NHTSA Complaint #11233252 — 2018 HONDA ACCORD

7/17/19. 2018 ACCORD TOURING 2.0 PURCHASED NEW IN NOVEMBER (HAS ABOUT 11,000 MILES NOW). I WAS DRIVING 65MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN CAR MADE LOUD CLUNKING NOISE, BEGAN TO SMOKE INTENSELY, AND SHUDDERED TO A STOP AND DIED. I WAS ON BLUETOOTH PHONE CALL AT THE TIME AND THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END HEARD IT AND ASKED WHAT IT WAS. I SAID I THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER JUST AS EVERY POSSIBLE WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON DASH AND PROFUSE SMOKE POURED FROM SIDES AND UNDER HOOD. I JUMPED OUT AND MOVED AWAY FROM VEHICLE, SEEING A LONG STREAM OF LIQUID FROM UNDER THE CAR ALONG THE ROAD WHERE I HAD PULLED OVER. FIRE RESCUE CAME, ALTHOUGH THE CAR DID NOT IGNITE. THEY AND THE ROADSIDE SERVICE MAN ADVISED ME THAT OIL HAD EXPLODED EVERYWHERE, AS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE SITUATION. THE CAR HAS HAD ONE OIL CHANGE AT THE DEALER, PER ITS MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, AND OTHERWISE HAS HAD NOTHING DONE. I DID HEAR A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM IT THE PREVIOUS EVENING--LOUD ENOUGH THAT I CHECKED TO SEE IF IT HAD ANY MAINTENANCE WARNINGS, WHICH IT DID NOT. IT SAID MY OIL WAS AT 60% AND WOULD NEED A B1 WHEN IT WAS TIME. AFTER MY CAR DIED, IT REQUIRED A TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT EVEN TURN IT ON AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG, BUT THEY NEED A SPECIALIST TO COME LOOK AT IT. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW UTTERLY DANGEROUS THE SITUATION WAS. IF IT HAD BEEN LATER IN THE DAY WITH HEAVIER TRAFFIC, MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT EVEN GREATER RISK. IT SEEMS REALLY UNUSUAL TO HAVE SUCH A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FOR NO REASON ON A NEW, HISTORICALLY RELIABLE VEHICLE.