NHTSA Complaint #10306082 — 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA

ON 08/24/08, MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK. ON 12/22/2008, HE WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO ENGAGE AT FULL THROTTLE. HIS RIGHT FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, BUT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS IT SHOULD BE WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE TO GREEN. STARTLED, HE PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS THE ACCELERATION OF THE ENGINE SEEMED TO OVERTAKE THE ABILITY TO BRAKE. THE TRUCK LURCHED FORWARD AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT WHICH STOPPED THE MOMENTUM AND KILLED THE ENGINE. THE ACCELERATION AND POWER OF THE ENGINE WAS SO GREAT THAT THIS ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS. WHEN HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FINE AS THE TRUCKS COMPUTER SEEMED TO RESET ITSELF. HE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA AND ASKED THAT THE TRUCK BE CHECKED OUT. WHEN WE WENT TO PICK UP THE TRUCK AT HOOMAN TOYOTA, WHERE A FACTORY TECH CAME TO INSPECT IT, HE WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS FINE AND ACCELERATION SYSTEM (PEDAL LINKAGE) WAS FINE AS WELL. HE WAS EVEN TOLD THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS UNHOOKED AND PROBABLY GOT STUCK ON TOP OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FLOOR MATS WERE NOT UNHOOKED WHEN WE DROPPED OFF THE TRUCK. MY HUSBAND TRIED THE FLOOR MAT ON TOP OF THE PEDAL WHILE STEPPING ON THE BRAKE AND THE RPM DID NOT GO UP MUCH AT ALL, CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO OVERPOWER THE BRAKING SYSTEM AS THE TECH SUGGESTED. WE BELIEVE THERE WAS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION AND NOT A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WHICH WAS THAT THE TECH CHECKED OUT. THE CASE MANAGER WAS INFORMED OF THIS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INSPECTION. AFTER THE RECALL NOTICE ON TV IN AUGUST, WE REMOVED THE FLOOR MATS FROM THE TRUCK, A SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED 10/19/09 (WITH NO FLOOR MATS) WHICH DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. WE, AGAIN, BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALER AND IT WAS, ONCE AGAIN, CLEARED TO DRIVE WITH NO ISSUES. THERE IS CLEARLY A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND WE ARE SCARED TO DRIVE IT. PLEASE HELP! *JB