NHTSA Complaint #10184759 — 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA

WE HAVE HAD TWO INCIDENTS WITH OUR 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK; I. MY WIFE, WAS DRIVING ROUTE 40 WHEN AFTER RED LIGHTS THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED SPEEDING UP W/O ANY WARNING OR ALARM. HAVING HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT. SHE HAD TO BRAKE AS MUCH SHE COULD TO CONTROL THE CAR. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL TO PULL OFF BUT STILL COULDN'T CONTROL THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE DIDN'T EVEN SHUT DOWN WHEN TURNING THE KEY. CHANGING THE SELECTOR LEVER TO NEUTRAL WAS IMPOSSIBLE AS THE ENGINE TOOK FULL RPM. SOMEHOW AFTER SOME "TRIAL AND HORROR" SHE WAS ABLE TO SHUT AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR WAS BACK IN CONTROL. THE SITUATION HAD BEEN REALLY SCARY. I WASN'T THERE SO I COULD NOT FULLY APPRECIATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WHEN SHE DESCRIBED THE SITUATION. II. MY WIFE DIDN'T DARE TO USE THE CAR BEFORE I CAME BACK FROM A BUSINESS TRIP. YESTERDAY - SATURDAY 3/10 - I WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT. THERE WAS A SLOW DOWN IN THE TRAFFIC WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE DID THE SAME AS ABOVE. I WAS ON A MIDDLE LANE AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD. HAVING HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND SLOWING THE SPEED CAREFULLY I WAS ABLE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY W/O ANYBODY DRIVING ON US. I SHUT AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE COUPLE OF TIMES W/O ANY IMPACT. EACH TIME ENGINE STARTED AS IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BE PUSHED DOWN. I STARTED THE CAR AND PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE TRUCK AND DRIVE TO NEXT RED LIGHTS. AFTER SOME BRAKING AND RESTARTING THE CAR WAS AGAIN SUDDENLY BACK IN CONTROL. THE DEFECT DESCRIBED ABOVE COULD EASILY CAUSE A CRASH WITH SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH WHEN HAPPENING IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC OR BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS. WE DON'T DARE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK BEFORE IT IS THE DEFECT IS IDENTIFIED AND FIXED. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND HOW IT WAS FIXED. I HAVE NOTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY WILL PICK UP THE TRUCK TOMORROW. *JB