NHTSA Complaint #10384305 — 2010 ACURA TSX

IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 8:00 AM, CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS 51 DEGREES. I WAS AT A FULL STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR WAS IDLING NORMALLY WHILE WAITING AT THE LIGHT AND THEN SUDDENLY I HEARD THE ENGINE NOISE CHANGE, RPMS INCREASED AND I COULD FEEL THE CAR PULL AGAINST THE BRAKES. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE TACH SHOT UP TO 4,500 RPMS. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT IT OFF. AFTER THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, I RESTARTED IT AND THE RPMS RETURNED TO A NORMAL IDLE. I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. IT WAS HARD TO GET THE SHIFTER OUT OF PARK BUT IT DID GO INTO DRIVE. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE LIGHT IN FRONT OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ABOUT A HALF DOZEN CHILDREN WERE CROSSING IN FRONT OF MY CAR WHEN THE ENGINE WENT OUT OF CONTROL. IT WAS VERY SCARY. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE CLOSEST ACURA DEALER TO REPORT THE INCIDENT AND TOOK THE CAR TO THAT DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM SO THEY CALLED IN THE REGIONAL ACURA REPRESENTATIVE. HE CONDUCTED A 4 HOUR EXAMINATION OF THE CAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT OFFER A SOLUTION FOR FIXING THE CAR. I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE TEST REPORT SO THAT I COULD SEE WHAT WAS TESTED AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE TESTS. ACURA REFUSED STATING THE INFORMATION WAS PROPRIETARY. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS WITH ACURA CORPORATE, THE SERVICING DEALER AND THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE TWO DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ISSUE AND STATE THAT THEY BELIEVE ACURA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING TO SOLVE THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE ACURA CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE STATES THEIR POSITION AS "WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT WE WILL NOT REPLACE THE CAR". *TR