NHTSA Complaint #10223634 — 2002 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON OUR VAN FAILED CAUSING THE DOOR TO WHIP OPEN WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH OUR CHILDREN IN THE SEATS NEXT TO THE SUDDENLY OPEN DOOR (OUR DOG WAS ALSO IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD HAVE STEPPED OUT ONTO THE ROAD AT 65MPG)! WE HAD ZERO WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM OR THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. PULLING INTO A SERVICE STATION THEY WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM NOR COULD HONDA OR ITS DEALERS VIA PHONE. WE WERE FORCED TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE DOOR TAPED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS SO THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY ONCE AGAIN. WHAT REALLY MAKES THE SITUATION DIFFICULT IS FINDING OUT VIA THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH FIXES POSTED ON NUMEROUS PAGES. WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL WHEN SOMETHING THIS DANGEROUS COULD HAPPEN AND IS THIS COMMON IS WHY I AM WRITING. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE 35 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP!!! THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FIXED BECAUSE I AM AFRAID TO TAKE THE VAN ON THE HIGHWAY. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DAY OR MONTH WE PURCHASED THE VAN BUT WE DID PURCHASE THE VEHICLE NEW. THE INTERNET FIX DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM BUT WE DID TRY AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WORKED FOR OTHERS. WE DID NOT USE AAA TO TOW THE VEHICLE SINCE WE WERE AT A SERVICE STATION AND THEY CALLED AROUND FOR US TO TRY AND GET A SOLUTION. A MINOR PROBLEM IS UNDERSTANDABLE BUT WHEN A DOOR SUDDENLY OPENS AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR AT THE VERY LEAST AN INVESTIGATION. PLEASE RESPOND SO WE KNOW SOMETHING IS BEING DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE AND BEFORE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF OUR DOG FELL OUT ONTO A BUSY INTERSTATE I COULDN'T EVEN IMAGINE THE CHAOS THAT WOULD ENSUE MUCH LESS THE HEARTACHE OF THE CHILDREN (THANK GOD FOR CHILDSEATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!) *TR