NHTSA Complaint #10326247 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

I OWN 2003 HONDA ACCORD, WHICH I JUST RECENTLY DISCOVERED HAS HISTORY OF TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS, BUT DID NOT KNOW THAT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON BUSY HIGHWAY ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT HAD BEEN HIT IN THE REAR AND THEN RAPIDLY DECELERATED. I MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR AND MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT WAS QUITE FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS NO VEHICLES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ME OTHERWISE IT COULD QUITE LIKELY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. SINCE THIS INITIAL INCIDENT, IT HAS OCCURRED, THOUGH INFREQUENTLY UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY. I AM QUITE CONCERNED THAT ONE OF THESE TIMES I WILL BE LESS FORTUNATE AND WILL BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT OF ONE OR MORE VEHICLES. AFTER THE FIRST EXPERIENCE OF THIS NATURE, I BROUGHT THE 2003 HONDA ACCORD IN AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR ITS MOST RECENT OIL CHANGE. I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD ANY OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS THAT INVOLVE A "HIT" FEELING ALONG WITH RAPID DECELERATION. THEY OF COURSE SAID NO BUT WOULD CHECK INTO IT WHILE GOING THROUGH THE STANDARD OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTIONS. AFTER WAITING A CONSIDERABLE LENGTH OF TIME, THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THEY WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH HONDA CORPORATE TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF COMPENSATION THEY AS A DEALERSHIP COULD GET. I WAS JUST INFORMED YESTERDAY THAT HONDA ESTIMATES THE REPLACEMENT COST FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE OVER $3000 AND THEY HAVE OFFERED TO COMPENSATE ABOUT $1000 LEAVING THE BALANCE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE TO MYSELF AS THE OWNER. I SUSPECT AT THIS POINT HONDA DOES NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY HAZARD THIS IS CAUSING MYSELF AND THE PASSENGER OF THE VEHICLE. ONLY TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I HAVE MY DAUGHTER DRIVING ALSO A 2003 HONDA ACCORD, NEARLY THE IDENTICAL VEHICLE, AND SHE JUST INFORMED ME THAT HER ACCORD WHICH SHE HAS AT COLLEGE HAS BEEN BUILDING ENGINE RPMS AND THEN JERKING THROUGH GEAR CHANGES. *TR