The 2016 Honda Odyssey.
Honda seems well positioned to end the year, yet again, as the leader in the U.S. minivan market – even as it gets ready to reveal an all-new version of the popular Odyssey people-mover at next month’s North American International Auto Show.
But the Japanese maker is facing a big recall of the outgoing Odyssey. Make that recalls, plural. All told, nearly 650,000 of the vehicles are being targeted for safety-related problems. Meanwhile, Honda also says it will recall nearly 10,000 of its new 2017 Ridgeline pickup to repair another defect.
The biggest problem involves Honda Odyssey minivans sold during the 2011 to 2016 model years because the outboard seat latches can fail. That could lead to serious injuries if the seats fail to lock in place during a crash.
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“Under certain circumstances, the mechanism that allows the outboard second row seats to tilt and slide forward for access to the third row seating area may not properly lock the seat into place when the seat is returned to its normal position, increasing the risk of injury to passengers seated in the second row,” the company explained in a statement announcing the new recall.
The two Honda Odyssey recalls involve center row seat latches that can fail to lock.
Until owners can get their vehicles inspected and, if necessary, repaired, Honda recommends that owners of those 2011-2016 Odyssey minivans “manually lock the seat into a fixed position by pushing down on the horizontal position adjustment bar.”
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Honda said it has been following the problem since it received its first warranty claim in January 2011, an unusually long time to be monitoring a potential defect. It has now recorded 689 claims.
A total of 634,000 of those Odyssey minivans will be impacted by the second row outboard seat latch recall.
Separately, Honda is also recalling 7,600 Odyssey minivans from the 2016 model-year because the second row center seat latch mechanism needed to be inspected and, if necessary, adjusted.
As with the outboard seat latch issue, the mechanism on the center seats may not properly lock into place “increasing the risk of injury to passengers seated in the second row,” the maker noted.
Honda Odyssey owners can find out if their minivans are covered by the two recalls by going to www.recalls.honda.com, or by calling 888-234-2138.
The 2017 Honda Ridgeline’s wiring harness may have problems with moisture.
That’s the same way to check and see if your 2017 Honda Ridgeline needs repairs. About 9,200 all-wheel-drive pickups are covered by the maker’s third new recall.
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The problem is an improper splice in the wiring harness, Honda explains, noting, it could allow moisture to get into rear and underbody electrical connections.
“Moisture in these areas may create electrical shorts that can lead to warning lights on the vehicle dashboard or, in rare cases, unintended activation of the brakes through the Vehicle Stability Assist system, increasing the risk of a crash,” Honda said.
All inspections and repairs will be made at no cost to Odyssey and Ridgeline owners.
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