NHTSA Complaint #10543950 — 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY

ON 9/3/13, WHILE DRIVING FIVE CHILDREN TO SCHOOL IN OUR LEASED 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN ABRUPTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS TURNING THROUGH A MAJOR 4-WAY INTERSECTION. THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES IMMEDIATELY LOCKED, LEAVING ME COMPLETELY PARALYZED AND UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE ODYSSEY COASTED INTO A YARD, NARROWLY MISSING A LARGE POLE, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO PLACE IT INTO PARK AND RESTART IT. I DROVE BACK ONTO THE STREET AND EXERCISED GREAT CAUTION TO PROCEED THE SHORT DISTANCE TO SCHOOL. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE LATER, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ONCE AGAIN. THIS HAS OCCURRED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR (TWICE WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THREE TIMES WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION - TWICE ON CITY STREETS AND ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY). I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE TO OUR LEASING DEALER, GANLEY HONDA IN NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO, ON 9/3/13 FOR SERVICE, WHERE IT REMAINS TO THIS DAY. GANLEY HONDA'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY AND/OR RESOLVE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT UNLESS THEY HAVE "EVIDENCE" OF THE MALFUNCTION, THE VEHICLE IS FINE AND SAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE THEIR COMPUTERS HAVE GENERATED NO ERROR CODES AND ROAD TESTS HAVE NOT REPLICATED THE POTENTIALLY LATENT MALFUNCTION, THEY MAINTAIN THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THEY ARE NOW READY TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO US FOR THE DURATION OF OUR LEASE (WE HAVE FIVE MONTHS REMAINING). THIS IS THE FIFTH VEHICLE OVER THE PAST 16+ YEARS THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED THROUGH THIS DEALERSHIP. GIVEN THE ENGINE'S PATTERN OF SHUTTING DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, LEADING TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCKING, WE FEEL THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND ARE UNWILLING TO PLACE OURSELVES OR OUR CHILDREN INTO IT UNLESS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION IS IDENTIFIED AND THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. *TR