NHTSA Complaint #10512859 — 2005 HONDA ACCORD

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 20/59 NEAR FT. PAYNE, ALABAMA WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET ON 75 MPH. I CHANGED LANES TO PASS A SLOWER CAR BUT DID NOT TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I TAPPED THE BREAKS TO TURN CRUISE CONTROL OFF BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. THE ACCELERATION WAS NOT A FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION, JUST A MODERATE INCREASE. I THEN SHIFTED THE CAR FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL AND THE RPM'S JUMPED UP TO REDLINE, AGAIN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. LUCKILY, A REST AREA WAS APPROACHING AND I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR INTO THE REST AREA PARKING LOT PLAYING WITH THE DRIVE/NEUTRAL OF THE TRANSMISSION AND USING THE BRAKES. ONCE I MADE IT TO A PARKING SPACE I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND SHIFTED IT INTO PARK. I WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND TURNED THE CAR BACK ON. THE RPM'S AGAIN JUMPED UP TO REDLINE WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AGAIN AND PUT MY FOOT UNDERNEATH THE GAS PEDAL AND PULLED UP. I CRANKED THE CAR AGAIN AND IT ACTED NORMAL. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. AFTER SOME DELIBERATION, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON OUR TRIP AND THE CAR WAS FINE FOR THE NEXT 4.5 HOURS. WE DROVE BACK SUNDAY, MAY 19 AND THE CAR AGAIN DROVE FINE FOR 6.5 HOURS AND HASN'T HAD A PROBLEM SINCE. THE MORNING BEFORE THE INCIDENT, I CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR AND OIL. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ALTERNATOR OR OIL CHANGE. ALSO, I DOUBLED CHECKED THE CARPET MAT IN THE CAR AND IT WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE GAS PEDAL. I AM NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH A HONDA ACCORD. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND I AM DUMBFOUNDED BY THIS. BEING IN A CAR WITH UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION IS QUITE UNNERVING. *TR