NHTSA Complaint #10955764 — 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY

THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BUMPERS RUSTING AWAY WITH NO WAY OF KNOWING. MY FAMILY RODE AROUND IN THIS CAR FOR MAYBE 2-3 YEARS WITH A BUMPER THAT HAD RUSTED SO BADLY IT WAS LITERALLY FALLING APART, BUT REMAINED INSIDE OF THE BUMPER COVER, SO WE DID NOT KNOW IT. FINALLY IT RUSTED SO BADLY THAT IT BEGAN TO LEAVE RUST STAINS ON THE DRIVEWAY AND I TRACED IT TO THIS PROBLEM. BY THIS TIME THE BUMPER WAS ALMOST GONE. IT PROBABLY PAST THE POINT OF PROVIDING ANY PROTECTION MAYBE 2 YEARS AGO. THIS CAR HAS A REAR FACING SEAT AND IS USED OFTEN. IT TERRIFIES ME TO KNOW A REAR END COLLISION AT PRACTICALLY ANY SPEED WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE THEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND PROBABLY IMPACTED THE FUEL TANK, AGAIN, AT FAR LOWER SPEEDS THAN IT WOULD NORMALLY. MY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS. IN MY OPINION THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT ON ALL ODYSSEY'S. PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AROUND THINKING THEY ARE PROTECTED AND PROBABLY AREN'T. A REAR COLLISION COULD RESULT IN DEATH DUE TO THE GAS TANK BEING LEFT UNPROTECTED AND REAR PASSENGERS EXPOSED TO SERIOUS INJURIES AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS. I DO NOT LIVE IN AN AREA WITH LOTS OF SALT WATER OR SALTED ROADS, THERE IS NOT A RUST ISSUE ANYWHERE ELSE, THIS SEEMS TO BE ISOLATED TO JUST THE REAR BUMPER.