NHTSA complaint: 2003 HONDA CR-V — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION DUE TO GAS PEDAL GETTING "STUCK". ONCE A RED LIGHT TURNED GREEN VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO MOTION FROM COMPLETELY STOPPED POSITION. AFTER A FEW YARDS DRIVER HAD TO BRAKE NOT TO HIT THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF IT, WHICH WAS GOING SLOWER THAN VEHICLE IN QUESTION. INSTEAD OF REDUCING SPEED, DRIVER FACED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION THAT MADE THE VEHICLE CRASH INTO THE TRUCK. EVEN WITH THE IMPACT, THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED AND VEHICLE CRASHED AGAIN INTO THE SAME TRUCK. DRIVER REALIZED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REDUCING ITS SPEED BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THEREFORE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO PARKING AND TURNED OFF. IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AGAIN THE VEHICLE MADE A VERY LOUD ACCELERATED NOISE BUT DRIVER COULD NOT TAKE VEHICLE FROM PARKING POSITION AND NOTICED BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS WERE STIFF. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. HONDA WAS CONTACTED AND REQUESTED TO GO SEE THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT IS TAKEN APART (IN ORDER TO FIND EVIDENCE), BUT ITS REPRESENTATIVE SAID THE ONLY THING THEY CAN DO IS TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR A TEST DRIVE TO TRY TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM ONCE THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED AND SAFE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN. BASICALLY, HONDA DOESN'T SHOW INTEREST IN INVESTIGATING FURTHER AND WILL WASH ITS HANDS IF PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPRODUCED, WHICH WILL LIKELY BE THE CASE, OR ELSE THE VEHICLE WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO LEAVE THE REPAIR CENTER WHERE IT CURRENTLY IS AND TAKEN FOR SUCH "TEST DRIVE". SADLY, HONDA JUST LOST A LOYAL CUSTOMER. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation