NHTSA Complaint #10492355 — 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY

POWER SLIDING DOOR ON 05' HONDA ODYSSEY FELL OFF WHEN UNLOADING MY CHILDREN FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MIDDLE BRACKET/STRUT THAT HOLDS THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE CENTER RAIL ALONG THE SIDE OF THE VAN TOTALLY FAILED. I WAS AT THE BUS STOP WITH MY CHILDREN AND THE DOOR FELL OFF AS I OPENED THE DOOR TO HELP MY CHILD OUT. I WAS MORTIFIED AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE. TWO MEN CAME TO MY RESCUE JUST AFTER MY SON JUMPED OUT OF THE WAY. THE DOOR HAS CONCERNED ME FOR SOME TIME BUT I NEVER HEARD OF A SLIDING DOOR FALLING OFF NOR DID THE DEALER MENTION IT. PREVIOUSLY, THE DOOR WOULD CLICK WHEN WE CLOSED IT AND THE AUTOMATIC DOOR WOULD BEEP AND FAIL TO CLOSE. WE HAD THE DOOR CHECKED DURING A ROUTINE SERVICE APPOINTMENT 2-3 YEARS AGO. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A SENSOR OR POSSIBLY A MOTOR ISSUE. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE DOOR POSSIBLY FALLING OFF - NOR DID THEY MENTION ANY POTENTIAL BRACKET FAILURE. I WOULD HAVE HAD THAT BRACKET FIXED HAD THEY EVEN HINTED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. BUT WHAT'S ALSO VERY DISTURBING IS THAT A FRIEND WITH AN '07 IS HAVING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH HER DOORS AS WELL. AFTER MY INCIDENT, SHE IMMEDIATELY WENT AND HAD HER DOOR BRACKETS CHECKED AND FOUND HERS WERE ALSO IMMINENTLY CLOSE TO COMPLETE FAILURE. THEY WERE REPLACED. SHE HAS SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND A DOOR FAILURE FOR HER COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. THE DAY OF THIS EVENT I CALLED TWO AREA DEALERS. BOTH SERVICE COUNTER REPS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS BRACKET ISSUE. PARENTS REALLY NEED TO BE WARNED ABOUT THIS. I FEAR HONDA CORPORATE MAY BE IGNORING THE ISSUE WHEN CHILDREN MAY BE HURT. THIS ISN'T A STARTER OR A TRANSMISSION - IT'S A DOOR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND AT LEAST ISSUE A SAFETY BULLETIN OR RECALL. *TR