NHTSA Complaint #10579689 — 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY

WHEN WE TOOK DELIVERY OF OUR 2006 HONDA ODYSSEY ON JANUARY 21, 2014 THE RIGHT HAND DOOR WAS NOT OPENING/CLOSING PROPERLY. THE SALES PERSONNEL SAID THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE WEATHER RELATED AND TO GIVE IT SOME TIME AND THAT IF IT CONTINUED TO NOT WORK PROPERLY THEN TO BRING THE VAN BACK AND THEY WOULD FIX IT. WE HAD JUST UNDERGONE AN ICE STORM HERE IN MICHIGAN, IN DECEMBER 2013, AND HAD UNUSUALLY COLD TEMPERATURES WHICH STAYED UNTIL EARLY MARCH. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AFTER THE WEATHER HAD WARMED A BIT AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE DOOR AND THEY SAID THAT THE VAN WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THAT THEY WOULD WORK ON IT AS A GOOD FAITH GESTURE. THE VAN WAS TAKEN IN AND THE CENTER ROLLER ASSEMBLY OF THE RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR WAS REPLACED. THE DOOR WORKED PROPERLY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THEN STARTED TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE SYMPTOMS THE DOOR WAS EXHIBITING WERE THAT OF A FAILED RELEASE ACTUATOR. I HAVE FOUND THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THE 3RD GENERATION HONDA ODYSSEY VANS AND WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER REGARDING THIS ISSUE THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO UNLESS I WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT. THEY HAD EVEN NOTED IT IN THE VAN'S SERVICE RECORD THAT THE RELEASE ACTUATOR MIGHT HAVE TO BE REPLACED BUT ELECTED NOT TO DO IT AT THE TIME THEY REPLACED THE CENTER ROLLER BECAUSE THE VAN'S DOOR TESTED OK. *JS