DETROIT — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will consider a full-fledged investigation into possible acceleration problems with the Honda Accord gas-electric hybrid, according to documents on the agency’s website Monday.
An unidentified woman filed a complaint seeking an investigation and recall of the 2005 Accord Hybrid after a crash in July 2005 that left her injured and a passenger dead. People in other cars were hurt, the documents said.
About 25,000 vehicles would be affected by a probe, the NHTSA said.
The woman told the agency that her car crashed into oncoming traffic after she drove over rumble strips along a highway. The vehicle lost braking power, and then the car accelerated on its own, the woman said.
The NHTSA said it will decide whether to investigate the Accord Hybrid for possible recall because of problems with antilock-brake controls.
The NHTSA’s documents said the woman found 22 similar complaints in the NHTSA’s database involving Accord and Civic hybrids, although it was unclear if the Civic Hybrid would be included in the NHTSA’s inquiry. The similar incidents involved inadequate brake performance while driving over uneven surfaces, the documents said.
The woman reported that she was disabled in the crash, but the documents did not state where it occurred.
Messages were left for several Honda representatives Monday.
Honda rival Toyota has been plagued with a series of unintended- acceleration complaints that have resulted in the recall of more than 10 million vehicles worldwide over the past year.
Most of the recalls were for floor mats that snagged gas pedals or accelerators that stuck. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed after recalls began.
