Add this to your list of things that suck: Honda will no longer include a convenient crumb-cleaning vacuum in the cargo area of higher-end versions of its 2022 Odyssey minivan.
But don’t blame Honda.
The HondaVAC was actually made by Shop-Vac, which closed shop in September 2020 after it was unable to find a buyer for its wet-dry vacuum operations. The closure resulted in over 400 employees in Pennsylvania losing their jobs, and Honda lost its vacuum supplier. (Late last year another buyer stepped in to save Shop-Vac).
Previously, the HondaVAC was standard in the range-topping Odyssey Elite. However, the early 2022 Odyssey is now in showrooms — without a vacuum.
This marks the first time Honda has been without a vacuum since it introduced the now-copied feature for the 2014 model year.
Shop-Vac’s closure may have affected the new Toyota Sienna. The automaker said late last year that it will delay introduction of a long-planned vacuum option for the hybrid van.
If a vacuum is a big selling point for you — and we can understand why — Chrysler still offers one in certain versions of its Pacifica minivan. Additionally, Honda dealers should have plenty of leftover 2021s and even a few 2020s for the foreseeable future.
