Honda has recalled approximately 900,000 Odyssey minivans after receiving 46 reports of injuries related to a seat defect that causes second-row seats to fall forward. The company announced the recall and a stop sale on Honda Odyssey minivan model for the 2011 to 2017 model years.
The safety issue stems from problems with the adjustable second-row seats failing to lock into place. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, the seats may not latch securely to the vehicle body when reinstalling a removed seat or adjusting it side-to-side. If that happens, the seat may tip forward under moderate to heavy braking, which increases the risk of injury to passengers. In fact, NHTSA documents confirm that Honda has received 46 reports of injuries related the minivan’s second-row seat latches.
Honda is still working on a permanent solution for the seat latch defect and says it will notify owners when it finds one. In the meantime, owners can avoid risk of injury to occupants by resorting to a detailed instruction sheet and instructional videos posted to Honda’s website on how to avoid the seat-tipping problem, including coaching on how to properly latch the second-row seat.
You can check to see if your Honda Odyssey is included in this recall by visiting the NHTSA website and performing a search on recalls associated with your vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number.
This isn’t the first time Honda has had issues with its second-row seats in the Odyssey. Last year, the automaker issued a widespread recall and stop sale on the Odyssey model for a different latching issue. In that case, the latch mechanism that allowed the second-row seats to move forward for easier third-row entry, but they did not always secure the seats after they were moved back.
In addition to the Honda’s most recent Odyssey recall, authorities are investigating the death of an Ohio teen who was trapped under a third-row seat that inadvertently collapsed and folded into a 2004 Odyssey’s rear well. Reports indicate that thee 16-year-old boy was reaching over the third-row seat toward the rear well to retrieve tennis equipment when the seat retracted into the well, trapping the teen’s head and chest underneath. The rest of the teen’s body was pinned between the seat and the minivan’s rear-door. The teen was able to contact authorities, but ultimately died from asphyxiation by chest compression. Honda has said there have been no recalls concerning the third-row seats of 2004 Honda Odysseys.
The Ammons Law Firm is committed to protecting consumers from defective products, and is vastly experienced in representing parties who have been injured by defects such as those described above. If you or a loved one believe you have been injured by a defective product, please contact our office by calling (281) 801-5617 or click here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form.
