NHTSA Complaint #10120964 — 2005 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

I WRITE TO REPORT AN OCCURRENCE OF UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION IN A BUICK RENDEZVOUS. I RENTED THE CURRENT MODEL YEAR RENDEZVOUS FROM AVIS AT LAX AIRPORT ON 5/14/05. THAT EVENING AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, AND PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE, YET THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I NOTICED THAT EVEN WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND PRESSING AS HARD AS I COULD, THE SPEED WAS INCREASING. FORTUNATELY, AT THE ON-RAMP WHERE I GOT ON, THE TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT, AND THERE WAS APPROX A HALF MILE WHERE THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN MY LANE. I PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS GETTING READY TO TURN THE KEY OFF, SINCE I COULD NOT OTHERWISE SLOW THE CAR DOWN. AFTER A TOTAL OF 8 ? 10 SECONDS, THE THROTTLE WENT BACK TO ITS NORMAL CONDITION ? IE THE RUN AWAY ACCELERATION CEASED. I SPOKE TO THE RETURN AGENT AT AVIS WHO ASSURED ME THE CAR WOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. I WRITE THIS NOTE TO MAKE SURE THAT AVIS KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I CERTAINLY COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CARS NEAR MINE. BUICK RENDEZVOUS (HAD ABOUT 4500 MILES ? SO PRESUMABLY A 2005) CA LICENSE # [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)