NHTSA Complaint #10293482 — 2001 TOYOTA CELICA

I WAS DRIVING WEST BOUND ON I-10 NEAR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, TX WHEN I WENT TO PASS A TRUCK AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AND THE ENGINE WENT TO THE REDLINE. I TRIED THE BRAKES WHICH WORKED A LITTLE BIT BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL SCREAMING AT THE REDLINE. FORTUNATELY THE FREEWAY WAS QUITE CLEAR AS I JUST KEPT GOING FASTER AND FASTER. I'M A "CAR-GUY" AND I'M ALSO A MECHANIC AND SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR I EVER BOUGHT, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE ENGINE BLOWING UP MORE THAN I WAS ABOUT HITTING SOMEONE SINCE THE FREEWAY WAS PRACTICALLY EMPTY. I DID GET UP PAST 110 MPH THOUGH BEFORE I DECIDED TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I COASTED FOR A LITTLE WHILE TO REDUCE SPEED AND THEN STARTED THE ENGINE WHILE STILL COASTING. EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL AND I PUT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO "DRIVE" AND WENT ABOUT MY WAY. I HAD JUST HAD MY FLOORMATS THOROUGHLY WASHED SO THEY WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME SINCE THEY WERE DRYING. THERE WERE NO FLOORMATS IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NEVER REPORTED THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A FREAK INCIDENT BUT NOW AS I'M HEARING MORE REPORTS ON SIMILAR ISSUES I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO KNOW OF THIS INCIDENT AS WELL. *TR