Honda has issued a sweeping recall of its Odyssey minivans that have model years 2008 or 2009, after an issue was discovered with the rear hatch.
The problem? The hatch could suddenly close shut, meaning people would be in danger if they’re loading something into the vehicle.
Honda filed a statement to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that said two gas-filled struts that were the support mechanism for the power-controlled hatch had a manufacturing flaw.
Specifically, the pressurized gas that ensures the hatch is locked and in place may be able to leak through the struts, which decreases the pressure on the entire system and makes it possible for the support mechanism to come loose.
In the recall announcement, there was no mention of any specific injuries but Honda said this is an issue that could potentially affect any of the Odyssey vehicles sold during the 2008-2009 time frame.
The defect was not an issue in later models due to changes in the manufacturing process, but there are still tends of thousands of models on the roads today that were part of the defective batch.
The recall affects 45,747 vehicles that were released to the market. This of course is not the only time Honda has come face-to-face with a major recall.
It has, however, fared better than other automakers, including Toyota, which went through a huge firestorm a couple years ago after numerous recalls made people question the safety of its cars.
