NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Recall Query RQ08-006: IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCK

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Recall Query RQ08-006 on September 8, 2008 and closed it on January 5, 2009, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA09-001, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Honda Accord for it and links recall 10V-364 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: RQ08-006 (also written RQ08006)
Investigation type: Recall Query An investigation into whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or whether its remedy works, run much like a Preliminary Evaluation.
Status: Closed January 5, 2009
Opened: September 8, 2008
Closed: January 5, 2009
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Components: Electrical System — Ignition — Anti-Theft — Control Module; Electrical System — Ignition — Switch
Recall linked by NHTSA: 10V-364: IGNITION INTERLOCK, reported August 5, 2010
Vehicles and equipment: 2002–2003 Honda Accord

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Recall Query RQ08-006.

ODI HAS RECEIVED 16 COMPLAINTS ALLEGING FAILURES OF THE IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCK THAT ALLOWED THE IGNITION KEY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION BEING SHIFTED TO PARK IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002 AND 2003 HONDA ACCORD VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS.ELEVEN OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE FAILURE OF THE INTERLOCK RESULTED IN A ROLLAWAY CRASH.ONE OWNER ALLEGED THAT SHE WAS ALMOST INTO HER HOUSE WHEN SHE NOTICED THE CAR ROLLING OUT OF THE GARAGE AND DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND THAT WHEN SHE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR IT ALMOST RAN OVER HER, BEFORE CRASHING INTO A CABLE BOX AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY.ANOTHER OWNER ALLEGED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND STRUCK A TREE ACROSS THE STREET.THERE HAVE BEEN 28 COMPLAINTS MADE TO HONDA REGARDING IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCK FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, 10 OF WHICH ALLEGE ROLLAWAY CRASHES. IN OCTOBER 2003, AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY INITIATED RECALL 03V-423 TO CORRECT AN IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCK DEFECT IN CERTAIN MY 1999 HONDA ODYSSEY, MY 1997-99 ACURA CL, MY 1999 ACURA TL, AND MY 1998-99 HONDA ACCORD VEHICLES.IN JANUARY 2005, HONDA INITIATED ANOTHER RECALL TO ADDRESS DEFECTIVE IGNITION PARK-SHIFT INTERLOCKS (RECALL 05V-025), THIS TIME COVERING MY 1997-2001 HONDA PRELUDE, MY 1999-2000 ACURA TL, AND CERTAIN MY 1999-2002 HONDA ACCORD VEHICLES.NOT ALL MY 2002 HONDA ACCORDS WERE COVERED UNDER RECALL 05V-025.

THE REMAINING MY 2002 AND ALL MY 2003 ACCORD VEHICLES ARE COVERED IN THE SCOPE OF THIS RECALL QUERY. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS(EA09-001) TO CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE SCOPE AND FREQUENCY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Recall Query RQ08-006. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Honda

Honda Accord
- 2002, 2003

All Honda recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Honda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for RQ08-006

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.