NHTSA Complaint #10701762 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

I WAS ON AN OLD SIX-LANE HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEEDS WERE 45-50 MPH. MY CAR SUDDENLY FULLY ACCELERATED, JUST AS IF I HAD FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE IT TO A FULL STOP WITHOUT HITTING THE CAR AHEAD OF ME OR GOING THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT PART WAY ONTO A MEDIAN STRIP AND THROW IT INTO PARK AND THEN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR. A PASSING TAXI DRIVER CHECKED THE ENGINE AND SAID THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK FULLY OPEN. HE WAS ABLE TO FIX THE THROTTLE AND DROVE THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY, WHERE I WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. MY MECHANIC RAN COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS ON THE CAR BUT COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. HE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM UNTIL ONE OF HIS STAFF EXPERIENCED IT WHILE BACKING UP THE CAR. THE ONLY THING HE COULD PROPOSE WAS TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY, WHICH DID NOT APPEAR TO NEED REPLACING. MY RESEARCHES LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A COMPUTER FAILURE. I NO LONGER OWN THE CAR. *TR