NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE11-034: Unexpected Closing of Power Liftgate

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE11-034 on September 23, 2011 and closed it on February 29, 2012. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2008–2009 Honda Odyssey for it and links recall 12V-062 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE11-034 (also written PE11034)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed February 29, 2012
Opened: September 23, 2011
Closed: February 29, 2012
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Components: Latches/Locks/Linkages — Hatchback/Liftgate — Lock; Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate; Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate — Hinge and Attachments; Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate — Support Device/Strut; Structure — Body — Tailgate; Structure — Body — Tailgate — Hinge and Attachments
Recall linked by NHTSA: 12V-062: POWER LIFTGATE GAS STRUTS, reported February 16, 2012
Vehicles and equipment: 2008–2009 Honda Odyssey

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-034.

The investigation found that the liftgate struts were failing prematurely and at an abnormal rate in certain model year (MY) 2008 Honda Odyssey Touring and 2009 Honda Odyssey Touring and EX-L model vehicles equipped with power-operated rear liftgates (note: MY 2008 Odyssey EX-L was not equipped with a power liftgate).

Unlike vehicles with non-powered (manual) liftgates, the subject vehicle's liftgate can be opened automatically (via the power liftgate motor) even when the struts are in a degraded condition and can no longer support it in the open position.

Consumers standing or accessing the rear cargo area under the liftgate and expecting the liftgate will stay open, can be struck when the liftgate unexpectedly drops, or can be trapped under the liftgate as it power closes, both of which can occur when the system detects and reacts to degraded struts.

By contrast, users of a manual liftgate assist in lifting it, and thus notice the lack of support as the struts degrade.

Honda is conducting a recall to replace the liftgate struts in approximately 45,747 MY 2008 and early MY 2009 Odyssey vehicles equipped with power liftgates built before a manufacturing change of the liftgate strut assembly that occurred on January 13, 2009 (see NHTSA Safety Recall No. 12V-062 for further details).

The vehicles subject to the recall account for 101 complaints, 12 injuries, and 5,630 of the warranty claims shown above (i.e., the MY 2009 and 2010 vehicles built after the manufacturing change experience lower failure rates).

In addition, and based on consumer complaints to NHTSA, Odyssey vehicles without power liftgates experience lower complaint and injury rates than the Odyssey vehicles equipped with power liftgates (subject vehicles).

The reports cited above can be reviewed online at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10442027, 10441232, 10437461, 10432557, 10430420, 10429962, 10412908, 10401388, 10395475, 10390216, 10343678, 10336744, 10294156

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE11-034. 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
- 2008, 2009

All Honda recalls

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 PE11-034

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.