NHTSA Complaint #10223277 — 2008 PONTIAC VIBE

DESCRIPTION OF MALFUNCTION: ENGINE ACCELERATED WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THIS CONDITION OCCURRED ONCE, BUT COULD HAVE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON SATURDAY 3/29/08 (NO RAIN; TEMP 35 DEG F) , I WAS DRIVING ON A WINDING RURAL ROAD AND GOING AROUND 30 MPH. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. I STARTED BRAKING SINCE I WAS GOING DOWN A SLIGHT GRADE AND GETTING CLOSE TO A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING UP, EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I NOTICED THAT THE IDLE WAS AROUND 3,000 RPM. I MANUALLY THREW THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR STARTED RACING TO AROUND 4500 RPM. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE, TURNED OFF THE KEY, PUT THE CAR INTO PARK, AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I PUT MY 4 WAYS ON AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. OF COURSE, EVERYTHING LOOKED IN ORDER AND I COULD NOT LOCATE THE THROTTLE. I SHUT THE HOOD AND GOT BACK INTO THE CAR. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THREE TIMES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I WAITED A MINUTE AND THEN STARTED THE CAR. THE IDLE WAS BACK TO NORMAL AND THE CAR RAN NORMAL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO GET CHECKED OUT ON WEDNESDAY 4/2/08. NO TROUBLE FOUND. NO OTHER OCCURRENCES OF THIS NATURE TO REPORT. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE; NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED ASAP. MY VIBE ONLY HAS 3,000 MILES AND WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A DEALER IN DECEMBER, 2007. BASED UPON YOUR SITE'S COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE REVIEWED, THERE ARE OTHER PONTIAC VIBES, TOYOTA MATRIXS AND TOYOTA COROLLAS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS CONDITION. FORTUNATELY THERE AREN'T THAT MANY THAT HAVE REPORTED THIS CONDITION, THERE ARE ENOUGH THAT SUPPORT THE FACT THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MODELS DO NOT HAVE A CABLE THAT CONNECTS THE GAS PEDAL TO THE THROTTLE. THESE CARS HAVE AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THAT IS OCCURRING. THERE MUST BE A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION, WIRING CONNECTOR PROBLEM, A SENSOR OR THROTTLE ACTUATOR THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. *TR