Service Bulletin - The ACC system error message comes on while driving when outside temperatures are low/near freezing due to snow and ice getting stuck to the front of the millimeter wave radar. This can cause DTC P2583-76 (Temporary stop of Integrated Driver Support System [Misalignment Millimeter Wave Radar]) to be stored.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2018 Honda Accord cruise control problems
severe Owners of the 2018 Honda Accord have filed 72 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control, typically surfacing around 12,000 miles at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
72
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Accord | 17 |
| 2015 Accord | 16 |
| 2016 Accord | 15 |
| 2017 Accord | 10 |
| 2018 Accord (this page) | 72 |
| 2019 Accord | 19 |
| 2020 Accord | 6 |
| 2021 Accord | 6 |
| 2022 Accord | 8 |
4crashes
3injuries
What stands out
Of the 18 model years of Honda Accord we track for cruise control problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 72.
Owners have filed 72 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service News - If an Adaptive Cruise Control System Problem comes back on when the vehicle is driven in freezing conditions, inform the customer it is likely due to snow or ice buildup on the radar. Advise the customer of the following procedure to clean the front grille where the radar is located.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2018 Accord 2.0 Turbos with a customer complaint of delay in acceleration and MIL on. To fully understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2018 Accord has spawned complaints spanning three main categories: drivability/stalling issues, collision mitigation and adaptive cruise control system failures, and sensor/radar performance problems.
Drivability and stalling show up frequently. Owners report the engine losing power while driving—sometimes dropping to 10 mph on freeways, sometimes stalling completely. Dashboard lights flood on at once: check engine, oil pressure, brake, ABS, tire pressure, emissions warnings. Owners describe jerking and skipping during acceleration, difficulty picking up speed, and needing to kill and restart the engine to regain function. Several mention the fuel pump recall (for vehicles that qualified) but say stalling continued afterward. Some dealers blamed spark plugs, injectors, or misfiring cylinders; one owner was quoted $6,000 for head gasket work after the fuel pump was replaced. Another saw $2,812 spent on cylinder diagnostics and repairs that didn't resolve the issue.
Collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) and adaptive cruise control (ACC) failures are widespread. The system shuts down without warning—usually while in use on highways—flashing "COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM. SEE YOUR DEALER." When it fails, ACC drops offline and the car either stops braking when it should (nearly causing rear-end collisions) or brakes hard with nothing ahead (risking rear-end hits from traffic behind). Owners report it happening 3–6+ times, sometimes within days of purchase. Restarting the car clears the error temporarily; dealers find no diagnostic codes and offer no fix. One owner was told to wipe the windshield with water and a rag; another was told the "sensors are overloaded."
Radar and sensor issues include the front-facing radar unit collecting snow in cold climates (no heating element, unlike competitors), failing when dirty or wet, and misreading objects—detecting vehicles that aren't there or missing ones that are, causing unwanted hard braking. One owner in the left lane of a highway experienced sudden, uncontrolled acceleration when toggling the brake-hold button off; security footage showed the car surging into barriers and another vehicle. Airbags did not deploy.
Dealers consistently claim they cannot replicate problems and find no codes. Some owners have spent hundreds or thousands on repairs that didn't fix the underlying issue.
Same Honda Accord cruise control reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Engine stalling and power loss while driving
Engine loses power or stalls completely during acceleration or highway driving, sometimes dropping to 10 mph or stopping in traffic. Dashboard floods with warning lights (check engine, oil pressure, brake, ABS, tire, emissions). Vehicle requires restart to regain function.
When: During acceleration, on freeways, under 70,000 miles for some; after fuel pump recall in others; complaint cluster includes vehicles from nearly new to 7,000 miles post-service
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of acceleration or complete stall; Multiple dashboard warning lights illuminating simultaneously; Engine jerking and skipping during acceleration; Difficulty picking up speed / limp mode; Vehicle will not move forward until engine restarted; Vibration and rough running, especially on startup
Codes mentioned: P0304 (cylinder 3 misfire), P0300 (random misfire, implied), Engine light, Oil pressure light, Brake warning, ABS light, Tire pressure light
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel pump replaced under recall for some; injectors replaced ($350–$0 depending on warranty); spark plugs replaced; head gasket work quoted at $5,500–$6,100; some owners spent $2,812.77 on cylinder diagnostics and pressurization without resolution; fuel pump replacement did not resolve stalling in multiple cases
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Fuel pump recall applied to some vehicles; some dealers claimed injectors were covered under warranty at 70k miles; Honda notified dealerships in October 2018 of possible engine oil dilution causing misfire; some dealers offered no resolution and told owners the issue was 'inherent to the Accord'
Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) failures
CMBS and/or ACC shut down unexpectedly during use, disabling both systems. Error message appears: 'COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM. SEE YOUR DEALER.' System either fails to brake when it should (car approaching slower vehicle ahead) or brakes hard with nothing ahead, creating rear-end collision risk. Can only be reset by stopping and restarting vehicle.
When: First occurrence as early as 1,565 miles; some within 2 weeks of purchase; recurring events throughout ownership; typically on highway at speeds of 50+ mph
Symptoms owners cite: CMBS/ACC system disables without warning while engaged; Warning message on dashboard: 'COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM'; Loss of adaptive cruise control; driver must manually control speed; System fails to slow car when vehicle ahead is slowing (near-collision risk); System applies hard brakes with no obstruction ahead; ACC and all related safety features go offline; Error resets temporarily after vehicle restart, then recurs
Codes mentioned: UO401-53 (TEMPORARY STOP OF INTEGRATED DRIVER SUPPORT SYSTEM -- RECEIVED STOP REQUEST BY PGM-FI SYSTEM), UO401-93 (TEMPORARY STOP OF INTEGRATED DRIVER SUPPORT SYSTEM -- RECEIVED STOP REQUEST BY PGM-FI SYSTEM), No diagnostic codes retained after restart
Repairs/costs cited: No permanent repairs documented; dealers perform diagnostics but find no codes; owner mentions Honda TSB 19-051 addresses the issue, but dealership refused to perform it; some owners were told to wipe windshield camera; others told to simply pull over and restart; repair costs not stated because repairs are not available
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda provides no documented fix; dealers unable to replicate; corporate acknowledges complaints but offers no solution; TSB 19-051 exists but is not consistently applied; owners told to disable CMBS each time they drive or turn off ACC
Radar/sensor obstruction and malfunction
Front-mounted radar unit fails in snow/cold conditions, when dirty, or when wet. Radar incorrectly detects or fails to detect vehicles, causing unwanted braking or failure to brake. No heating element; design collects snow like a scoop. Differs from competitor designs (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) which use heated units or hidden placement.
When: In winter/snow conditions; when car is dirty; when windshield camera is obscured; under normal driving conditions with clean sensors
Symptoms owners cite: Radar obstructed warning on dash in light snow; Loss of all distance and crash avoidance systems in winter; Vehicle brakes hard for phantom objects (median, cleared vehicle); Radar fails to detect vehicle directly ahead; Dash displays 'RADAR OBSTRUCTED' or similar message; Safety features disabled due to sensor failure; Issue resolves after car wash or cleaning (per dealer suggestion)
Codes mentioned: Radar obstructed message (no OBD code given)
Repairs/costs cited: No parts replacement documented; dealer suggested car wash; owners report the design is inherently flawed and requires repositioning or heated unit to resolve; sensor is in poor location and lacks thermal management
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers acknowledge many complaints and confirm they tell customers 'it's made that way'; no recall issued; no design change announced; competitors' heated or hidden radar systems cited as superior alternatives
Unintended acceleration and loss of vehicle control
Vehicle suddenly accelerates without driver input, often when pressing brake-hold button or depressing brake pedal. In one case, owner toggled brake-hold off while parking at low speed and car surged forward uncontrollably into barriers and other vehicles. In another, car accelerated 4 times over several trips (freeway, street, red light), requiring hard braking and emergency brake.
When: While parking / at low speed (brake-hold scenario); at traffic lights; on freeways; random occurrences over multiple drives
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden engine surge/rapid acceleration; Loss of steering control (car swerved during attempted turn); No response to brake pedal input; Car accelerates when brake-hold button is toggled off; Multiple hard accelerations on single trip; Airbags do not deploy during collision
Repairs/costs cited: One collision totaled two vehicles; insurance company pressured settlement; airbag failure noted; security footage exists showing unintended acceleration; no parts replacement or repair documented
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No response documented; insurance company held driver at fault despite evidence of sudden acceleration
Delayed acceleration response after stopping
After coming to a stop (e.g., red light), pressing the accelerator produces no response for 4–5 seconds, then the engine accelerates abruptly and rapidly with difficulty controlling the vehicle. Dealer told one owner this is 'inherent to the Accord' and occurs in Econ mode, but problem persists even after Econ mode is turned off.
When: After stopping at traffic lights or after braking events; new vehicle (purchased immediately after short trip to Atlanta)
Symptoms owners cite: No response when pressing accelerator after stop; 4–5 second delay before acceleration begins; Abrupt, rapid acceleration once throttle response returns; Difficulty controlling vehicle during sudden acceleration; Occurs even with Econ mode disabled
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer road-tested and claimed problem was inherent to model; suggested disabling Econ mode; owner purchased vehicle new and experienced issue on first road trip (Atlanta round trip)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer stated this is normal behavior for the Accord model and owner must 'live with it'
Wiring / rodent damage causing intermittent electrical failures
Wires chewed by rodents or damaged during manufacturing (defective tape covering wires attracts rodents). Causes random surges and acceleration; occurs approximately once per month at dealership location per one owner's report. Honda is aware and has created 'rat tape' but waiting for sufficient complaint threshold before issuing recall.
When: Random occurrences over multiple trips; estimated once per month per dealership observation
Symptoms owners cite: Random acceleration surge / unintended acceleration; Multiple incidents on single trip; Intermittent nature makes diagnosis difficult
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer identified faulty wiring/tape and confirmed rodent damage pattern; owner provided repair receipt showing tape issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda customer service acknowledged awareness of issue and stated Honda has developed 'rat tape' but is waiting for complaints to reach a threshold before issuing recall
Synthesized from 72 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Vehicle suddenly stopped turning over, replaced battery incase it wasn’t enough. Vehicle had a little under a quarter tank of gas so added another gallon or two and that brought it up to 1/2 a tank. Vehicle turned on once rough then smoothed out and then shut off in the road 10 minutes later. There are recalls for this exact problem with other Honda Accords my year but my vin did not qualify in…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2018 Honda Accord?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2018 Honda Accord?
It's a meaningful issue. 72 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 40 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 5,560 and 24,000 miles, with the median around 12,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 5,560; a quarter make it past 24,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Honda/Accord.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.