NHTSA Complaint #11350121 — 2015 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE HONDA ODYSSEY 2015 EX MODEL DOESN'T SEEM TO ALLOW THE PASSENGER TO OPEN AND EXIT FROM THE REAR DOOR IN CASE OF EMERGENCY WHEN THE FOUR SIDES DOORS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE MORE ADVANCED VERSION EX-L HAS AN AUTOMATIC POWERED DOOR INSTALLED, SO THIS IS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS A MANUAL BACKUP OPTION TO OPEN WHEN THE POWER IS DOWN. AS OF NOW, I CAN NOT FIND ANY LEVER FOR A TRAPPED PASSENGER TO OPEN THE DOOR TO ESCAPE FROM THE INSIDE. I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS UNTIL I WAS TRAPPED WHEN MY CAR PARKED ON A VERY CLOSED, TIGHT, AND NARROW PARKING SLOT, AND ALL 4 SIDE DOORS WERE NOT ACCESSIBLE. I REALIZED THERE IS NO WAY TO ESCAPE FROM THE REAR EXCEPT TO BREAK THE REAR WINDOW. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY MECHANISM THAT ALLOWS THE TRAPPED PASSENGER TO OPEN THE REAR DOOR FROM THE INSIDE WITHOUT NEEDED TO BREAK THE WINDOW, WHICH CAN COMMONLY OCCUR. IN CASE OF A MAJOR CATASTROPHE, IT WOULD BE THE PASSENGER UNFORTUNATE DOOM. I HOPE HONDA WOULD SOON LOOK INTO INSTALLING AN ESCAPE ROUTE FROM THE REAR DOOR.