NHTSA Complaint #10184465 — 1998 HONDA ACCORD

I BOUGHT MY 1998 HONDA AT THE SAN FRANCISCO HONDA DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO AND DID ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE WORK AT THEIR SHOP. IT HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS. ON SUNDAY I WAS CROSSING THE BAY BRIDGE FROM OAKLAND INTO THE CITY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THE ENGINE REVVED LIKE I WAS IN A DRAG CAR RACE AND LURCHED FORWARD AND LOST POWER AND THEN ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE. I LITERALLY ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED A FEW TIMES AND I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! I WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO CHARGE ME A $140 NON-REFUNDABLE "DIAGNOSTIC FEE" TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG BUT THEY SUSPECTED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. I GOT A CALL THE NEXT DAY LETTING ME KNOW THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000 PARTS AND LABOR AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE TRANSMISSION AND WOULD PROBABLY TAKE 2 WEEKS TO EVEN GET IT? THE WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED HAD,OF COURSE, EXPIRED AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO GET A REASON FOR THIS HAPPENING THEY JUST SAID "IT HAPPENS". SO AFTER SPENDING $17,000+ ON A CAR AND MAINTAINING IT I NOW HAVE A DANGEROUS AND EXPENSIVE LEMON. I PAID MY $140 BLOOD MONEY AND GOT MY CAR OUT OF THERE AND DECIDING WHAT TO DO NEXT? *JB