- Honda is recalling 33,341 Odyssey minivans because the windshield wipers may fail to operate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Honda said it has received 129 warranty claims related to the defect in North America, mainly in cold-weather areas.
- The recall is expected to begin on April 14.
WASHINGTON — Honda is recalling 33,341 Odyssey minivans because the windshield wipers may fail to operate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"If the front windshield wiper blades become frozen to the windshield and the wiper motor is switched on, one of the front windshield wiper linkage rods may bend or separate from the motor due to insufficient stiffness of the rod," said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. "The windshield wipers may fail to operate, decreasing the driver's visibility in adverse weather conditions, increasing the risk of a crash."
Honda said in a statement that no crashes or injuries have been reported related to this defect.
In other documentation filed with the federal government, Honda said 129 warranty claims have been received in North America related to this defect, mainly in cold-weather areas.
Honda dealers will replace the front windshield wiper rod. The recall is expected to begin on April 14. Owners can contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Inside Line says: If you own the aforementioned Honda Odyssey, be aware that a recall is in the works. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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tbone85 says:
10:39 AM, 03/23/2011
Fhwulala, I think we agree on much of this and disagree on some details. I agree there was some one upmanship on driving height in the realm of two row crossovers. I also agree that many now believe the crossover styling cost them some utility and efficiency over their wagons (and minivans.)
However, I also believe that styling trends/vehicle perceptions drove much of the movement away from minivans and towards 3 row crossovers. It became the "in" thing to have a SUV or something that looked like one. CAFE standards also moved some of the SUV volume to crossovers as well.
I appreciate your comments.
autoadviseorg says:
07:08 AM, 03/21/2011
Somewhere here, someone made a comment to lift the vipers before snowfall to avoid the issue with the linkage rod.
I am here to comment, that despite having a clear windshield, I drove for 15 minutes in heavy snow today in my 07 Honda Odyssey and the vipers failed to work!. I am just so upset about this. I will admit that some snow from the roof came down on the wipers, but the windshield was being warmed with air and the wipers were working before. But once minor load came on the wipers, they stopped working. Forget even the linkage rod being bent. They just stopped working! I had get out, risk my own safety and clean the glass to drive safely back home.
The Odyssey is only vehicle in the Honda lineup, that I like over other manufacturers. This incident among some others from family and friends has made me firm to not consider any other future Honda product.
I should have got the hint long time ago itself. Till date, on every visit to the Honda's service dept, I have seen at least one customer get upset over a huge service bill or repeated failure to fix problems. Honda has grown arrogant due to its loyal customer base. Its time to jump the ship.
fhwulala says:
08:05 PM, 03/20/2011
zr1man,
Actually....
http://www.mynews3.com/story.php?id=39583
So American cars are not exactly "radiation free".
Welcome to Globalization of the 21 century.
openeyes1 says:
02:07 PM, 03/20/2011
tbone85, I think you are missing something very important here, the station wagon became unpopular,
because of short comings on height, not aesthetics.
In the early 90's, Soccer mom's and dad's were sold on the aggressive look and high driving position of
the Ford Explorer as the "Solution" for the Minivan blue's. The Families bought them in droves, sucking
down gasoline and clogging our highways with them. Not driving an SUV or Crossover in the 90's+ made you feel inferior and threatened, as these vehicles blocked your view on the roadway and their owners now took greater liberties to drive recklessly in their SUV's than in their car's.
I've known quite a few families that turned away from wagons because of these issues, and are now
complaining about their SUV's crappy gas mileage, thinking they made a mistake buying one.
tbone85 says:
07:14 AM, 03/20/2011
"tbone85: Actually you're quite incorrect. Crossover SUV were created not because the aesthetic shortcomings of minivans, but because of the lack of efficiency of body-on-frame SUV's AND declining popularity of wagons."
lsobboh, you've identified one of the important reasons for the rise of the crossover.
I should have been more precise, I am addressing specifically 3 row crossovers. The majority of people who buy 3 seat crossovers have a greater need for the efficiency of the minivan than the off road capabilities of SUVs. Most 3 seat crossovers have meager off road capability. Their primary role is people mover, and secondary role is object carrier. As many writers have observed, minivans are not "cool" to many consumers, so the market has embraced crossovers with virtually no off road capability and somewhat less utility and efficiency than minivans.
The declining popularity of wagons is also a result of the design esthetic that consumers have embraced. Wagons are typically more efficient and can offer as much efficiency as 2 row CUVs. Most CUVs offer little if any additional off road capability over station wagons. What explanation remains other than styling preferences.
You may still believe I'm incorrect, but that's OK. :-)
lsobboh says:
05:51 PM, 03/19/2011
tbone85: Actually you're quite incorrect. Crossover SUV were created not because the aesthetic shortcomings of minivans, but because of the lack of efficiency of body-on-frame SUV's AND declining popularity of wagons.
It seems like every manufacture is under the heat of recalls lately. So many recalls for so many (little) things, my goodness..
alex38 says:
05:04 PM, 03/19/2011
I was kind of hoping the headline would read "Odyssey recalled for defective DESIGN"..
openeyes1 says:
11:48 AM, 03/19/2011
The problem with the Minivan concept, that Chrysler invented on a stretch K-Car platform in the 80's,
is how to make an box attractive and aerodynamic. You want to have maximum space for the family,
but you don't want to drive a delivery van.
Designers need to soften the box with curves and interesting yet functional widow design's, trying hard
not to compromise too much space.
The C-Max (Grand C-Max) looks promising in its design, though its smaller it should get pretty good gas mileage. As for the public purchasing crossover's instead of a minivan's, buyers should be aware that Detriot is now re-branding a lot of gas guzzling SUV's as crossover's in order to dump them on the public.
tbone85 says:
10:04 AM, 03/19/2011
Airhead comment or no, design is a factor for most consumers. The Odyssey is certainly not a good looking vehicle in the eyes of most. It's not on the level with the Azteck or the Pacer, but it competes in a class of vehicles where looks have never played the primary role in making buying decisions. People who need a vehicle in this range and who are more concerned by looks tend to buy crossovers. The latter category would not even exist were it not for the lack of style of all minivans.
wikiwiki says:
07:18 AM, 03/19/2011
I actually think they look better in person than in photos. I have seem a lot of them on the road already so it isn't just me. I just think the base price is way to high. Not fair for large families on a budget.