NHTSA Complaint #10508919 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE STRUTS ON THE LIFTGATE OF MY 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY LX COMPLETELY FAILED IN NOVEMBER 2011 AT AROUND 40,000 MILES. THANKFULLY, THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS OPENING IT, SO NO ONE WAS UNDERNEATH IT YET. THE LIFTGATE IS EXTREMELY HEAVY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY, ESPECIALLY TO A SMALL PERSON. WE REPLACED THE STRUTS WITH NEW HONDA PARTS PURCHASED FROM THE SAME HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOW APRIL 2013, NOT EVEN A YEAR AND HALF LATER, AND THE REPLACEMENT STRUTS HAVE ALSO FAILED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE NO ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO FROM HERE OTHER THAN REPLACE THE STRUTS WITH THE SAME PART THAT HAS FAILED TWICE NOW. I'VE SEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. GIVEN THE TRACK RECORD OF THE LIFTGATE STRUTS FOR THIS MODEL, I THINK IT'S PRETTY LIKELY THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, AND I FEAR THAT I OR SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY MAY SUFFER SERIOUS INJURY OR WORSE. OTHER MODEL YEARS HAVE BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE PRESSURIZED GAS LEAKS FROM THE STRUTS. I THINK THE 2006 HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND A RECALL IS IN ORDER. THESE STRUTS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH ONES THAT DON'T LEAK. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR