Odysseys to be recalled by Honda over spontaneous braking problem

Florida Odyssey owners may have heard that Honda Motor Co. announced that it would be recalling almost 350,000 of the minivans due to an issue with the Vehicle Safety Assist System in vehicles made for the 2007-2008 model year. A concern that unexpected and sudden braking could lead to car accidents as moving traffic collided with the stopped vehicle prompted the recall action, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The fact that the involuntary braking was not accompanied by the brake lights illuminating to warn other drivers compounded the fear, although at the time of the recall no injuries or crashes had been reported to the automaker.

The 344,187 affected minivans were built between August 2006 and September 2008. NHTSA was told by Honda that by the end of June 2013, the company had received 205 field reports and also 109 warranty claims related to the VSA issue. This was in addition to the 22 complaints reported to the safety agency about occurrences of sudden application of the VSA braking system.

Honda was scheduled to begin the recall in March 2014, when its dealers would be installing new sensors in the VSA to fix the problem. The company said that it would be sending Odyssey owners a letter of instruction, and the NHTSA said that a second letter would be sent when dealers received the parts needed for the recall and repair action to go into effect.

A car collision can result in serious injury or even death. Individuals who have suffered damages such as brain injury or incurred medical expenses due to an auto accident may be able to seek compensation in court from those held liable for the crash.

Source: Auto World News, “Honda Recall: 2007-’08 Odyssey minivans called back over brake issues“, Matt Mercuro, December 20, 2013