NHTSA Complaint #10492060 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

DRIVERS SIDE REAR PASSENGER 'POWER SLIDING DOOR' (PSD) FAILED TO CLOSE, REQUIRING WIFE AND CHILDREN TO DRIVE TO GARAGE WITH OPEN DOOR, AND DOOR ALARM SOUNDING. DOOR CLOSED NORMALLY AT GARAGE, AND NEITHER THAT MECHANIC NOR THE HONDA DEALER COULD FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH DOOR. PROBLEM REPEATED SPORADICALLY THROUGH THE YEARS, AND DEALER COULD NEVER RESOLVE PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THAT I COULD MANUALLY ASSIST THE DOOR TO CLOSE AND, WITH SEVERAL TRIES, GET IT CLOSED. BECAUSE OF THE HAZARDS IN HAVING TO DRIVE TO A MECHANIC WITH CHILDREN AND AN OPEN PASSENGER DOOR & SCREAMING ALARM, OUR SOLUTION HAS BEEN TO NEVER OPEN THAT DOOR, BUT OCCASIONALLY A PASSENGER HAS UNKNOWINGLY OPENED IT, CAUSING DIFFICULTY CLOSING IT. OVER THE YEARS I'VE OBSERVED THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A NOTICEABLE INCLINE. I SUGGESTED TO THE HONDA SERVICE MANAGER THAT SOME MECHANICAL PART MAY BE LOOSE, CAUSING BINDING IN THE TRACK, BUT HE ALWAYS REPORTED THAT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE MECHANISM WAS "FINE". I DISCOVERED TODAY THAT NHTSA ACTION NUMBER 10016777 AND HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 204110 WERE ISSUED IN 2005, RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. THE HONDA DEALER WAS, OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN, AWARE OF THE DEFECT EACH TIME I RETURNED TO THEM TO FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS FLAW SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR REPAIR: THERE IS A GENUINE SAFETY HAZARD TO A VEHICLE FULL OF CHILDREN WHEN HAVING TO DRIVE TO A GARAGE WHEN A DOOR REFUSES TO CLOSE. *TR