NHTSA Complaint #11004248 — 2002 HONDA CR-V

WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT (25 MPH IN A 45 MPH ZONE). I ACCELERATED TO PASS, MY CAR BEGAN TO SPEED FASTER AND FASTER WITHOUT ME BEING ABLE TO CONTROL OR STOP THE VEHICLE. BOTH FEET WERE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT WE REACHED 70MPH, BUT I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND YET THE CAR CONTINUED. WE RODE ON BOTH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR AT LEAST A MILE. IT ONLY SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE, BUT I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER AND LUCKILY DIDN'T COME TO ANY STOP SIGNS OR TRAFFIC LIGHTS. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP MY VEHICLE N FRONT OF A RESTAURANT BY TURNING THE IGNITION OFF, WHILE STILL MOVING. WITH THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IMMEDIATELY CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE PEDAL CAUSING IT TO ACCELERATE. THERE WAS NOTHING. NOTHING APPEARED OBVIOUSLY WRONG UNDER THE HOOD, EXCEPT A STRONG BURNING SMELL FROM THE BRAKES. I TURNED THE IGNITION ON WHILE IN PARK AND THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 140 MPH, THE RPMS RED LINED (WITHOUT PUSHING THE BREAK OR GAS PEDAL). I TURNED THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY. WE THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLLED IT INTO THE RESTAURANTS PARKING LOT. I CALLED AAA TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK BRING THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ANY PERSON WAS INJURED, KILLED OR DAMAGED PROPERTY. THE MECHANIC CONTACTED ME AND RECOMMENDED THAT HE NOT TOUCH IT AND TO HAVE HONDA PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEIR MECHANICS LOOK AT IT IN CASE IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I WENT TO THE HONDA DEALER IN PERSON AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, HE WAS VISIBLY ALARMED BY THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON SUNDAY. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR ANY ISSUES. DEALER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM MECHANIC. THE HONDA DEALER SAID THEY LOOKED AT THE CR-V AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.