American Honda Motor Company will recall more than 100,000 recently-built vehicles after finding a possibly dangerous door latch defect.
The Torrance, California-based manufacturer sent the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) a recall report on Nov. 9, 2018 stating they will recall 107,774 2018-2019 Honda Odyssey vehicles built between Jan. 19, 2017 and April 16, 2018.
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The affected vehicles contain rear latch assemblies prone to sticking. This can keep the power sliding doors from securely latching, letting them inadvertently open while driving and increasing injury risk.
Honda first received power door failure reports in May 2017, prompting an investigation. Honda visited the dealer that sold the reported vehicle, and was eventually able to re-create the unlatching door defect in August 2017.
Honda continued investigating the defect and visiting dealers reporting latch problems. The latch supplier, Gecom Corporation of Greensburg, Indiana told Honda in October 2017 they would improve grease application during rear latch assembly manufacturing. Gecom applied the process to mass production throughout 2018.
Honda later surveyed Odyssey owners, finding more reports of power sliding doors opening during driving. The company compared those reports to warranty claim data and found complaints originating even after the improved grease application process in October 2017. Honda decided on Nov. 2, 2018 to initiate a safety recall.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right power sliding door rear latch assemblies, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s numbers for this recall are Z33 and O36. Owners can also visit the NHTSA’s website, and enter their VIN to see if their vehicle is included in any recalls.
Your vehicle’s manufacturer is legally required to fix any recalled problems for free. If the dealership refuses to fix the part or tries to charge you for the repair, contact the manufacturer immediately. The Highway Safety Act of 1970, which created the NHTSA, requires car manufacturers to pay for the recall and replacement of a defective part.
If the manufacturer fails to repair, replace, repurchase, or provide your recalled vehicle’s loss value, they are violating the warranty and a lawyer may be able to help you. Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.
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