Honda is recalling nearly 358,000 Odyssey minivans across North America due to a persistent rearview camera defect that can leave drivers with a blank screen. The safety campaign impacts 325,588 vehicles in the United States and 32,289 in Canada, focusing on model-years 2018 through 2020.
The popular, family-hauling Odyssey is a long vehicle, spanning 5,161 mm in length. With those dimensions, the loss of a rearview camera compromises rear visibility and heightens the risk of low-speed collisions, particularly in tight parking spaces or pedestrian-heavy zones. And of course, backup cameras have been mandatory equipment on all new vehicles sold in Canada since May 1, 2018.
The problem
According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the core issue centres on water infiltration. Moisture can penetrate the rearview camera housing assembly, causing the internal printed circuit board (PCB) to corrode and ultimately short-circuit.
Investigators identified two distinct manufacturing flaws behind the failure: an inadequate specification for the rearview camera housing boss hole, and the potential for a mounting screw to become misaligned during factory assembly.
This is not Honda’s first attempt to address the problem. The current campaign serves as an expansion of a previous 2020 recall. The initial remedy entailed using replacement parts manufactured by automotive supplier Magna, but after more than 1,600 subsequent warranty claims, Honda acknowledged the original fix fell short. Even vehicles that previously received the Magna camera update must return to a dealership to be re-evaluated.
The solution
To permanently resolve the issue, Honda is completely changing its hardware strategy. Dealers will inspect the minivans and replace the faulty rearview cameras with entirely redesigned units sourced from a different supplier, Sony.
Fewer than 1 percent of the recalled population is ultimately expected to exhibit the physical defect, but the replacement hardware and labour will be provided entirely free of charge.
Honda will notify affected owners by mail, advising them to schedule an appointment with an authorized dealership. In the meantime, Canadian motorists can check if their minivan is included in the safety campaign by entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the Transport Canada website or by visiting Honda's dedicated recall portal at www.Honda.ca/recalls.