NHTSA Complaint #10287292 — 2004 AUDI A4

DRIVING SOUTH ON NJ TURNPIKE AT APPROX 65MPH. ATTEMPT TO PULL TO LEFT LANE AND PASS, DRIVER PRESSES ON GAS PEDAL AND THE PEDAL DROPS COMPLETELY TO FLOOR AND CAR ACCELERATES OUT OF CONTROL. THROUGH HEAVY BRAKE APPLICATION CAR IS SLOWED AND PULLED TO SHOULDER AND STOPPED. IGNITION IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO OFF. AFTER CHANCE TO CALM DOWN, DRIVER RESTARTS CAR AND GAS PEDAL NOW OPERATES NORMALLY. THIS SITUATION HAS OCCURRED 5 TIMES IN THE 5 YEARS CAR HAS BEEN OWNED TO 2 DIFFERENT DRIVERS. LAST EPISODE OCCURRED ONLY 3 WEEKS AFTER PREVIOUS INSTANCE. IN ALL CASES, CRUISE CONTROL LEVER WAS IN ON CONDITION BUT NOT ACTIVATED, CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MANUAL GAS OPERATION. THIS IS NOT THE 1980S AUDI SUDDEN ACCELERATION AT START UP. CRASH WAS AVOIDED BECAUSE PASSENGER IS A CERTIFIED HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR AND WAS ABLE TO CALMLY ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS. THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO DEALER WHEN CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT INCREASING IN FREQUENCY. IT IS MOST LIKELY A ELECTRICAL FLAW (WIRING?) IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. AS WELL AS A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR, OWNER IS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED OCTOBER 2006 AND CAR HAD LESS THAN 40500 MILES. *TR