NHTSA Complaint #10219141 — 2007 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

DRIVING A 2007 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5 V6 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. IN THE LEFT LANE (4 LANE HIGHWAY). I SLOWED DOWN TO CHANGE LANES ENTERING THE RIGHT LANE, I THINK APPLYING THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AND MOVE OVER. AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN IN THE RIGHT LANE, I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SO AS TO NOT EXCEED THE SPEED LIMIT BUT IT DID NOT COME BACK UP WHEN MY FOOT DID, AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN NORMALLY AS IT SHOULD BUT RACED AHEAD. I QUICKLY LOOKED TO SEE IF MY FLOOR MAT HAD CAUSED THE PEDAL TO STICK WHICH I OBSERVED IT DID NOT. I THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO TRY TO SLOW THE VEHICLE YET THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SOMEWHAT SLOW DOWN AND GUIDE THE VEHICLE ONTO AN EXIT RAMP TO MY RIGHT, ALL THE WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR. I GUIDED IT ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RAMP OUT OF THE TRAFFIC PATH AND QUICKLY MOVED THE GEAR FIRST TO NEUTRAL THEN TO PARK. THIS STOPPED THE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RAPIDLY REV. I THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THE WHEELS WERE POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND I AVOIDED ANY KIND OF CRASH OR INJURY. THEN I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS. I LET THE VEHICLE SIT OFF FOR A MINUTE OR SO, THEN LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN PARK I TURNED ON THE IGNITION AGAIN UPON WHICH THE ENGINE REVVED AS HIGH AS BUT DID NOT MOVE. SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION FOR GOOD AND CALLED A NEARBY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR HELP WHO SWIFTLY AND SEAMLESSLY RESPONDED TO MY VEHICLE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY BEING EXAMINED BY THIS DEALERSHIP AND THE CAUSE AND REMEDY ARE YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE DEALERSHIP RESPONDED BY SENDING A TOW TRUCK TO BRING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE TO LET THEM KNOW SUCH HAD BEEN ARRANGED. *TR