NHTSA Complaint #10348400 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

HONDA ODYSSEY 2005 POWER STEERING PROBLEM: POWER STEERING FAILS TO WORK AT RANDOM TIMES. IT IS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE WHILE PARKING OR TURNING AT SLOWER SPEEDS. IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES AND WHEN CAUGHT OFF GUARD MAKES IT FRIGHTENING AND PHYSICALLY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. HONDA HAS RECOGNIZED THIS IS A PROBLEM IN THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN 07-005 FROM AUGUST 21, 2009 WHICH INCLUDES OUR MODEL YEAR. HOWEVER, HONDA IS REFUSING TO COVER THE $700 EXPENSE OF REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND ACCESSORIES BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAD SYMPTOMS THEY DESCRIBE SINCE WE HAD THE VEHICLE AT THE BEGINNING BUT THEY NEVER COULD 'REPLICATE' WHAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING. THE FAULTY TUBING THEY USED IN THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY HAS RUINED THE PUMP OVER THE YEARS. HAD THEY RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SALVAGE THE PUMP, BUT WE DID GET AN ESTIMATE AND HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE PUMP AND THEY ADMITTED IT WAS NEEDING REPLACEMENT. WE USE THIS VEHICLE TO DRIVE OUR FAMILY AND ALTHOUGH IT GENERALLY HAPPENS AT SLOW SPEEDS, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AS WE WERE TURNING AND OUR CAR STOPPED RESPONDING TO THE TURN WE WERE MAKING. EVERYONE I TALK TO THAT HAS THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. HONDA KNOWS THEY PUT IN FAULTY TUBING WHICH DEGRADED TO MAKE LITTLE PIECES LOOSE IN THE FLUID WHICH THEN RUINED THE PUMP. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ONE THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIALLY. *TR