NHTSA Complaint #10761913 — 2015 HONDA ODYSSEY

ON AUGUST 9, 2015, WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM VACATION FROM CEDAR POINT, OHIO TO PITTSBURGH, PA. THIS IS ABOUT A 200 MILE TRIP. THE VEHICLE RAN SMOOTHLY THE ENTIRE TRIP UNTIL I LEFT THE TURNPIKE OF DRIVING 60-70 MILES PER HOUR AND THEN BEGAN DRIVING ON A ROAD WITH A 40 MPH SPEED LIMIT. ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS AT A RED LIGHT WAITING IN TRAFFIC. AS SOON AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. WE BEGAN ACCELERATING TO 25 MILES PER HOUR BUT KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. MY CAR WOULD NOT LEAVE FIRST GEAR. THE GAUGE ON THE DASHBOARD WENT FROM 1-7 GEAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE TRAVELING 15-20 MILES PER HOUR IN A 40MPH ZONE. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CHANGE LANES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENTIRE CAR JUMPED AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR BEGAN DRIVING FASTER BUT NOT ANY FASTER THAN 40 MPH. AGAIN, ALL WE COULD HEAR WAS ROOOOOOOM AND THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LOOKED LIKE WINDSHIELD WIPERS GOING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE CAR WOULD NOT LEAVE 2ND GEAR. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN AT EACH RED LIGHT. SINCE THIS WAS A SUNDAY, THE SERVICE CENTER WAS CLOSED. IT WASN'T UNTIL WEDNESDAY THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY VEHICLE. SINCE NO SENSORS INDICATED A PROBLEM, THEY STATED THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I AM NOT FABRICATING THIS INCIDENT ONE BIT AND AM AFRAID OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN BUT HAVING A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. IF I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP DISMISSED ME BECAUSE A SENSOR DID NOT INDICATE A PROBLEM, WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR A SENSOR TO TRIGGER? THIS IS A LEASED VEHICLE OF 1 MONTH AND I AM VERY CONCERNED OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN OR WORSE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 3 AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF IN A 1 MONTH OLD VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 2,000 MILES.