Quieter than its neighbors, and back inside the engine recall — a more buyable third-gen year.

The 2018's most common recent complaint isn't a mechanical failure — it's the fuel-pump recall itself. The in-tank low-pressure fuel pump (recall 23V-858) can fail and stall the engine; the free fix is a new pump module. But complaint after complaint says the same thing: the owner got the recall notice and the replacement part wasn't available. That's a supply backlog, not a new defect, but it does mean a 2018 may be driving around with the recall open. Confirm whether the pump was actually replaced, not just whether the letter arrived.

The third generation's transmission weaknesses carry into 2018 at lower volume. The 6-speed (lower trims) can develop a lockup judder between 20 and 60 mph, which Honda traced to transmission fluid deteriorating faster than expected; the fix is a fluid-injection software update plus repeated fluid exchanges. The 9-speed (higher trims) can hard-shift or hesitate. Neither is guaranteed on a given car, but both are worth feeling for. Test-drive through all gears and from a stop, and check the fluid condition and change history.

2018 adds a timing-belt recall (19V-298): the belt teeth can separate and stall the engine, so dealers inspect and replace the belt and any damaged parts free (Honda code L4M). It also carries a power-seat-rivet recall (18V-221, seats may not stay secured in a crash), the hood-latch campaign (21V-932), the fuel-pump campaign (23V-858), and the front-passenger seat-weight-sensor campaign (26V-332, cracked sensor can cause unintended airbag deployment). All are free by VIN. Idle-stop no-restart coverage (10 years, valve adjustment and starter) also applies after a software update.