1.2M Honda Odyssey and Passport Vehicles Recalled Over Rear Camera Problems

Nearly 1.2 million Honda Odyssey, Pilot and Passport vehicles are being recalled, due to problems with the rear camera, which may impact the driver’s visibility and increase the risks of an auto accident.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Honda recall on June 22, after confirming that a defect in the production of the vehicle’s rear camera can cause it to fail and suddenly prevent images from displaying on the vehicle’s dashboard.

Federal safety officials indicate that the failure of the rear camera poses a serious safety risk, results in a failure to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, “Rear Visibility.”

Honda initiated an investigation into the rear view camera problems in February 2019, following reports of popping and cracking from the camera’s audio, and flickering of the display screen.

The automaker’s investigation determined that the issues stemmed from the design and manufacture of the vehicle’s Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable, which transports audio, video, voice, and data signals to the dashboard’s audio display unit.

During production, the MOST communication cable was manufactured to unsuitable specifications, which resulted in terminal deformities, poor connections and communication loss. In the event MOST communication is lost for a duration of more than 20 seconds, function of the rear view camera will fail when the vehicle is placed in reverse.

While no accidents or injuries have been reported in relation to the Honda rear view camera failures, the automaker has received at least 273,870 warranty claims related to issue.

The recall impacts approximately 1,198,280 model year 2018 through 2023 Honda Odyssey vehicles made between January 19, 2017 and June 6, 2023, model year 2019 through 2022 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured from September 18, 2017 until December 12, 2022, and model year 2019 through 2023 Honda Passport vehicles produced from November 6, 2017 until June 5, 2023.

Honda expects recall notification letters to be mailed to owners beginning July 24, with instructions on how to schedule an appointment with an authorized Honda dealer to receive free repair of their vehicle. An authorized dealer with provide installation of an updated MOST cable harness, and will also install a straightening cover over the cable connectors to ensure proper audio display unit connections.

For more information on the recall, owners may contact Honda customer service by phone at 1-888-234-2138 and reference recall numbers EEL and ZEM. They may also contact the NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline by phone at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or visit their website at www.nhtsa.gov.