# 2019 HONDA ODYSSEY — STRUCTURE:BODY
> NHTSA complaint `1728654` · 2021-02-22 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** HONDA
- **Model:** ODYSSEY
- **Year:** 2019
- **Manufacturer:** Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
- **Component:** STRUCTURE:BODY
- **Miles at failure:** 19,000
## Narrative
THE NON-POWER TAILGATE ON MY 2019 HONDA ODYSSEY EX ONLY OPENS TO, A HEAD BASHING, ABOUT 5 FT 10 IN. ME, MY WIFE, AND MY 13-YEAR DAUGHTER REPEATEDLY HIT OUR HEADS ON THE LIFTGATE. THE 2019-2021 TRIMS WITH POWER LIFTGATE OPEN HIGHER THAN 6FT 2 INCHES. ALSO, PRIOR GENERATIONS (PRE-2019) OF HONDAY ODYSSEY LIFTAGTES OPENED HIGHER THAN 6 FT. WITH OUR CURRENT 2019 EX TRIM ME, MY WIFE, AND OUR 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER ALL HAVE TO DUCK EVERY TIME WE LOAD/UNLOAD THE TRUNK. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT'S NORMAL FOR THE EX LIFTGATE TO OPEN ONLY 5FT 10IN OR SO. I COMPLAINED TO HONDA CORPORATE AFTER I, AGAIN, HIT MY HEAD (WITH SCARS AND PHOTOS TO PROVE IT). HONDA CALLED ME AND SAID THAT IT IS NORMAL. I OWNED SEVERAL CARS BEFORE, HONDA AND OTHER BRANDS, AND NEVER EVER HAD AN ISSUE HURTING MY HEAD ON THE LIFTGATE. I AM 6FT 1IN. THIS ISSUE IS AN INNJURY HAZARD. HONDA NEEDS TO ADMIT TO THIS AS EITHER AN ENGINEERING OR DESIGN OVERSIGHT, OR A BAD DECISION, WITH THE NON-POWER EX TRIM LIFTGATE. THE POWER LIFTGATE TRIMS (MORE EXPENSIVE) DO OPEN HIGHER THAN 6 FT, SO CLEARLY IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. I ALSO CHECKED THE 2021 ODYSSEY MODELS TODAY AT THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP - HONDA DID NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE: THE EX NON-POWER LIFTGATE STILL OPENS AT A SIMILAR 5'10'' WHILE THE MORE EXPENSIVE EX-L POWER LIFTGATE OPENS BEYOND 6'3''. PLEASE HELP ME AND MANY OTHER EX TRIM OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A LONG CONVERSATION HERE: HTTPS://WWW.ODYCLUB.COM/THREADS/PROBLEM-WITH-OPENING-HEIGHT-OF-TAILGATE-ON-2019-
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*