NHTSA Complaint #10782385 — 2006 ACURA TL

ON TUESDAY OCT 13, I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 ACURA TL AT 20 KM/H AND SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THE ENGINE WAS ROARING. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHILE THE CAR SLOWED DOWN A BIT THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED AND THEN I PRESS ONTO THE PEDAL VERY HARD, THE TIRES SLIPPED TO A COMPLETE HALT, JUST A FEW INCHES FROM A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO STOP. WHILE I HADN'T STILL FULLY ASSESSED FULL SITUATION, I AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL ROARING, MADLY. I TURNED IT OFF AND WAITED UNTIL I GAIN FULL CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION; SHIFTED TRANSMISSION TO PARKING. SOME TIME LATER WHEN I WAS ALREADY TRANQUIL, I STARTED THE ENGINE BUT THE ACCELERATION STARTED, THE ENGINE AGAIN WAS ROARING SO I SWITCHED IT OFF. I WAITED MUCH LONGER AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT WAS OK. SINCE THERE IS NO ACURA DEALER IN MY HOMETOWN, I WAS ADVISED TO TAKE IT TO A HONDA DEALER. THE CAR SPENT THE WHOLE DAY BUT TECHNICIANS COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. IN ANOTHER TIGHTER SITUATION (BEING CLOSER TO A BUSY INTERSECTION, OR DOWN A CURVE, ETC) , OR IF MY WIFE OR KIDS HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR, THIS CASE COULD'VE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS, EVEN FATAL. TWO ACURA DEALERS SAID THEY HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTER SUCH PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED HONDA BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANYTHING SIMILAR. IN A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH, I FOUND MANY SITES REPORTING THIS SAME PROBLEM. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS SHOULD THERE BE, OR HOW MANY CASUALTIES BEFORE AUTHORITIES DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ??? MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR