NHTSA Complaint #10289056 — 2006 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

SOON AFTER PURCHASING MY 2006 4RUNNER V8 4WD I WAS PULLING MY BOAT AND NOTICED WHEN I WAS COMING TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND BRAKING THAT THE ENGINE WAS INCREASING IN RPM AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. HAD THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME NOT BEEN CLEAR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, OFTEN WHEN PULLING THE BOAT BUT NOT ALWAYS. I LATER REALIZED THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE PROXIMITY OF THE GAS AND BREAK PETALS. WHEN I PULL THE BOAT, AND SOMETIME OTHER TIMES, I WEAR FLIP-FLOPS WHICH ARE FAIRLY WIDE AND FLAT. THE FLIP-FLOPS ARE WIDE ENOUGH TO ACCIDENTALLY BRIDGE THE TWO PETALS WHILE DRIVING. MY 2001 4RUNNER NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS ISSUE RECUR SINCE I STOPPED WEARING FLIP-FLOPS WHEN DRIVING THE 4RUNNER. THE ONLY REASON I AM REPORTING THIS IS THAT I HAVE READ OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH TOYOTA'S AND THOUGHT THIS INFORMATION MIGHT HELP THE INVESTIGATION. THIS PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE A SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE SINCE THE RPM'S WENT UP AND THE BRAKES COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER TOYOTA'S HAVE THE SAME PROXIMITY ISSUE BETWEEN THE BRAKE PETAL AND GAS PETAL. WE HAVE NOT SEEN THIS SAME ISSUE ON OUR 2004 SIENNA. *TR