NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA08-015: Unexpected Closing of Power Liftgate
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA08-015 on August 8, 2008, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE08-026, whose summary cites it, and closed it on April 12, 2010. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2005 Honda Odyssey for it and links recall 10V-055 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA08-015 (also written EA08015)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed April 12, 2010
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
- Components
- Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate; Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate — Support Device/Strut
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 10V-055: POWER LIFTGATE SYSTEMS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2005 Honda Odyssey
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA08-015.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
Honda will replace the liftgate struts in approximately 21,776 model year 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring vehicles equipped with power liftgates that were built before a manufacturing change of the liftgate strut assembly on July 16, 2005 (NHTSA Recall No. 10V-055).
Vehicles built after the change experience significantly lower failure rates.
The recall will inform consumers of the dangers of the existing struts and provide the opportunity for vehicle owners to obtain new struts that are more robust.
Based on Honda's action, the agency has decided to close the investigation.
While Honda has not made a decision that the recalled vehicles contain a safety-related defect, in view of the recall, further use of the agency's resources does not appear to be warranted.
The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
Additional information can be found in the attached Engineering Analysis Report.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA08-015. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Honda
Honda Odyssey
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Honda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA08-015
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.