2011 HONDA ODYSSEY Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO SOME GARDENING BLOCKS AROUND A TREE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCLEAN'S AUTO BODY IN GOLETA, CALIFORNIA. FROM THERE, THE TECHNICIAN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED, BUT WAS NOT TOWED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPORTED TO A DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V933000 (SEATS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

WHEN PARKED ON AN INCLINE, FACING DOWN HILL, I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE PASSENGER SIDE MOTORIZED SLIDING DOOR TO ALLOW THE KIDS IN. THE DOOR OPENED HALF WAY. I HEARD A SNAP AND THE DOOR SLAMMED SHUT. LUCKILY THE KIDS WERE NOT GETTING INTO THE CAR YET OR WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN INJURED. FOUND THAT ONE OF THE WIRES THAT RUNS THRU THE DOOR MOTOR HAD SNAPPED. ONLY REPAIR FOR THIS I'M TOLD BY DEALERSHIP IS REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR. COMMON PROBLEM FROM WHAT I'M READING AS WELL.

WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND SHUDDERS WHEN THE SPEED CROSSES 35 MILES / HR (OCCURRING SINCE PURCHASE) AND AGAIN AT 70 MILES / HOUR (OCCURRING SINCE 2016). EVEN WHEN FOOT BRAKE IS APPLIED, VEHICLE MOVES A LITTLE (A FEW CENTIMETERS)

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CHECK BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. IT'S NOT A BATTERY ISSUE. I HAVE INSTALLED A BRAND NEW BATTERY. ONCE THE VOLTAGE DROPS THE VEHICLE BECOME SLUGGISH AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IN A HIGH-SPEED SITUATION SUCH AS ON A BUSY FREEWAY. IN DOING RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD ISSUE. BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY DEATHS AS A RESULT OF IT YET. I DO NOT BELIEVE HONDA IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE. IT APPEARS TO BE AFFECTING SOME LATER MODELS AS WELL.

A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR MECHANISM. THE DOOR WILL OPEN AND CLOSE WHEN USING THE BUTTON OR REMOTE BUT WILL NOT REMAINED LATCHED. AFTER THE DOOR SHUTS, THE LATCH WILL LET LOOSE AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPEN AJAR ABOUT AN INCH OR SO CAUSING THE BEEPING AND DASH ALERT THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN. THE ONLY RESOLUTION TO QUIET THE BEEPING IS TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THAT DOOR AND USE IT MANUALLY.

MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND A FLASHING "CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM" WARNING. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SENSOR. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY JUST TO BE SURE AND THE ERROR IS STILL THERE. AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH WE HAVE COME TO KNOW THIS IS A COMMON FAULT IN THE ODYSSEY'S AND HAS YET TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY HONDA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHILE PARKING, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A PILLAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I PARKED MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY DAUGHTER'S PLAYDATE'S HOUSE AND STEPPED OUT FOR LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO PICK HER UP, LEAVING MY 8 YEAR OLD SON IN THE THIRD ROW IN THE VAN. AFTER HELPING HER WITH SHOES AND A JACKET MY DAUGHTER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF ME THEN TOLD ME MY SON WAS SCREAMING. I THOUGHT HE WAS SCREAMING BECAUSE HE WAS UPSET WITH ME. I RETURNED TO FIND MY SON WITH A RED FACE, STREAMING TEARS AND HOLDING ON TO THE SEAT YELLING, "MOM! I CAN'T BREATHE! THE BELT'S AROUND MY NECK! HELP ME!" INDEED MY SON'S NECK WAS ENTANGLED IN THE SECOND ROW MIDDLE SEAT BELT. TRYING TO REMAIN CALM I TRIED TO RELEASE THE BELT AT THE ANCHOR POINT ATTACHED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT WITH THE MALE END OF THE BUCKLE BUT IT COULD NOT REACH BECAUSE THE BELT HAD RETRACTED TOO FAR AND LOCKED. I TRIED TO GET HIM TO TURN TO UNTANGLE BUT THE BELT WAS TOO TIGHT AND CONTINUED TO RETRACT AND LOCK FURTHER WITH ANY ADDITIONAL MOVEMENT. I RAN BACK TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOUSE, BANGED ON IT AND YELLED FOR A PAIR OF SCISSORS. SCISSORS IN HAND I RAN BACK TO THE VAN. THE OTHER MOTHER RAN BEHIND ME, SAW MY SON ENTANGLED (NOW PALE-FACED BUT STILL BREATHING) AND WATCHED ME CUT THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE HIM. THE BELT WAS SO TIGHT THE CAPILLARIES AROUND HIS EYES, ON HIS FACE AND NECK HAD BURST LEAVING RED SPOTS. RED LINES WERE EVIDENT AROUND HIS NECK AND A BRUISE THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR WHERE THE BELT HAD TWISTED WAS VISIBLE. HE DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION AS HE DID NOT LOOSE CONSCIOUSNESS. THE NEXT DAY I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND NURSE; HIS TEACHERS FOLLOWED SUIT. WHILE THE BUCKLE IS USED TO RELEASE THE BELT AT ITS PRELIMINARY ANCHOR POINT THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT ITSELF THAT CAN BE USED TO RELEASE IT INSTEAD OF OR IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL BUCKLE ITSELF. THAT WAY IF IT LOCKS THE BELT CAN STILL BE RELEASED. *TR

THE ENGINE REPORTED EMISSIONS FAILURE FOLLOWED BY VSA ACTIVATION. THIS WAS LATER DIAGNOSED TO ENGINE MISFIRE AND DAMAGE TO THE PISTON RINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. IT ALSO STARTED VIBRATING AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY A HONDA DEALERSHIP WITH ALL REQUIRED AND OPTIONAL SERVICES PERFORMED.

I OFFICIALLY PURCHASED A USED 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY FROM A LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP ON OCTOBER 5, 2016. BEFORE I LEFT WITH THE NEW VEHICLE, THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DIVISION REPLACED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS ON THE VEHICLE (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS FOR SERVICE/REPAIR INVOICE DATED 10/4/2016). ON OCTOBER 7-8, 2016, I DROVE THE CAR ON A STATE HIGHWAY IN SOME MOUNTAINOUS AREAS BOTH ON A UPHILL AND DOWNHILL SLOPE AT ABOUT 30-50 MPH. I NOTICED THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE, WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES EVEN SLIGHTLY, THE CAR BEGAN TO PERCEPTIBLY SHUDDER. THE GREATER THE SLOPE OF THE ROAD, THE GREATER THE SHUDDERING EFFECT. I RETURNED WITH THE VEHICLE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER UNRELATED REASON, BUT INQUIRED ABOUT THE SHUDDERING AND ASKED IF DURING THE DEALERSHIP'S SAFETY INSPECTIONS IF ANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE BRAKES HAD BEEN DISCOVERED, SINCE THE PADS WERE BRAND NEW. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE ROTORS HAD BEEN WARPED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM BRAKING. AFTER I PRESSED HIM FOR MORE INFORMATION, HE TOLD ME THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY RECENTLY-PRODUCED HONDA ODYSSEY (I.E., MODELS MANUFACTURED IN THE LAST 5-10 YEARS) THAT HE HAD SEEN COME THROUGH THE SERVICE DIVISION EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR WARPING PROBLEM AFTER NEARLY EVERY 30,000-40,000 MILES DRIVEN. IN HIS OPINION, THE ROTORS INSTALLED IN HONDA ODYSSEYS WERE ACTUALLY MUCH TOO SMALL (I.E., THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SURFACE AREA) TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HIGH AMOUNTS OF HEAT CAUSED BY THE LARGE BRAKES REQUIRED FOR THE RELATIVELY LARGER MODEL OF VEHICLE (THE VAN). HE WENT AS FAR AS TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS ACCUSTOMED TO INSTALLING LARGER-THAN-RECOMMENDED ROTORS IN SOME OF HIS CUSTOMERS' VANS TO TRY AND AVOID THE PROBLEM. HE SAID HE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF A RECALL WOULD BE FORTHCOMING ON THE ROTORS. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION ON THESE ROTORS TO INITIATE SUCH A RECALL.