NHTSA Complaint #10095601 — 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

I PURCHASED A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN MARCH 2004, LARGELY ON THE MERITS OF TOYOTA'S SAFETY RECORD AND USER REVIEWS OF DRIVEABILITY. WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF DRIVING, I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A HESITATION IN THE THROTTLE UPON ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS...AS IF THE CAR HAD TO "THINK ABOUT IT" BEFORE DECIDING TO RESPOND. TOOK IT IN TO DEALER WHO FOUND "NOTHING WRONG"...NEEDED BREAK-IN PERIOD, HE SAID. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND RESULTED IN AT LEAST TWO OCCURRENCES THAT CAUSED CONCERN: ONE MAKING LEFT HAND TURN IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND ONE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY. HESITATION WAS PRONOUNCED ENOUGH TO CAUSE MOMENT OF PANIC...KIDS IN CAR ETC. TOOK TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO HAD EXPLANATION OF USE OF DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE TECHNOLOGY USED IN FIGHTER PLANES, SAID THAT TOYOTA KNEW OF ISSUE BUT THERE WAS NO WAY FOR THEM TO CALIBRATE. I THEN WENT TO INTERNET TO SEE IF COULD VALIDATE AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. I AM FILING COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT TOYOTA WILL PRESS SOLUTION TO AVOID THE INEVITABLE ACCIDENT. *NM