NHTSA Complaint #10188483 — 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY

BOTH REAR SLIDING DOORS ON MY 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY STICK SO THAT THEY CANNOT BE OPENED, WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS APPROXIMATELY 85 FAHRENHEIT OR ABOVE. IN ORDER TO OPEN A STUCK SIDE DOOR, I MUST EITHER HAVE A SECOND PERSON PUSH HARD ON THE INSIDE WHILE I PULL HARD ON THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE, OR I MUST YANK REPEATEDLY ON THE HANDLE. I WAS TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR LAST MAY, 2006, WHEN THE HANDLE BROKE OFF ENTIRELY, PROBABLY FROM THE REPEATED YANKING I'D DONE DURING THE THREE YEARS I'D HAD THE VAN. I FELL HARD INTO THE PAVEMENT AS WELL AS INTO THE CAR PARKED NEXT DOOR, BUT I AM MORE CONCERNED THAT, SHOULD I HAVE AN ACCIDENT, MY CHILDREN WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS TO FREE THEMSELVES. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE RUBBER SEALS ON THE DOORS STICKING TO THE METAL OF THE BODY WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT. WHEN THE HANDLE BROKE, I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE VAN FOR REPLACEMENT, WHICH THEY DID AT NO CHARGE EVEN THOUGH THE VAN WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AS THEY'D REPLACED SEVERAL OTHER HANDLES DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO FIX FOR THE SEAL/STICKING PROBLEM ITSELF. THEY ADVISED ME TO APPLY A SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT TO THE SEALS, WHICH I DID SEVERAL TIMES, BUT EACH TIME THE LUBRICANT ONLY LESSENED (NOT STOPPED) THE PROBLEM FOR A DAY OR TWO BEFORE THE DOOR WAS STICKING AGAIN. THE DEFECTIVE SEALS ARE STILL ON MY VEHICLE. *TR