In wake of teen’s death, what to know about the Honda Odyssey

A 16-year-old Cincinnati-area high school sophomore died this week in a 2004 Honda Odyssey van, one of the most popular mini-vans on North American roads.

Many are wondering how that could have happened.

The teen died Tuesday in the parking lot of Seven Hills High School when his van seat fatally crushed him after he was trapped in the third row seat bench.

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Plush may have been wedged by the unsecured third-row seat while reaching for something in the rear of the minivan. WCPO in Cincinnati has reported that Plush lived “with spinal developmental problems and other medical issues that impeded his physical mobility.”

On newer Odysseys, the third-row seat can fold flat forward and be tucked into a fairly deep storage well at the back of the van, creating a mostly flat floor and creating extra storage space in the back.

Here’s what to know about the Odyssey.

1. It’s American-made.

The Odyssey is made at a Honda assembly plant in Lincoln, Ala.

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Honda Manufacturing of Alabama says it is the company’s largest light truck production facility, making not only the Odyssey, but the Pilot, the Ridgeline and their V-6 powerplants.

The model sold more than 100,000 units in 2017, down from nearly 121,000 in 2016, according to Honda.

The 2018 Odyssey is the fourth generation to be built in Alabama, and the second generation of Odyssey to be designed and developed in the United States, Honda says.

2. The Odyssey has been recalled for seat issues.

In November lats year, Honda recalled about 900,000 of the minivans because second-row seats were feared to have a tendency to tip forward if they weren’t properly secured, according to the automaker.

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Honda says it has received 46 reports of minor injuries related to the issue.

The recall affected the 2011-17 model years. About 800,000 of the affected minivans were sold in the United States in those years.

You can get more information about recalls of any vehicles at www.nhtsa.gov.

3. The popular vehicle has generally received good reviews. 

“The Honda Odyssey remains one of the best minivans on the market, trailing only the … Chrysler Pacifica in terms of ease of use, features, and practicality, and just edging past the Chrysler in driving pleasure,” Car and Driver said only last month.

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