NHTSA Complaint #11298137 — 2018 ACURA TLX

ON THE MORNING OF 1/7/2020, MY CARS' BRAKE SENSING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED BRINGING MY CAR TO A GRINDING HALT LAUNCHING MYSELF FORWARD TOWARD THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE ITEMS IN MY PASSENGER SEAT FORWARD INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THIS WAS ON A CITY STREET APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED AND THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO CARS WITHIN A CLOSE DISTANCE BEHIND ME. THERE HAD BEEN A TRUCK THAT WAS ~100+ YARDS IN FRONT OF ME THAT TURNED RIGHT INTO A GAS STATION. THIS WAS NEARING AN INTERSECTION WHERE I PLANNED TO TURN RIGHT AND I LET MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS SLOWING DOWN. AFTER THE TRUCK WAS ALREADY PARKED AT THE GAS PUMP W/THE DRIVER OPENING HIS DOOR, THIS MALFUNCTION IN MY BRAKING SYSTEM OCCURRED W/NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME. THE GOODSON ACURA DEALERSHIP I TOOK MY CAR TO HAD SEVERAL TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCE THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM WHEN A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THEM HAD TURNED RIGHT. THEY EXPLAINED I SHOULD 'THINK OF IT AS A DELAYED RESPONSE IN THE SYSTEM'. THEY NOTED THAT ACURA IS AWARE OF THIS, BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER. A SAFETY FEATURE ON MY CAR IS NOW A SAFETY RISK FOR ME TO POTENTIALLY BE REAR-ENDED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHEN IT HAPPENED. THEY RAN A COMPLETE CHECK OF THE SYSTEM TODAY, 1/9/2020 AND NO ERRORS WERE NOTED. THEY DID ADJUST THE SETTING FROM "NORMAL" SENSITIVITY ON DISTANCE TO BE FURTHER OUT, BUT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE SET OUTSIDE OF "NORMAL" SETTINGS FOR PROPER HANDLING. ACURA IS A LUXURY LINE VEHICLE WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SAFETY FEATURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT DRIVERS/PASSENGERS, NOT TO POTENTIALLY HARM THEM. THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MALFUNCTION TO HAPPEN FOR MYSELF OR MY FAMILY. IF THIS IS TRULY KNOWN TO ACURA AS A CONCERN AND NOT BEING ADDRESSED, THIS IS A PROBLEM.