2010 Honda Odyssey

The contact owns a 2010 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery warning light illuminated, and smoke was coming from under the front passenger’s side hood. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The contact stated that moments later, smoke and flames were coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle, and the Fire Department was called to the scene. The contact was able to extinguish the flames using a water hose prior to the Fire Department arriving at the residence. While at the residence, the fireman disconnected the battery as a precaution. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 182,697.

I am reporting a recurring and dangerous brake system failure in my 2010 Honda Odyssey. Intermittently, when the vehicle is first started, the brake pedal becomes completely stiff and cannot be depressed at all. During these events, the brakes are effectively non-functional until the condition resolves, creating a serious safety hazard. This issue occurs without warning and has happened on multiple occasions. This defect is especially dangerous because it prevents normal braking operation at startup, increasing the risk of a collision if the vehicle is moved or if immediate braking is required. I have attempted to repair this issue extensively. The vehicle has been inspected by three separate repair facilities, including a Honda dealership. The following components have been replaced in an effort to resolve the problem: •Master cylinder •Brake booster •Rotors •Brake lines •ABS system Despite these repairs, the issue persists unchanged. I have spent over $2,500 attempting to fix what appears to be a systemic defect. The Honda dealership suggested the issue may be caused by air entering the brake lines when the vehicle is parked on a slope. However, this explanation is not consistent with normal automotive function, and similar vehicles do not exhibit this behavior under the same conditions. Given the repeated failure of major brake system components to resolve the issue, I believe this represents a defect in the vehicle’s braking system that could affect other vehicles of the same model. I am submitting this complaint due to the serious safety risk posed by intermittent loss of braking function and request that this issue be investigated.

When having to slow down or stop quickly, the van starts to jerk back and forth and shake a lot and the car becomes very difficult to control. This is especially noticeable when going down hills such as I-70 in Colorado, I-15 in eastern California or mountain passes in the Sierra Nevadas, but also when coming around a corner on a freeway and the traffic is stopped. It would be very serious if driving and a child ran out into the street in front of the van. I recently learned that this has happened fairly frequently with Honda Odyssey vans. I have had to replace brake and strut parts and bearings multiple times. (gratefully the struts were still under warranty, so I only had to pay for labor the ensuing times.)

A few years ago the driver's side rear sliding door stopped working. This seemed like a safety because, if there were ever an incident such as a fire, people would not be able to expeditiously exit the back two rows of the van. There were no warnings, the door just stopped working. I spoke with our mechanic about it and he stated that he had seen that with several Honda Odyssey vans. I had the door repaired. I recently learned that this had been an issue with other Honda Odyssey vans and wanted to let you know it had also happened to me.

A few months ago, the battery went dead. I purchased a new battery and it went dead also. I had the mechanic check it and he said that some Honda Odyssey's had that problem (usually 2011). Even if everything is turned off, the battery will die in less than two days if the van is not driven. This has led to the van being inoperable in various locations requiring a locksmith to come open the car so the hood can be opened so the the battery can be recharged. The mechanic spent a few hours and was able to pinpoint the "faulty" fuse(Driver's side, #7, 7.5A, "backup"), but said that there were 13 different subsystems associated with that fuse and that it would take many hours to isolate and test each individual subsystem which would cost many thousands of dollars--more than the car is considered to be worth. So he recommended that I just either drive it every day or pull the fuse at night. In addition to the battery going dead, one of the problems, is that I don't feel safe to lock the car because I know I won't be able to unlock it if the battery dies.

The driver's side & passanger side rear sliding doors develop a parasitic battery drain which forces owners to remove the fuse associated with the doors. Those doors are very difficult to open when not powered. This essentially traps children in the back seats. Honda knows about this issue with all the odyssey models and they have not issued a recall.

The contact owns a 2010 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving or parked, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump and the fuel tank needed to be replaced due to a leak in the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 66,000.