NHTSA Complaint #11388174 — 2017 HONDA HR-V

INFORMATION PERTAINS TO A 2017 HONDA HRV WITH 89K MILES, SERVICED AT HONDA DEALERSHIPS ONLY. WHILE ON INTERSTATE I-95N ON 1/13/21 NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE THAT SEEMED TO ORIGINATE FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR ONLY UNDER ACCELERATION. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, ENGINE REVS SUDDENLY SKYROCKETED AND THE CAR LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AND HARROWING SITUATION AS WE WERE TRAVELLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (55-65MPH). ABLE TO "COAST" THE VEHICLE OVER 5 LANES TO THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO MOVE UNDER ITS OWN POWER REGARDLESS OF GEAR SELECTION, CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO BALISE HONDA IN WARWICK, RI, WE WERE LATER INFORMED BY A SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. METAL FRAGMENTS WERE OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE TRANSMISSION CASE AND IN FLUIDS. AS VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WE WERE QUOTED BETWEEN $3000-4000 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION. WE WERE INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT UNTIL THIS IS REPAIRED THE CAR HOLDS VIRTUALLY NO VALUE, MAKING A TRADE-IN FRUITLESS.