Owners describe widespread problems with the sliding doors and rear liftgate. The most serious involve doors opening while driving at highway speed—at 30, 65 mph, and higher—and failing to latch closed afterward. Some doors stick or won't close at all; others only open partially before slamming shut. One owner's door flew open at 30 mph and couldn't be closed; the dealer replaced the latch for $376.61, but the same door failed identically two months later. Multiple owners report doors that refuse to open from the inside handle, operate only from external buttons, or fail to stay closed even after repairs.
The rear liftgate presents acute safety risks. Gas-filled struts frequently fail, causing the heavy door to slam shut without warning or refuse to stay open. Owners report the door hitting their heads, ears, and backs, with one injury requiring eight stitches. Cold weather appears to worsen strut failure. Many owners note Honda issued a recall for this exact failure (NHTSA 12V062000), but numerous vehicles with identical failures fall outside the recall's VIN scope—Honda itself has confirmed receiving reports from owners experiencing the recalled failure on non-recalled units.
Paint and corrosion issues appear on roofs and hoods starting around 40,000 miles. One owner also reported an engine fire caused by original alternator wiring at 30 mph with no accident. A front door lock failure trapped one owner inside at 231,438 miles. Window regulators occasionally freeze in winter, especially on the passenger side.
Failure modes owners describe
Sliding door latch failure and won't close
Driver-side and passenger-side sliding doors fail to latch or close properly. Door latch becomes sticky or stops working, sometimes requiring the door to be held manually while driving or requiring screwdriver and grease adjustment at the dealer.
When: Various mileages; one failure occurred at approximately 5,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Door flies open while driving at 30 mph; Door will not close despite multiple attempts; Rear latch sticks, preventing door from closing; Door only opens partially then closes; Door won't open from inside handle, only outside or driver button; Door won't latch in closed position; Door automatically locks then re-locks when unlocked
Repairs/costs cited: Latch assembly replacement: $376.61 (unnecessary in at least one case per owner). Door adjustment with screwdriver and grease. One case mentioned $930 estimated for driver side sliding door rear latch assembly.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner requested reimbursement for unnecessary latch replacement; denied. Dealer noted they had never had to replace a latch assembly in these vans.
Sliding door falls off track
Sliding doors become stuck or sticking in the closed position, and when owner attempts manual closure after disabling power, the door pulls completely off the track.
When: Various mileages
Symptoms owners cite: Door sticks and will not slide closed; Door pulls off track when manually closing; Brace scratches and panel damage from door being off track; Door detaches from vehicle entirely
Repairs/costs cited: Body shop replacement of brace; owner states 'hundreds and hundreds of $$' spent. One case: top roller replacement required at 112,000 miles.
Automatic sliding door opens while driving
Power sliding doors open unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion, creating a serious safety hazard. Doors fail to latch when turned off, draining battery.
When: Various mileages and speeds (30 mph, 65 mph reported)
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens suddenly while driving at highway speeds; Latch fails to remain in closed position; Failure more frequent in cold weather; Door will not stay latched after being closed; Doors open when turned off
Repairs/costs cited: Lubricant applied to latch (unsuccessful in at least one case). One repair cost: $680. Latch replacement in one case failed to resolve the issue two months later.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified in multiple cases. Lubricant application attempted but did not resolve failure.
Power liftgate strut failure—door drops without warning
Gas-filled struts supporting the rear power liftgate fail and collapse, causing the heavy liftgate door to slam shut with force or refuse to stay open. Affects both motorized and manual liftgates. Multiple owners report near-miss or actual injuries, including head/ear impact and lacerations requiring stitches.
When: Various mileages: 8,000; 21,000; 24,000; 30,000; 50,000; 76,000 miles reported
Symptoms owners cite: Liftgate will not stay open or only stays open briefly; Liftgate slams shut suddenly and with force; Liftgate closes without warning while loading cargo; Struts cannot hold door open, door slumps halfway; Liftgate bounces when opening then closes; Failure worse in cold temperatures (below 40-50°F); Grease leaking from hinges
Repairs/costs cited: Strut replacement cost $156.31 (2015). One owner replaced struts under recall in 2012, struts failed again in same manner by 2015. Repairs at dealer under warranty in at least one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall NHTSA Campaign ID 12V062000 (Structure: Body: Hatchback/Liftgate: Support Device) issued, but many owners report their VINs excluded from recall despite experiencing identical failures. Honda confirms receiving reports from other owners with same issue not covered by recall.
Automatic door lock/unlock actuator failure
Driver-side door actuator controlling automated locking and unlocking system fails. Door no longer automatically locks when vehicle moves or unlocks when vehicle is in park. Door must be manually lifted to unlock.
When: Unknown specific mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Door will not automatically unlock; Door will not automatically lock; Door must be manually lifted to unlock; All doors in vehicle must be manually unlocked since system controls all doors
Repairs/costs cited: $400 repair quoted for actuator replacement
Engine fire—alternator wiring
Vehicle caught fire while being driven at low speed with no accident. Smoke and flames emanated from under engine cover. Professional inspectors and workshop technicians identified original Honda alternator wiring as cause of fire.
When: May 13, 2018; vehicle purchased new in 2009 and maintained per Honda requirements
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle suddenly stopped at 30 mph; Vehicle shook; Smoke came from under engine cover; Flames shot out 6–8 feet high when hood opened; No accident involved
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle total loss due to fire damage. Professional car inspector report attached to complaint.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None mentioned; owner requested Honda investigate potential fire risk with similar wiring.
Front passenger door opens while driving
Front passenger-side door opens independently while vehicle is in motion. Door closes but latch fails to secure properly.
When: At approximately 5,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens independently while driving at 65 mph; Latch fails to remain in secure closed position; Failure becomes more frequent in colder weather; Door will not stay closed
Repairs/costs cited: Lubricant applied to latch; failure continued. Vehicle not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified but issue not resolved.
Front driver door will not unlock
Front driver-side door becomes stuck in locked position and cannot be unlocked manually or electronically, trapping occupant inside vehicle.
When: At approximately 231,438 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Door will not open when pulled; Door will not unlock electronically; Door stuck in locked position; Door handle must be removed to unlock door; No warning lights
Repairs/costs cited: Door handle removed to unlock door. Vehicle not professionally diagnosed or repaired.
Passenger side sliding door—worn bushing and faulty latch
Passenger side sliding door center rollers develop worn bushings and outer handle cable becomes loose/pops out. Driver side sliding door rear latch becomes faulty.
When: Unknown specific mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger side door won't shut; Driver side door won't latch; Driver side door suddenly opens when driving; Worn bushing on passenger side center rollers
Repairs/costs cited: Technician recommended driver side sliding door rear latch assembly replacement estimated at $930 and passenger side center rollers replacement estimated at $485. Passenger side outer handle cable also required replacement.
Paint failure and corrosion
Paint peels or oxidizes on roof, hood, and in front/back of front doors. Corrosion occurs without exposure to typical corrosion-prone areas. Paint appears white then turns gray/dark gray. Dealership refused to repair after initial partial repaint.
When: 40,000 miles for roof oxidation; early 2017 for passenger side roof oxidation
Symptoms owners cite: Paint peeling from primer on roof and around front doors; Paint oxidizing and turning white, then gray/dark gray; Corrosion on hood; Paint failure not in typical weather-wear areas
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership and owner paid half-and-half for initial roof repaint (~$XXX not specified). When corrosion found on hood, dealership required full vehicle repaint. Owner could not afford and left vehicle unrepaired. Paint recall existed for 2008 and 2010 model years but not 2009.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership stated no recalls for 2009 color despite recalls for model years before and after.
Power window stuck in down position (winter)
Passenger side windows (both front and rear) fail to roll up in cold weather, typically resolving after waiting some time.
When: Occurs in winter
Symptoms owners cite: Window will not lift when button pressed; Generally occurs passenger side; Affects both front and rear window; Intermittent; resolves after waiting
Repairs/costs cited: Taken to dealer but issue resolved by time of service, so not diagnosed.
Water leak from door area affecting electrical system
Water leaks from driver-side area, possibly from side airbag trim piece or windshield gasket. Leak shorts out electrical fuse box under hood.
When: Unknown specific mileage; issue recurred after repairs
Symptoms owners cite: Leak on driver side; Entire electrical fuse box shorted out; Leak recurs despite windshield and electrical repairs
Repairs/costs cited: Entire electrical system and windshield replaced to address leak; leak returned.
Automatic sliding door—intermittent operation and safety sensor failure
Left sliding door operates intermittently, opening only slightly before closing. Door does not open from inside handle. Sensor failure prevents proper door operation. Door occasionally closes on occupants.
When: Unknown specific mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens only partially then closes on occupant legs; Door will not open from inside handle; Door will not close; starts to close then reopens; Door sensor appears not to be functioning; Door closes on arm/leg of occupant; Requires vehicle to be in reverse or drive to close door; Right door starting to exhibit same symptoms
Synthesized from 54 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.