NHTSA Complaint #11634013 — 2018 HONDA ACCORD

At approx 10pm, vehicle was moving at a steady speed of 70mph on urban highway on New Year's Eve. Without any indication or warning, the car stalled/had loss of power for about 1-2 seconds and recovered and then about 1-2 minutes later stalled again and recovered. No dashboard lights ever came on. I thought maybe the clutch was failing again. I immediately got off the freeway to find a safe place to call for tow. As I drove to parking lot, my motor made a loud, uncoordinated, rattling noise which is towards the left side and near the engine cover. I thought it might be the serpentine tensioner because only the belt only had been replaced in May 2024. The rattle gets louder with high RPMs. After reviewing service records, oil change on 04/18/24 is the first mention of valve cover leak, and oil change 12/23/24 indicates possible rear main seal leak, residue around rear main cover which made me suspect gasket failure. The dealership denied the fault lies with tensioner or clutch and said the knocking sound is from the lower portion of the motor - possibly a faulty knock sensor - and the engine would not be disassembled to provide a more specific diagnosis. The dealership said a replacement engine is needed. No diagnostic codes or other specifics were provided. Dealership replaced fuel pump module per recall protocol. My and my grandchild's safety were jeopardized because my malfunctioning vehicle could have created a deadly traffic hazard among NYE celebrants who may have been driving distracted or with impaired cognitive function. In the past when my vehicle had stalled, it would lose power and I would have to coast off the freeway or to the side of the road. In those instances, my car created a traffic hazard & congestion for the vehicles behind me and toward the side that I was trying to exit.