NHTSA Complaint #10301760 — 1998 HONDA ACCORD

HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WAS DRIVING SLOWLY UP A HILL IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AND THE CAR ACTED LIKE I HAD PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. AT THIS TIME THE CAR RPMS JUMPED UP AND THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS ALMOST ROLLING INTO A CAR BEHIND ME. THE CAR THEN JUMPED INTO GEAR AND LURCHED FORWARD ALMOST HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR STARTED TO RUN FINE AFTER THAT BUT SINCE IT HAD FIRST HAPPENED IT HAS RE-OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIME, JUST NOT ON A HILL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND A READING OF THE CODE WAS A PO740 WHICH IS A FAILURE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER. I'VE CHECKED ON THE WEB TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND I'M SURPRISED TO SEE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ACCORD MODELS FROM 98 TO ABOUT 2002. THERE WAS NO ONE HURT OR DAMAGE TO ANYTHING BUT I CAN SEE WHERE IT COULD REALLY BE A SAFETY ISSUE AROUND UNEVEN ROADS WITH SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC OR, AROUND MALL TYPE PARKING LOTS WHERE THERE ARE USUALLY A NUMBER OF PERSONS WALKING AROUND AND THRU TRAFFIC. *TR