NHTSA Complaint #10663707 — 2004 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

ON 12/11/14, APPROXIMATELY 11:00 A.M., I STARTED MY 2004 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID AND ALLOWED IT TO WARM UP FOR A COUPLE MINUTES DUE TO COLD WEATHER (APPROXIMATELY 25 DEGREES F). I THEN DROVE THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, TURNED RIGHT, ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THE ACCELERATION DID NOT FEEL NORMAL SO I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AT ABOUT 20 TO 25 MILES PER HOUR HOWEVER THE ACCELERATOR STAYED IN PLACE AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I HELD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO TRY TO REDUCE SPEED HOWEVER THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO STICK. I BRIEFLY TRIED PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AND SHAKING IT WITH MY FOOT TO RELEASE IT HOWEVER IT CONTINUED TO STICK AND WAS NOT HELPING AT ALL. THE CAR WAS GAINING TOO MUCH SPEED SO I WENT BACK TO HOLDING THE BRAKE. I HELD THE BRAKE WHILE REACHING MY PHONE TO CALL 911 AND PLANNED TO REPORT THE SITUATION, NOTIFY THEM I WAS ABOUT TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL OR PARK, AND THAT THERE WAS AN INFANT IN THE VEHICLE. AT THIS POINT, IT HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR A LITTLE OVER A MILE AND AS I WAS UNLOCKING MY PHONE, THE ACCELERATOR FINALLY RELEASED. IT SLIGHTLY STUCK A LITTLE MORE OFF AND ON BRIEFLY BUT DID FINALLY FULLY RELEASE AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES PER HOUR. I TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY, AND AS I WAS PREPARING TO PULL OVER AT A SAFE LOCATION, THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AGAIN. AGAIN, I HELD THE BRAKE AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE ACCELERATOR RELEASED AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE EVER GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THIS CAR AGAIN. *TR