NHTSA Complaint #10505219 — 2003 HONDA ODYSSEY

WE WERE RETURNING FROM A FAMILY VACATION TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AT 70 MPH WHEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, ALL THE DIALS ON THE DASHBOARD (SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, ETC) SUDDENLY WENT TO ZERO THEN IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO NORMAL. I ALSO NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER, WHILE STILL TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ACCELERATION. SO WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER WE PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE CEASED ALL OPERATIONS. MY INITIAL EFFORTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT AFTER 5 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE CEASED OPERATIONS AFTER A FEW MINUTES. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE VEHICLE, WE DECIDED TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. WHILE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK, WE TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AGAIN TO OPERATE THE AIR CONDITIONING. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, WE NOTICED THE BURNING SMELL AND PUFFS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. WE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP TO WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY INFORMED ME THE IGNITION SWITCH "BURNED UP" INSIDE. I STILL HAVE THE PART, IF YOU CARE TO INSPECT IT. WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF OUR 700 MILE JOURNEY HOME. PLEASE NOTE THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE RECENT SAFETY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE (RECALL 13-011) FOR THE IGNITION SHIFT INTERLOCK PROBLEM. WHILE I NORMALLY DO NOT FILE COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE, I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO YOUR ATTENTION. BASED ON MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED IN MY INCIDENT. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT SERIOUS INJURY CAN OCCUR WHEN A VEHICLE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH LOSES POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR