NHTSA Complaint #10452870 — 2010 HONDA ODYSSEY

AT LOW SPEEDS FROM 20-35 MILES PER HOUR, THE VEHICLE ABS CAUSES BRAKING TO FAIL TO HALT THE VEHICLE IN THE ANTICIPATED DISTANCE OF OTHER CARS. IT TAKES 3.5 CAR LENGTHS AT 18-20 MPH, WHICH CAN LEAD TO REAR END COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU ARE FORCED TO KEEP DOUBLE THE NORMAL NUMBER OF CAR LENGTHS BEHIND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU. AND YOUR FRONT WHEELS START SORT OF 'HOPPING' CAUSING PARTIAL LOSS OF TRACTION, DURING THE ABS CYCLE THAT PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE ENGAGING. I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH MY PRIOR 2007 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID, ONLY WORSENED BY THE VARIOUS HYBRID COMPONENTS KICKING IN AND OUT, INCLUDING THE REGEN BRAKING, AND THE ENGINE CUTOFF, AS WELL AS THE ABS AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTING. I HAD TWO MINOR REAR END FRONT END ACCIDENTS BUT FREQUENTLY FOUND MYSELF SKIDDING INTO INTERSECTIONS. BOTH VEHICLES ALSO SUFFERED FROM DIFFICULTY REGULATING SPEED WITHOUT USING THE BRAKES, AND VERY SENSITIVE SPEED BRAKING. NONETHELESS, I THINK THE ABS, SUSPENSION AND THE BRAKING ARE COMBINING TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO PARTLY LOSE TRACTION AND LEADS TO EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCES AT LOW SPEED. I HAVE NOT ONLY REPEATEDLY WRITTEN AND CALLED HONDA ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, I'VE EVEN THREATENED TO TERMINATE MY LEASE AGREEMENT OVER IT. HONDA'S ONLY RESPONSE TO MY CALLS AND LETTERS SINCE 2008 IS THAT 'THERE IS NO OUTSTANDING RECALL REGARDING THE CONDITION YOU ARE REPORTING', TO WHICH MY COMMENT: "THERE DARN WELL SHOULD BE!" FALLS ON VERY DEAF CORPORATE EARS. *TR