NHTSA Complaint #11316873 — 2012 HONDA ACCORD

VSA/ TC FAIL - CAUSED HAZARD. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: I GOT STUCK ON MY DRIVEWAY, ON PAVEMENT, IN A STEEP SECTION OF THE ROAD. TC KEPT CUTTING THE THROTTLE. HERE'S WHAT I DID: 1) I TRIED TO USE THE BRAKES TO KEEP THE CAR FROM ROLLING DOWN THE HILL AND TO STOP THE NO-TRACTION WHEEL FROM SPINNING. THIS DID NOT WORK. TC KICKED IN, OVER AND OVER, CAUSING THE CAR TO ROLL BACKWARDS. 2) I TRIED TO USE THE BRAKES, DURING QUICK FOOT SWAP OF THE PEDALS (SEPARATE APPLICATION OF BRAKE, THEN GAS PEDAL). THIS TOO, DID NOT WORK. THIS WAS THE WORSE CASE - THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARD, AND THEN MADE THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL SPIN EVEN MORE (BESIDE, I NOW WAS ALMOST OFF THE ROAD, AND INTO MUDDY DITCH). 3) NEXT, I TRIED MORE CAREFUL SLOW ACCELERATION, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IDLE, OFF-IDLE AND THE VERY SLIGHTEST OF ACCELERATION (NEEDED MORE GRANULARITY). THE WHEEL SPUN FREELY. I NOW WAS EVEN CLOSER TO BEING, OFF THE ROAD, AND INTO THE MUDDY DITCH. WHERE OTHERS HAVE FALLEN BEFORE. 4) FINALLY, I TURNED THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF. THIS HAD NO EFFECT. IT APPEARS THIS IS DUMMY-BUTTON (ITS FAKE). HERE'S WHAT I EXPECTED... A) SINCE 3 OF THE WHEELS REPORTED 0-MPH, AND EACH APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE RESULTED IN NEGATIVE MPH, ON THE SAME 3 WHEELS THEN THE TC SHOULD ALLOW LOW MPH OF WHEEL SPIN, WHILE GAS AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED (I DO THIS ALL THE TIME IN REVERSE/ BACKING UP HILL, AND THIS WORKS GOOD - NO TC INTERFERENCE). B) OR, SINCE 3 OF THE WHEELS REPORTED 0-MPH, AND EACH APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE RESULTED ZERO FORWARD PROGRESS, THEN THE ABS SHOULD APPLY SLIGHT BRAKES (MAYBE EVEN HILL HOLDING FUNCTION), TO THE FRONT WHEELS, TO FORCE TRACTION TO THE WHEEL WITH THE MOST GRIP. ABS POSSIBLY APPLYING, ALTERNATING BRAKING, AS TRACTION IS LOST, AND GAINED, TO EACH FRONT WHEEL, TILL FORWARD MOTION IS ACHIEVED FOR 100FT (SOME DISTANCE). C) OR, AT LEAST ALLOW THE VSA/ TC, BUTTON TO WORK.