NHTSA Complaint #11081545 — 2017 HONDA ACCORD

WHEN DECELERATING WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. ALL AT ONCE, THE CAR'S CONTROL AND STEERING COULD NOT BE EASILY MANEUVERED AND ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM (EPS) INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED. THERE WAS NO WARNING NOR INDICATION THAT THE STEERING WAS COMPROMISED. I MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE ALLOWING IT TO COAST. THE STEERING WILL WAS STIFF AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF TURNING DID NOT NOT CONTROL THE CAR ACCURATELY. I COASTED TO A STOP IN A NEARBY PARKING LOT AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED, THE EPS LIGHT WAS NOT PRESENT AND THE STEERING CONTROL WAS REESTABLISHED. THINKING THIS WAS POSSIBLE DUE TO A GLITCH, I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR ABOUT TWO MILES WHEN THE SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN WENT OUT AND THE EPS LIGHT SIGNALED AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OFF OF THE HIGHWAY, BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN IT OFF TO RESET THE SYSTEM. I WAS ABLE TO THEN DRIVE THE CAR HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, WHILE DRIVING TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP, THE STEERING BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND A BASIC TURN COULD NOT BE MADE WHEN THE CAR WAS AT A LOW SPEED. I EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR COULD NOT BE SAFELY OPERATED DUE TO THIS ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED HOURS LATER TO NOTIFY ME THAT THEY WERE ORDERING A NEW POWER STEERING RACK. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHAT THE ISSUE WAS I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CODE SIMPLY RECOMMENDED THE SYSTEM TO BE RESET, BUT "THEY DID NOT FEEL SAFE" ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT REPLACING THE SYSTEM. MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ONE YEAR. IT WAS PURCHASED FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH 5,000 MILES ON IT AS THE MANAGER HAD BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR APPROX. 7 MONTHS. THE CAR HAD THE 15,000 MILE SERVICE COMPLETED JUST LAST MONTH IN ADDITION TO AN OIL CHANGE.