NHTSA Complaint #10274421 — 2009 SUBARU FORESTER

VEHICLE: 2009 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED, ON 6/20/09 I EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. BEFORE OUR EXIT I CANCELED THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT LEFT IT "ON". ON THE RAMP, I LET THE CAR SLOW. AT ABOUT 40 MPH I MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO 'SPORT' MODE, DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR, THEN 2ND, THEN BRAKED TO A STOP. THE CAR WAS STOPPED, IN GEAR, IDLING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE RACED AND THE CAR JOLTED FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT; IT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED BUT I INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE AND STOPPED THE CAR. THE ENGINE, WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND IN GEAR, RAN UP OVER 2000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO REGULAR DRIVE MODE AND THEN INTO NEUTRAL. ONCE IN NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE BRIEFLY RACED HIGHER BUT THEN DROPPED TO IDLE AT ABOUT 700 RPM. I SWITCHED THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. PLEASE NOTE: TO STOP THE CAR I DID NOT MOVE MY FOOT; IT WAS ALREADY ON THE BRAKE, AND I MERELY PRESSED HARDER. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF PEDAL CONFUSION. THE FLOOR MATS ARE IN PLACE. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF A FLOOR MAT INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WE WERE NOT MOVING. I WAS NOT ON THE PHONE. I WAS NOT LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER. I WAS NOT OTHERWISE DISTRACTED. I WAS SITTING STILL, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, WITH MY FOCUS ON THE TRAFFIC STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. IN MY VIEW, THIS REPRESENTS A DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE, AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE ADVISE REGARDING YOUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION. I HAVE ADVISED SUBARU VIA THEIR WEBSITE TODAY BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I AM HAPPY TO BE CONTACTED FOR FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED. *TR