Photo: Honda
As the most popular minivan in the United States for under-35YO buyers, the Honda Odyssey has a reputation to uphold. It will do so for the 2018 model year, when an all-new gen will debut.
Until then, however, the current Odyssey is being called back over its seats. The NHTSA highlights that this recall affects “certain model year 2011 - 2016 Odyssey vehicles,” but “certain” could be a bit too optimistic.
After all, no less than 633,753 units are due to pay the dealership a visit. Honda indicates that potentially affected vehicles were built from August 17, 2010 to October 1, 2015. An internal investigation prompted Honda to admit that the second row outboard seats are prone to fail. The seats feature release levers for the Odyssey’s walk-in feature.
Said levers fold the seatback and slide the seat for easy access to the third row of seats. And yes, the lever designed to do such a simple job is the main offender in this instance. “Due to surface roughness on internal parts, reduced torque on the return spring (as a result of manufacturing variability), inconsistent/inadequate grease application, and potential grease hardening under specific temperature and humidity ranges,” Honda explains, “there is potential for the seat to stay in the unlocked position.”
By that, Honda refers to the outboard seats sliding freely in a potential crash situation. Honda received the first warranty claim for outboard seats not locking into place in January 2011. Then, the cause couldn’t be determined by the automaker, but the company’s U.S. division decided to monitor the field for related incidents anyway. Now fast-forward to November 2016, the month Honda performed an audit at a Tier 2 supplier and ceded that yes, this fault poses a risk for occupants of the outboard seats.
From 2011 to 2016, the automaker received 689 warranty claims for the said problem, yet Honda somehow took its sweet time to make a stand. On that note, owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by mail in due time. Dealers, for their part, are instructed to install an additional bracket and spring to both second row outboard seats of the Odyssey, free of charge.
After all, no less than 633,753 units are due to pay the dealership a visit. Honda indicates that potentially affected vehicles were built from August 17, 2010 to October 1, 2015. An internal investigation prompted Honda to admit that the second row outboard seats are prone to fail. The seats feature release levers for the Odyssey’s walk-in feature.
Said levers fold the seatback and slide the seat for easy access to the third row of seats. And yes, the lever designed to do such a simple job is the main offender in this instance. “Due to surface roughness on internal parts, reduced torque on the return spring (as a result of manufacturing variability), inconsistent/inadequate grease application, and potential grease hardening under specific temperature and humidity ranges,” Honda explains, “there is potential for the seat to stay in the unlocked position.”
By that, Honda refers to the outboard seats sliding freely in a potential crash situation. Honda received the first warranty claim for outboard seats not locking into place in January 2011. Then, the cause couldn’t be determined by the automaker, but the company’s U.S. division decided to monitor the field for related incidents anyway. Now fast-forward to November 2016, the month Honda performed an audit at a Tier 2 supplier and ceded that yes, this fault poses a risk for occupants of the outboard seats.
From 2011 to 2016, the automaker received 689 warranty claims for the said problem, yet Honda somehow took its sweet time to make a stand. On that note, owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by mail in due time. Dealers, for their part, are instructed to install an additional bracket and spring to both second row outboard seats of the Odyssey, free of charge.
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