Honda Odyssey Seatback Problems Result in Recall Impacting 250K Minivans

More than 250,000 Honda Odyssey minivans are being recalled, due to a risk that the second row seats may fail to latch, placing passengers at risk during a hard braking event or auto accident. 

The Honda Odyssey recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 21, after identifying a manufacturing error that may prevent the seatback mechanism from properly latching into position. Although no injuries have been reported in relation to the recall, this defect may allow the seats to move unexpectedly suring acceleration, braking or a crash.l.

According to a press release issued by Honda, the first warranty claim involving the problem was reported in December 2015, and the auto maker began to collect defective parts from customers to determine the root cause of the issue.

Continued analysis of the defect identified the parts supplier had made an error during the manufacturing process that could allow the seats to slide unexpectedly.

At least 354 warranty claims involving unintentional sliding of the second row seats have been reported as of earlier this month, and leading Honda to determine that a recall was necessary.

The recall includes model year 2014 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured from August 5, 2013 through September 8, 2014, model year 2015 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured from July 31, 2014 through July 31, 2015, and model year 2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured from July 14, 2015 through July 14, 2015.

An estimated 254,568 minivans distributed throughout the United States are impacted by the recall.

American Honda Motor Company indicates it will notify customers by mail, explaining  how to schedule a repair appointment at their local dealer, who will be instructed to confirm the proper operation of the second row outboard seatback and install a support bracket to the seat back recliner. If the seatback is unable to lock, dealers are instructed to replace the seatback frame assembly, all free of charge.

Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall can contact Honda Customer Service at 1-800-424-9153 and reference the recall campaign number X0R.