HAVE HAD POWER SLIDING DOORS LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. EACH TIME DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, TILL NOW. DOOR AJAR BUZZER WOULD SOUND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FROM DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. TURNING OFF POWER SWITCH SILENCED THE BUZZER & DOOR SEEMED OK. LATELY, THE DOOR WAS NOT LOCKING. DEALER DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM, REPLACED JUNCTION CONTACTS WITH "UPGRADED" ONES. THEN NOTED THE CLUTCH MOTOR THAT CLOSES THE DOOR DID NOT COMPLETE THE JOB & THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT LATCHING! HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD OPEN ACCIDENTALLY. WE HAVE PLACED 2 CALLS TO HONDA OF NORTH AMERICA, WITHOUT RESPONSE, LOOKING FOR AN EXTENSION ON THE WARRANTY TOWARD THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS MOTOR. STILL WAITING FOR RESPONSE AFTER 6 DAYS.
2010
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THIS IS AN ON-GOING SAFETY ISSUE AND POSSIBLE EQUIPMENT DEFECT INVOLVING THE CHECK ROD MECHANISM ON THE FRONT DOORS OF THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK RODS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND THE FRONT DOOR IS IN THE FULLY OPENED POSITION, THE DOOR IS PRONE TO SWING SHUT. THIS OCCURS IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS: ON A LEVEL SURFACE, IF THE DOOR IS PUSHED OPEN, THE DOOR WILL SOMETIMES SWING BACK ON THE OCCUPANT; THE FULLY OPENED DOOR WILL ALSO SWING SHUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON EVEN A SLIGHT INCLINE OR IS BLOWN BY A GUST OF WIND. THE CHECK RODS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO KEEP THE DOOR IN THE OPEN POSITION WHEN FULLY EXTENDED. THESE ARE VERY HEAVY DOORS AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS INSTANCES IN WHICH THE DOOR HAS STARTED SWINGING SHUT IN EACH OF THESE SITUATIONS. I DISCUSSED THIS CONCERN WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP AND I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO AMERICAN HONDA (CASE # [XXX]). I COMPARED THE FRONT DOOR CHECK ROD MECHANISM IN THE 2012 HONDA ODYSSEY ON THE DEALER?S LOT. THE CHECK ROD ON THE 2012 ODYSSEY FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, CREATING AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF RESISTANCE WHEN THE DOOR WAS FULLY EXTENDED. THE SERVICE MANAGER ORDERED A SET OF 2012 ODYSSEY CHECK RODS, WITH THE HOPE THEY COULD BE INSTALLED ON MY 2010 ODYSSEY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE 2012 RODS DID NOT MATCH AND COULD NOT BE INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE. AMERICAN HONDA HAS DECLINED TO TAKE ANY REMEDIAL ACTION. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THE DEFECT IN THE CHECK ROD USED IN THE 2010 ODYSSEY MODEL LED TO A REDESIGN OF THE CHECK ROD MECHANISM FOR SUBSEQUENT VEHICLE YEARS. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOUR OFFICE CHECK INTO THIS MATTER AND ADDRESS THE DEFECT IN THE 2010 ODYSSEY CHECK ROD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR