The 2022 Honda Odyssey is missing one of the great features that made previous iterations so practical; its built-in mini vacuum cleaner in the trunk. Seeing Honda remove this option came as a shock but we now know why it is no longer available.
Following a little bit of digging, The Drive discovered that Shop-Vac, the company that supplied the tiny vacuum cleaners for the Honda Odyssey, went out of business on September 15 last year.
The company, which had employed 1,700 people, closed unexpectedly last year due to the global economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Shop-Vac had been looking for a potential buyer but the sale fell through, forcing it to shut shop. Employees were informed on the morning of September 15 and lost their jobs immediately.
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In a statement issued to The Drive, a Honda representative confirmed that the automaker found out about Shop-Vac’s closure at the same time its employees did.
“Shop-Vac was the company that supplied HondaVac to us, and they went out of business,” Honda said. “This was an unexpected development, as we were expecting a buyer for the company that would have ensured continuous supply of the HondaVac. We learned in mid-September that Shop-Vac Corporation would be going out of business.”
Not all hope is lost, however. Shop-Vac was purchased by GreatStar Tools USA at the end of 2020 and its new owners do intend on reopening its plant and expanding Shop-Vac’s business. Honda has confirmed that it is investigating the possibility of bringing back the HondaVac to the Odyssey but has yet to find an alternative supplier.