NHTSA Complaint #10283621 — 1997 BUICK LESABRE

THE CAR ACCELERATED ITSELF IN REVERSE AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. I HAD STARTED THE CAR, DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL (THE BRAKE MUST BE ENGAGED IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR) AND THE CAR SHOT BACK AND WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS RATHER PANICKED AS I WAS LEAVING A CONVENIENCE STORE AND WAS TRYING TO AVOID HITTING THE GAS PUMPS, OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. I MANAGED TO BACK THE CAR INTO THE STREET AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT IT IN PARK SO IT WOULD STOP. THE GEAR SHIFT WENT INTO THE PARK POSITION, BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. IT PROCEEDED ACROSS A BUSY STREET THROUGH A CONTROLLED INTERSECTION AT APPROX.20-30 MPH. AT IT STARTED ACROSS THE STREET, I SHUT THE CAR OFF. THE BRAKES WOULD STILL NOT STOP IT. IT FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER ROLLING INTO A CURB. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR OTHER THAN TO STEER IT. I HAVE KNOWN THIS TO HAPPEN WITH SEVERAL OTHER GM CARS, BUT ALWAYS IN A FORWARD GEAR. I OWN A 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM THAT HAS DONE THIS ON OCCASION. I HAVE HAD THAT CAR LOOKED AT BY SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND NONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. GM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS I CAN FIND NO RECORDS OF RECALLS FOR ANY OF THEIR CARS FOR SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION. PART OF THE PROBLEM MAY BE THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE, NO ONE BELIEVES THEM. EVERYONE ASSUMES THEY HAD THEIR FOOT ON THE GAS AND THE BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE TRIED TO PUT MY FOOT ON BOTH PEDALS (WITH THE CAR IN PARK) TO SEE IF THAT COULD BE WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I CAN'T DO IT AS THE GAS PEDAL IS RECESSED FURTHER BACK THAN THE BRAKE PEDAL. AT NO TIME ARE THEY LEVEL WITH EACH OTHER. BY SOME MIRACLE, NO ONE WAS HURT AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. I AM GOING TO CHECK WITH VARIOUS BUICK DEALERSHIPS AND OTHER MECHANICS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE EVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I FEAR IT WILL BE THE SAME AS WITH THE TRANS AM WHERE I WILL GET NO ANSWERS. *TR