Honda to Recall More Than 33,000 2011 Odysseys for Windshield Wiper Defect
March 18, 2011

2011 Honda Odyssey

Honda has announced that is in the process of recalling the 2011 Honda Odyssey due to a problem with the vehicle's windshield wipers. The recall potentially could affect 33,341 vehicles.

According the notice provided to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), if the blades freeze and become attached to the windshield and the wiper motor is switched on, "the front windshield wiper linkage rods may bend or separate from the motor due to insufficient stiffness of the rod."

This could cause the windshield wipers to become inoperable, according to Honda.
Honda dealers will replace the windshield wiper rod free of charge, and the official recall is scheduled to begin on or before April 14.

The vehicles in question were manufactured between August 17, 2010, and December 20, 2010. The company received the first report of an inoperative windshield wiper in Canada on November 14, 2010, a second claim from a U.S. customer came to the company on November 17. The company launched an investigation on November 18, and confirmed on December 14 that "the bending rigidity of the rod was insufficicent." Shortly after Honda decided to change the specification of the rod, but as of February 22, 2011, a total of 129 warranty claims were received in North America, "mainly cold weather areas, that are attributed to this cause."

The company determined on March 8 that a safety-related defect exists and decided to conduct a recall, according to the notification sent to NHTSA by Honda on March 15.

Honda plans to notify all customers and will ask them to take their vehicles to a local dealership to replace the front windshield wiper rod free of charge.

Need more info and analysis about the issues?
Subscribe to AGRR Magazine.