Honda Recalls 21,000+ Odyssey Minivans

The American division of Honda recently posted a safety recall notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) official site, concerning the 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring minivans equipped with a power operated rear liftgate. According to this notice, the recall campaign will involve 21,776 vehicles.

The report states the tailgate strut could fail, resulting in the power liftgate closing unexpectedly, which, as you might have guessed, may lead to injuries if a person happens to be within the liftgate’s closing path.

“Honda is conducting a safety improvement campaign certain model year 2005 Odyssey Touring vehicles equipped with power operated rear liftgate. The power liftgate gas struts may deteriorate unexpectedly early. Struts that have worn out prematurely may fail to hold the power liftgate in he fully open position, causing the power liftgate to close unexpectedly," the report on the NHTSA’s website reads.

“Injury may result from a power liftgate closing unexpectedly when a person is within the closing path of the liftgate.”

However, NHTSA warns this is in fact a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. Even so, Honda will provide the modifications at no cost, NHTSA says.

The campaign, which is expected to begin this month, will see nationwide Honda dealers inspecting the gas liftgate struts and replacing them free of charge.

According to the NY Times, last October the NHTSA conducted several tests and surveys on the matter and found out that people had been hit in the head or knocked to the ground, and at least 12 injuries have been reported. At the time, Honda declined NHTSA's request to make a recall and it insisted that a failure was nothing more than a customer inconvenience.