NHTSA Complaint #11414497 — 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY

VAN SIDE SLIDING DOORS HAVE REAR LOCKING LATCH ACUATOR THAT FAILS. UNDER POWER CLOSE, THE REAR OF THE DOOR WILL PULL IN, LATCH, THEN UNLATCH AND RELEASE THE REAR OF THE DOOR. WITH POWER TO DOORS OFF (FUSE #13 REMOVED) THE DOOR REAR LATCH WILL NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. THE DOOR WITH A FAILED REAR LATCH WILL ALLOW THE DOOR TO SLIDE OPEN COMPLETELY ON ACCELERATION, SLAM FORWARD BUT NOT LATCH ON BRAKING, AND WILL ALSO SLIDE OPEN AROUND A CORNER. THIS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE I HAD 2 CHILDREN IN THE CENTER SEAT, AT THE SLIDING DOOR OPENINGS. DEALER WANTS $511 PLUS TAX, AND THERE IS A REBUILD SERVICE FOR THE REAR LATCH ON EBAY FOR AROUND $90, PROVING IT IS A CHRONIC, WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. AS A SIDE NOTE, IF THE 7.5 AMP FUSE IS LEFT INSTALLED IN SLOT 13 FOR SLIDING DOOR POWER, THE BATTERY WILL DISCHARGE OVER NIGHT. THE DEALER WILL NOT GUARANTEE I WILL NOT HAVE A POWER DISCHARGE AFTER THE REAR LATCH (MY LEFT SIDE DOOR IN MY CASE) IS CHANGED, AND FUSE 13 IS REINSTALLED. I'M GLAD MY KIDS WERE STRAPPED IN WHEN THE DOOR FLEW OPEN THE FIRST TIME. THE DOOR WOULD CHOP OFF A HAND IF IT SLAMS SHUT WHILE BREAKING THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE, AND HONDA SHOULD BE MADE TO RECTIFY THE REAR LATCH (UNLATCHED) ISSUE. A SEARCH OF EBAY FOR "2008 HONDA ODYESSY REAR DOOR LATCH" RETURNS OVER 30 LISTINGS FOR REAR SLIDING DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR UNDER THE FOLLOWING HTTP: ADDRESS - HTTPS://WWW.EBAY.COM/SCH/I.HTML?_FROM=R40&_TRKSID=M570.L1313&_NKW=2008+HONDA+ODYESSY+REAR+DOOR+LATCH+REPAIR+SERVICE&_SACAT=0&LH_TITLEDESC=0&_OSACAT=0&_ODKW=2008+HONDA+ODYESSY+REAR+DOOR+LATCH+REPAIR