Honda is recalling hundreds of thousands of its popular minivan because of a possible issue when backing up. The problem is a rearview camera that can let in water and stop working, and it’s been an ongoing issue. Some of these vehicles have already been recalled and others were built with a camera that should have fixed the problem, but didn’t. Here’s what you need to know regarding the latest recall.
Odyssey Vans Could End Up With A Mythical Rear View Camera
2020 Honda Odyssey Exterior Front Three-QuarterHonda
The recall involves 325,588 Honda Odyssey vans built for model years 2018 through 2020. It includes some 212,068 vans that were built in model years 2019 and 2020 that were already recalled and given new cameras in 2020 after a similar issue was discovered then.
Honda says the problem is that water can get inside the rearview camera assembly. That leads to corrosion and eventually a camera that doesn’t work. A functional rear camera has been mandatory in the US since May 1, 2018, to reduce back-over injuries and deaths, hence the recall.
According to Honda’s recall report, the cause of the water intrusion is two-fold. First, the specification for the camera housing mounting boss was inadequate for the mounting screw. Secondly, variations in the jig used to position the camera can cause the screw to be misaligned.
When you put a misaligned screw into a mounting boss that isn’t up to the task on a good day, it can put enough stress on the boss that it cracks. Expansion and contraction caused by temperature fluctuations makes the cracks bigger, which can allow water to seep in. When that water freezes, it can make the cracks even bigger, extending into the housing and letting water inside the camera. That leads to corrosion and failure.
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This investigation has taken years for Honda to identify and solve the problem. It first received reports of camera issues on vehicles repaired under the original recall in mid 2021. By 2023, it had still not identified the problem and the supplier had ended its part in the investigation. Honda’s investigation continued.
Replacement Part Should Solve The Big Picture
2018 Honda OdysseyHonda
In documents filed with the NHTSA, Honda said that it had received 1,648 warranty claims related to this issue. There were no reports of injury or death related to the problem.
Honda will let owners know about the problem and send them to their dealer for a new and improved camera. This one is provided by Sony instead of Magna like the original, and should not have the same propensity for cracks.
The Japanese automaker plans to mail out owner notifications starting August 24. Customers experiencing the problem now can reach out to their dealer, though parts may not yet be available. If owners have had to replace affected cameras outside of warranty, they should also reach out to Honda. These expenses can generally be recovered once a recall has been announced.
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Cameras have been a big sticking point for automakers over the last few years, with many recalls amounting to millions of units. The big difference here is that most of those are software related, while Honda’s is a physical hardware problem requiring a more expensive fix.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
