NHTSA Complaint #11076078 — 2010 HONDA ODYSSEY

CONFIGURED WITH 1 CHAIR BEHIND DRIVER AND ALL OTHER REAR SEATS REMOVED OR FOLDED DOWN. PAYLOAD CONSISTED OF MYSELF (DRIVER), SPOUSE, 4 GREAT DANE DOGS (550 LBS.), DOG FOOD AND GROCERIES. NO CELLPHONES ACCESSIBLE OR IN USE AND ALL VEHICULAR ENTERTAINMENT FUNCTIONS SWITCHED OFF. ABOUT 4:00 PM THURSDAY MARCH 1, 2018 WEATHER CLEAR, DRY AND AIR TEMPERATURE IN THE LOW 70S EXITED COSTCO (IH10W) PARKING LOT, PROCEEDED OVER IH10W ON BRIDGE TOWARD THE INTERSECTION WITH VANCE-JACKSON RD. AT APPROX. 35 MPH. ENCOUNTERED LINE OF STOPPED VEHICLES BACKED UP FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. USUAL AND NORMAL FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT PRODUCE THE EXPECTED SLOWING. EMPLOYING MAXIMUM PANIC FORCE ON BRAKE PEDAL FINALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP SHORT OF COLLISION. IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO 'PARK' WHERE UPON THE UNLOADED ENGINE RACED TO HIGH RPM. SWITCHED IGNITION TO 'OFF' WITHOUT REMOVING KEY. DID NOT OBSERVE TACHOMETER DURING THE FOREGOING EXCITEMENT BUT ENGINE SOUND WAS LOUD AND HIGH PITCHED. CHECKED FLOOR AREA FOR OBJECTS OR OBSTRUCTION AND FOUND IT CLEAR. DRIVERS LEFT FOOT BEING FIRMLY PLANTED ON THE FLOOR, ONLY THE RIGHT FOOT HAD ACCESS TO BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR. RESTARTED ENGINE AND PROCEEDED HOME NORMALLY BUT WITH GREAT TREPIDATION AND CAUTION. SUBSEQUENT EXPERIMENT IN A SAFE AREA REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE CAN INDEED BE SHUT DOWN, WHILE IN MOTION, FROM ANY TRANSMISSION SELECTION WITHOUT GOING TO 'PARK' ALTHOUGH WITH CONSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED BRAKING AND STEERING. THIS KNOWLEDGE DOES PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE FOR ANY FUTURE RUN-AWAY EPISODES. MY SPOUSE WILL BE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED FROM DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. PERHAPS UNRELATED TO THIS INCIDENT (EXCEPTING THE POSSIBLE COMMONALITY OF ENGINE MANAGEMENT COMPUTER), THIS VAN HAS TWICE EXPERIENCED BATTERY DEPLETION DUE TO PARASITIC DRAIN WHEN PARKED OVERNIGHT.