NHTSA Complaint #10516146 — 2011 HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR

I HAD MY CAR SERVICED FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON 5/31/ 2013. THIS MAINTENANCE INCLUDED ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AS SUGGESTED BY HONDA. ON 6/9/2013 I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A TRIP ON AN INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR WAS OPERABLE, MEANING I HAD POWER FOR THE STEERING AND THE ENGINE WAS ON, HOWEVER I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. AN ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AT AN EXIT POINT. I EXITED THE INTERSTATE TO A GAS STATION PARKING LOT AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP. AT THIS TIME I DISCOVERED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME. I ALSO REALIZED I WAS IN AN UNDESIRABLE LOCATION FOR A SINGLE WOMAN TRAVELING ALONE. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR AT LEAST TO A MORE SECURE LOCATION FOR PERSONAL SAFETY REASONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES PER HOUR ON A BUSY ROAD, I RELOCATED THE CAR TO A LOCATION I FELT MORE SAFE. I DISCOVER ON JUNE 10, 2013 WHEN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OPENS THAT MY CAR CAN BE REPAIRED AND THAT IT IS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM (RELATIVE WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING 70 MILES AN HOUR AND LOSE POWER), BUT RATHER A SIMPLE ELECTRICAL OIL SWITCH. I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A ?BULLETIN? (13-031) ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM I ASKED IF THE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED WHY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS NOT COMPLETED WHEN THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TWO WEEKS EARLIER. I WAS TOLD THAT BULLETINS WERE NOT MEANT FOR PROACTIVE CORRECTION, BUT RATHER RE-ACTIVE CORRECTION AFTER THE ISSUE OR REPAIR NEED PRESENTS ITSELF. I WAS TOLD ONLY A ?RECALL? WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO PROACTIVELY CORRECT THE KNOWN ISSUE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DISASTER. IF AN ISSUE IS KNOWN TO CAUSE LOSS OF ACCELERATION, AND THIS LOSS OF ACCELERATION CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME UNPREDICTABLY (WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED) THIS IS NOT A BULLETIN BUT A RECALL. *TR