NHTSA Complaint #10763731 — 2013 HONDA CR-V

WE PURCHASED A 2013 HONDA CRV AND WOUND UP RETURNING THE VEHICLE THAT DAY WITH ONLY 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE CAR. WE WERE ON THE FREEWAY, MY HUSBAND WAS BEHIND US IN OUR OTHER CAR. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE GAS PEDAL BASICALLY LOST POWER. IT FELT AS IF THE RESISTANCE BEHIND THE PEDAL JUST DISAPPEARED (ACCELERATOR HESITANCY ALSO HAPPENED AT A LEFT TURN GOING 5 MPH). AT THAT MOMENT THE CAR LOST POWER...SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, THE PEDAL RESUMED ITS NORMAL FEEL AND POWER RESUMED...IT DID THIS 3 TIMES. RIGHT AT THE FIRST TIME IT DID THIS, I HEARD A TRIPLE CLICK (SOUNDED LIKE THE CLICKS YOU GET WHEN THE CAR DOES NOT TURN ON AFTER BATTERY DRAIN). SO, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, LOSS OF POWER, POWER, LOSS OF POWER, POWER, LOSS OF POWER, POWER. I IMMEDIATELY GOT INTO THE RIGHT LANE THINKING THE CAR WAS GOING TO DIE ON ME AND EXPECTING TO HAVE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. MY HUSBAND WATCHED THE WHOLE THING IN OUR TRUCK SO HE HAD A GOOD VIEW. HE SAW 3 EXPULSIONS OF BLUISH EXHAUST COME OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE AND SAW THE CAR SLOW DOWN AT EACH OF THE POWER LOSS EVENTS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS HAPPENING NO ONLY TO THIS CAR, BUT THE FORESTER AND RAV4 AND OTHERS. SERVICE WAS SO RELIANT ON THEIR COMPUTER READ OUT, WHICH SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG, THAT WE DID NOT HAVE FAITH THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM AND FIND A SOLUTION. SO WE CANCELLED THE SALE. IT IS ASHAME THAT THE NHTS HAS ONLY REQUIRED MAT CHANGES AS RECALLS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A COMPUTER PROGRAMMING ERROR IN WHICH THE CAR COMPUTER (WHICH NOW CONTROLS THE GAS PEDAL RATHER THAN AN ACTUAL LINE GOING TO IT) IS TELLING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN. AND THE FACT THAT THE COMPUTER DOES NOT RECORD A PROBLEM LIKELY IS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND OUR OWN GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG IS MAKING OUR ROADS LESS SAFE. THIS ISSUE IS RAMPANT. CAR MATS, REALLY PEOPLE?