NHTSA Complaint #10240248 — 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY

THE VAN ENGINE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON THE THIRD LANE. I ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. VAN SPEED WAS DOWN TO 40MPH WHILE MAKING RIGHTS TO GET THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE VAN STARTED IMMEDIATELY, AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY. AFTER EXITING THE FREE WAY THE ENGINE AGAIN STOPPED BUT THIS TIME WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THE LIGHTS TURNED RED AND I WAS BLOCKING ON COMING TRAFFIC AND THE PERSON BEHIND ME WAS HONKING HIS HORN. I PUT THE VAN IN PARK AND RESTARTED THE IT AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE RED LIGHT. MEAN WHILE MY WIFE NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN I GOT HOME THAT EVENING I REMOVED THE COVER AND IGNITION SWITCH WAS OVERHEATING AND KILLING THE ENGINE ( SOLDER JOINTS ON THE WIRES WERE MELTING). I LOOKED UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND IT CONFORMED THE SWITCH PROBLEM ALSO THE VAN WAS RECALLED FOR THAT REASON. I CALL HONDA AND I WAS TOLD THAT THIS RECALL WAS DONE ON THIS VAN. THE ENGINE STOPPED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TILL I GOT THE PART REPLACED. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE RECALL DID NOT WORK, AND THE REPLACED PARTS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE ORIGINAL RECALL ( OVERHEATING SWITCH) . I HAVE REPLACED THE SWITCH. BUT THE DESIGN IS STILL BAD AND THAT WILL HELP ONLY TEMPORARY. STOPPING THE VAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREE WAY OF THE INTERSECTION COMES WITH HEAVY RISKS. *TR