If you drive a recent model Honda Odyssey, you may need to take it in for a repair.
Nearly 250,000 of those minivans from the 2018-2020 model years are being recalled after it was found that a wire can short circuit and cause a fire.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem lies with an improperly installed interior panel that may have damaged the wire harness for the third-row seat accessory power outlet. The harness may get pinched between the unibody and rear trim panel, which could damage the wires and cause an electrical short, which could then lead to a fire.
There are potentially 241,339 vehicles affected, but not all recalled vehicles will have a damaged wire harness. Honda will notify affected owners and dealers will inspect the wire harness and issue a fix, free of charge. If it is not damaged, they will reroute it and wrap it in electrical tape. If it is damaged, they will fully replace it.
The recall is expected to begin March 16, 2020.
Similar vehicles not included in the recall are either not equipped with a third-row seat accessory power outlet, or, if equipped, were built after Jan. 29, 2020, when the routing for the outlet wire harness was modified to prevent it from pinching between the unibody and the rear trim panel.
To see if your vehicle is included in the recall, just search your 17-digit vehicle identification number on the NHTSA’s vehicle safety website. You can also call the group’s safety hotline at 888-327-4236. The NHTSA’s campaign number for this recall is 20V066000.
Owners can also contact Honda customer service at 888-234-2138. Honda’s campaign number for this recall is T6U.
Honda says it’s aware of three fires related to the issue so far, but is not aware of any injuries.
The fires were reported between August 2018 and November 2019. An investigation began in December 2019 and the recall was decided on Jan. 30, 2020.
About the Author
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Don't Waste Your Money, she also writes for Simplemost, where she covers new product and food launches and overall general news. You can email her at kaitlingateswrites@gmail.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/KaitlinGatesWrites. More.
