NHTSA Complaint #10249323 — 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY

NEW 2008 HONDA ODYSSEY EX-L MINIVAN / MAY 28, 2008 TOOK DELIVERY A FEW DAYS LATER, IN JUNE. TWO WEEKS AGO THE ENGINE LIGHT MYSTERIOUSLY CAME ON FOR 1/2 A DAY AND THEN TURNED OFF BY ITSELF. A WEEK LATER THE TIRE SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON. ON WED ( NOV 12, 2008) WHILE DRIVING MY 3 YEAR OLD & 8 YEAR OLD SONS TO SCHOOL, THE THROTTLE STARTED TO STICK. IT DID IT ONCE LIGHTLY - DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS. I APPLIED THE BRAKE & THE CAR STOPPED. THE ENGINE SETTLED DOWN AND WE SET OUT AGAIN & IT DID THE SAME THING. WE STOPPED BUT WERE ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM SCHOOL & THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AGAIN, SO WE SET OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME, WHILE GOING UP A FAIRLY STEEP HILL, THE ENGINE TOOK OVER AND THE THROTTLE WENT ON FULL BLAST - THE REGULAR BRAKE WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR ! I APPLIED THE BRAKE- MASHING IT TO THE FLOOR & WE KEPT GOING FORWARD ! I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL & PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH STOPPED THE CAR RIGHT BEFORE HITTING THE PARKING LOT FENCE BUT THE ENGINE WAS SCREAMINGLY HIGH & I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BLOW. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE WITH THE KEY & IT STOPPED. WE HAD AAA TOW IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 30 MIN LATER. THE SERVICE DEPT. DID INVESTIGATE & WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ENGINE LIGHT ERROR MESSAGE FROM TWO WEEKS AGO - BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS "AN ODD UNRELATED SENSOR CODE" THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THROTTLE. THAT CODE WAS A SENSOR MALFUNCTION & IT WAS RESET. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND & ON MONDAY WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GIVING THE CAR BACK TO US WITH NOTHING FIXED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT TRACK ANY OTHER ERROR MESSAGES & COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED HONDA WHO DECLINED TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER. THE DEALERSHIP ASKED IF THEY COULD REPLACE THE COMPUTER AS GOOD WILL & HONDA TOLD THEM THE DEALERSHIP WOULD ASSUME ALL RISK FOR LIABILITY - SO THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP DECLINED TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER. WE ARE NOW FACED WITH THIS NEW/LEMON CAR THAT HAS A LIFE THREATENING COMPUTER GLITCH/VIRUS AND NO RECOURSE. *TR