NHTSA Complaint #10994932 — 2004 HONDA ACCORD

I'M DRIVING 427 SOUTH (TORONTO) LATE EVENING, AND I APPROACH SOMEONE WHO IS DRIVING 80 KM/HR, SO I DECIDE TO OVERTAKE THE CAR. I CHANGE A LANE, ACCELERATE FOR COUPLE SECONDS, AND WHEN I RELEASE A GAS PEDAL, MY CAR DOESN'T SLOW DOWN, IT CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, AND ENGINE IS RUNNING VIOLENTLY, IT REACHES MAX RPMS (I THINK IT'S 5000 RPMS), AND THAN A COMPUTER DROPS RPMS DOWN. SO, NOTHING IS PRESSING A GAS PEDAL, AND THE ENGINE PULLING LIKE CRAZY, CAR IS ACCELERATING, AND HIGHWAY IS OVER IN 5 SECONDS. I TOUCH A GAS PEDAL - IT IS SOFT, BUT IT'S SPRINGING BACK WHEN I RELEASE IT, AND THERE IS NO A BOTTLE OR A CARPET STUCK IN BETWEEN, I CHECK CRUSE CONTROL - IT IS NOT ON, SO I PRESS BRAKES AND TRY TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR WITH BRAKES WHICH IS NOT EASY BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING ON MAX RPMS AND PULLING A CAR, YOU CAN FEEL IT. SO, I STOP EVENTUALLY AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. THE NEXT DAY I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR THE PROBLEM, AND I DISCOVERED THE NEXT. THERE IS A PART OF A CAR CALLED A THROTTLE, THAT REGULATES AIR INTAKE IN THE ENGINE, AND THIS WAY SPEED OF ENGINE IS REGULATED TOO. THE THROTTLE IS REGULATED BY TWO CABLES. ONE CABLE (NOT A WIRE) GOES FROM A GAS PEDAL, AND IT'S ATTACHED TO A METAL BRACKET ON A THROTTLE. ANOTHER CABLE (NOT A WIRE) GOES FROM CRUISE CONTROL, AND IT'S ATTACHED TO A PLASTIC BRACKET ON A THROTTLE. SO, PLASTIC DETERIORATED OVER TIME, AND CRUISE CONTROL CABLE BROKE OFF AND JAMMED THE THROTTLE ON THE MAX OPENING WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I THINK HONDA HAS TO DO A RECALL TO FIX THIS SITUATION BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN SOMETHING BRAKES IN YOUR CAR AND YOU CANNOT START A CAR, OR WHEN SOMETHING STARTS SQUEAKING OR RATTLING, AND YOU HAVE TIME TO GO TO A MECHANIC TO FIX IT - IT'S ONE STORY, BUT WHEN YOU DRIVE AND YOU CAR ACCELERATES ON IT'S OWN - IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.