NHTSA Complaint #10063701 — 2004 HONDA ODYSSEY

DEAR MADAM OR SIR, WHILE DRIVING, WITH TWO CHILDREN SEATED INSIDE ON THE BACK SEATS, MY NEWLY PURCHASED HONDA ODYSSEY SUDDENLY FLASHED ALL THE SIGNALS ON THE CONTROL PANEL/DASH BOARD, BECAME ALMOST NON-MANEUVERABLE AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED JUST AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PURCHASE. MY WIFE, WHO WAS DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE TWO CHILDREN WERE IN PANIC AND SCARED NOT TO SPEAK OF THE TRAUMA AND INCONVENIENCE THEY UNDERWENT. IT PUT MY FAMILY IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ONCE AND MY FAMILY AND I FEEL VERY BAD AND INSECURE ABOUT IT. FORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON A FREEWAY OR ON ANY BUSY ROAD OTHERWISE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS FOR US. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE IN SAME SITUATION AGAIN AND WE HAVE LOST TRUST IN THIS PARTICULAR VANS MACHINERY DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT FAILED SO EARLY IN ITS LIFE CYCLE AND MORE SO BECAUSE THIS FAILURE WAS NOT OF TRIVIAL NATURE. HAD IT BEEN MINOR DEFECTS LIKE MALFUNCTIONING OF LIGHTS, INDICATORS, AC NOT WORKING, AUDIO NOT WORKING ETC. WE WOULD HAVE IGNORED. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE FAILED. AS PER DEALERSHIP AND AMERICAN HONDA THE VAN HAS BEEN REPAIRED BUT THIS HAPPENED SO EARLY IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE SUPPOSEDLY NEW VAN THAT MY FAMILY AND I ARE AFRAID AND HESITANT OF TAKING IT ON EVEN LOCAL ROADS. AS THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY AND ME AND MAY BE ALSO OTHERS, I THOUGHT IT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. MY FAMILY AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION INTO THIS MATTER THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US. *AK