NHTSA Complaint #10218430 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

I WAS LOOKING FOR AN UNFAMILIAR ADDRESS ON A VERY STEEP HILL, AND I STOPPED BRIEFLY TO LOOK AROUND. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND, AS WOULD BE EXPECTED, ROLLED BACK A BIT WHILE MOVING FROM BRAKE TO GAS. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND GOT NO RESPONSE; MY CAR STARTED ROLLING UNCONTROLLABLY AND SWIFTLY BACKWARD. NO GAS, NO BRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO STOP MY CAR ONLY BY PULLING THE PARKING BRAKE. I LEARNED AT THE DEALERSHIP THE MY CAR WAS DESIGNED TO DO THIS. NO KIDDING; IF YOU ROLL BACK MORE THAN A COUPLE OF INCHES WHEN YOUR CAR IS IN "DRIVE," AS YOU WILL NECESSARILY DO ON A STEEP HILL, YOUR ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF AUTOMATICALLY AND YOU WILL LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR CAR. THE TECH AT THE DEALERSHIP ACTED LIKE I WAS AN IDIOT FOR NOT KNOWING THIS. I ASKED "SO THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF TO SAVE THE TRANSMISSION, AT THE EXPENSE OF LIVES AND PROPERTY THREATENED BY AN UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE?" HE JUST SHRUGGED. IT IS A MIRACLE THAT I DID NOT HIT ANYONE OR END UP IN THE TREES. THE 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA IS AN UNSAFE CAR, AND SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. *TR