the Community Security and Irvine police responded, and I told them what had happened: The steering froze and the brakes were unresponsive which led to this accident. The Police Officer confirmed from the accident scene that speed was not involved in this incident. My car was towed to a salvage yard (CoPart) affiliated with my insurance company, USAA. I asked the USAA Customer Agent if they could check the Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) on my vehicle, to learn what had occurred in the moments up to the incident. They referred me to Honda USA whom I called on June 22, 2026. However, Honda did not call me for 17 days, and they stated that they could not check the EDR and I should have hired an Inspector to do this. During this time, the car was declared a loss. So, the accident cause is unknown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
It is a common issue on the Honda Civic Type R from 2017 to 2021 in which water will leak through the hood scoop causing water to drip onto cylinder 4 causing a misfire. Misfire No. 4 Cylinder (DTC P0304). There is a TSB for it under 25-062 for this same issue. Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. This can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. If a misfire is detected, DTC P0304 is stored. The only warning signs will be the check engine light once the coil pack goes bad in which mosts cases there is corrosion on the plug tube and the spark plug from the water accumulating. There is lost of power and can happen during drives.
See attached document for complaint
Transmission problems I have a manual transmission when you shift from 1 to second and from second to third gear sometimes the transmission will grind. I have 16.500 miles on my car and the power train should be covered under warranty. I took it to my honda dealership and the honda technician will not drive the vehicle to make the problems arise. Honda of america said that it is a dealership matter because they only make the cars not sell them. This is a pass the buck issue if I never saw one. So now I have to pay the dealership a 169.00 plus taxes diagnostic fee when the Son's Honda technician wouldn't even drive the vehicle to make the problem show up. This car is supposed to be the top of the line performance Honda Civic Type R and the technician won't drive it to make the problem show up. So I will have wasted 169.00 plus taxes for nothing because without the technician duplicating the problem Honda of America won't fix my transmission.
I’m having issues with my A/C system due to faulty parts from the manufacturer. In my case, I was told by a Honda Dealership that the problem is a faulty evaporator core. I already tried reaching out to American Honda for assistance with this issue, unfortunately I didn’t get any assistance like taking responsibility for the faulty component and covering the cost of repairs. I live in Phoenix, AZ that can get up to 100+ degrees in the summer. Having a very unreliable A/C system can be a very detrimental factor to my health and safety.
Compare the 2018 Honda Civic Type R
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Questions about the 2018 Honda Civic Type R
Is the 2018 Honda Civic Type R reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2018 Honda Civic Type R, close to a typical Civic Type R model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Honda Civic Type R?
Brakes, with 1 complaint. Next is engine (1).
How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Civic Type R have?
2 recalls, covering air bags and fuel system, gasoline.
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