Various Defects Prompt Honda to Recall 1.6 Million Vehicles

Honda announced four different recalls involving its Pilot and Passport SUVs and the Odyssey minivan over reports of bad software and defective sliding doors.

According to documents released by the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a total of 1.6 million vehicles are affected by the recalls.

One of the recalls involves Odyssey minivans from the 2019 to 2020 model years that were found to have distorted or faulty rearview cameras. The automaker said there is a possibility for water to seep into the camera mounting holes and cause the device to produce images with poor quality. The problem may also lead the backup camera to start malfunctioning. Moreover, switching from the top-down view may not create a display image.

A total of 212,068 Odyssey units are affected by the problem and Honda plans to install new backup cameras on the vehicles at no cost to customers.

Unfortunately, the Odyssey is also part of another large-scale recall. Another 324,194 units from 2018 to 2020 were adjudged defective upon discovery that water may also seep into the outer door cables.

When this happens, there is a chance for the water to freeze and prevent the sliding doors from shutting completely. It also opens the possibility of the door opening while driving, increasing the risk of injury. Affected vans are set to get new outer door cables for free.

The third recall involves the 2019-2020 Odyssey yet again, alongside the 2019-2021 Pilot and 2019-2020 Passport. It’s slightly similar to the rearview camera problems in the first recall. But on top of that, it also covers vehicles whose cameras may stop functioning due to problematic software programming.

With these problems with the backup cameras, the vehicles are violating federal motor safety standards. Hence, the recall of 499,342 vehicles.

The same three vehicles also comprise the fourth and largest recall announced by Honda. This time, however, it’s the 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Passport, and the 2018-2020 Odyssey that may have been equipped with poorly made instrument panels.

The NHTSA documents said that an incorrect software module may have been installed in the affected vehicles. As a result, drivers will not be provided with critical information such as vehicle speed and oil pressure. The selected gear also may not show up and the rearview camera may fail to display. A total of 607,784 units are part of the recall which will be fixed by reprogramming the software module.