NHTSA Complaint #10283761 — 2007 TOYOTA AVALON

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 11:30 AM, I DROVE ABOUT 4 MILES, GOT ONTO A FREEWAY (NORTHBOUND I-5) IN SAN DIEGO, AT WHICH TIME MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET, SAW THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS CORRECTLY IN PLACE. THE CAR BEHAVED AS THOUGH "CRUISE CONTROL" WERE ON, SO I TOGGLED CRUISE CONTROL ON, THEN OFF. I ALSO DEPRESSED THE BUTTON FOR TURNING THE CAR OFF (IT HAS A "SMART KEY" IGNITION), BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. ENGINE SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. MY BRAKES COULD SLOW THE CAR A BIT (FROM 70 MPH DOWN TO 65 MPH, BUT THE CAR QUICKLY ACCELERATED BACK UP TO 70 MPH AND HIGHER. I DOWN-SHIFTED (INTO ONE OF THE "MOUNTAIN-DRIVING" GEARS, THEN DOWN-SHIFTED AGAIN AS I CONTEMPLATED HOW TO NAVIGATE AROUND TRAFFIC AND OFF THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE TACHOMETER INDICATED THAT THE SPEED WAS INCREASING. I TRANSITIONED OFF THE I-5 AND ONTO THE EASTBOUND I-8 FREEWAY, AND SLOWED ENOUGH, WITH ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, TO THE NEAREST OFFRAMP. I COULD NOT BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT FINALLY SHIFTED INTO PARK BEFORE HITTING ANYTHING. I NOW SHUT OFF THE CAR. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IN PARK, AND THE ENGINE SPEED METER INDICATED 4500 RPM IN A FEW SECONDS. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND PHONED AAA TO TOW ME TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE FOR THIS UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CALLED. THEY SAID TO PICK UP THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT NORMALLY SERVICES THIS VEHICLE, AND THEY HAD THE CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY DID SOME MINOR REPAIR ON THE THROTTLE, BUT SAID THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE NOR FIX THE CASE OF THIS. THEY ALSO REPAIRED THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE BADLY BURNED. I WAS APPREHENSIVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, AND FINALLY TOLD THE DEALER TO GET ME A REPLACEMENT, WHICH I AM NOW DRIVING. THE CAR WHICH HAD UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION IS AT THE DEALERS LOT AS OF YESTERDAY. *TR UPDATED 11/18/09