NHTSA Complaint #10177717 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING INTERMITTENTLY FOR 2.5 YEARS, HAS NEVER MANIFESTED ITSELF WHILE AT THE DEALER. IT ALL STARTED WITH THE YELLOW TRACTION CONTROL TRIANGLE LIGHTING UP, RIGHT AFTER WE BOUGHT THE CAR. NO SYMPTOMS, JUST SOLID NON-BLINKING LIGHT ON DASH. DEALER HAD NO SOLUTION. THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE WHEN MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO "BOG DOWN". I NEVER EXPERIENCED IT, JUST MY WIFE. DEALER SAID THIS WAS JUST THE TRACTION CONTROL KICKING IN, NO SOLUTION. LAST JULY, 4 HOURS FROM HOME, THE CAR SUDDENLY BOGGED DOWN ON ME, I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED DOWN AT THE DASH... THE CAR WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS DEAD, THE ENGINE WAS DEAD, I HAPPENED TO BE AT AN EXIT RAMP, SO I COASTED OFF THE INTERSTATE TO A STOP. I CALLED THE DEALER IN THE NEAREST CITY, AND THEY SAID TO RESTART THE CAR, I DID, AND IT RAN. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTO ZONE WHERE THEY SAID THE CODE WAS "SPEED CONTROL SENSOR/SHORT". DEALER CHECKED IT, AND SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH SENSOR. THEY BLAMED IT ON HAVING TOO MUCH TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE TRANSMISSION. A FEW TIMES SINCE JULY, THE CAR HAS MYSTERIOUSLY GONE DEAD IN TRAFFIC, NOTABLY WHILE IN THE TURN LANE. 2 WEEKS AGO, THE RED BRAKE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. AN ISOLATED AND SEPARATE ISSUE I THINK. LAST WEEK, I DROVE 1 HOUR TO THE AIRPORT. THE TRACTION CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND EVERY TIME I USED THE TURN INDICATOR, THE CAR DIED. IT RESTARTED ITSELF AS SOON AS THE TURN INDICATOR WAS RELEASED IF MOVING FAST ON ROAD. WHILE LOOPING AROUND THE AIRPORT TERMINAL, IT STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AS I TESTED TO SEE IF THE TURN SIGNAL STILL KILLED IT, HAVING TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART, AS THE CAR WAS IDLING WHEN IT STALLED THIS TIME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO LOAD BAGS, AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, NO SYMPTOMS, AND IT HAS NOT DONE IT SINCE LAST WEEK. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, AGAIN NO SOLUTION. *JB