NHTSA Complaint #11349561 — 2019 ACURA MDX

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THERE WAS SINGLE "POP" SOUND THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM INSIDE THE DASHBOARD BETWEEN THE ON DEMAND MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY (ODMD) AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE NAVI SCREEN THEN BECAME SOLID BLACK. AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME AND WHILE STILL AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE NAVI SCREEN BRIEFLY SHOWED THE VIEW FROM THE BACKUP CAMERA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS BOTH THE NAVI SCREEN AND THE ODMD SCREEN BECAME SOLID BLACK AND REMAINED THAT WAY. THEN, WITHIN SECONDS, LIGHT COLORED, GRAYISH SMOKE BEGAN FLOWING OUT INTO THE VEHICLE FROM THE CD SLOT ON THE ODMD. IMMEDIATELY, THERE WAS AN ODOR IN THE CAR LIKE THAT FROM BURNING PLASTIC OR ELECTRICAL INSULATION. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THE CAR WAS PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO COME OUT OF THE CD SLOT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, THEN THE SMOKE STOPPED COMING OUT. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO A SAFER LOCATION.THERE WAS NO SMOKE COMING FROM THE CD SLOT AFTER THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE THE NEXT DAY. AN ODOR LIKE THAT FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE REMAINED NOTICEABLE IN THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE EVENT, THE DRIVER OBSERVED NO VEHICLE WARNING INDICATIONS, AND BOTH THE NAVI AND THE ODMD APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE CD PLAYER WAS NOT BEING USED. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME THAT THEY CONSULTED WITH ACURA ENGINEERING PERSONNEL, INSPECTED AND TESTED WIRING INSIDE THE DASHBOARD AND HAVE ISOLATED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM TO "A SHORT IN THE RADIO." THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE ODMD AND THE HARD DISK DRIVE HAVE BEEN SENT TO ALPINE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AT ALPINE'S REQUEST. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM THAT THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE WILL ENSURE THAT THIS KIND OF EVENT WILL NOT RECUR.