NHTSA Complaint #10308589 — 2008 TOYOTA AVALON

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON IN TRAFFIC NORTH OF HOUSTON AND FLOORED IT TO GET ON AN EXIT RAMP IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CAR. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT HIGH REVS AND I HAD TO PUSH HARD ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE WHILE GOING UP A STEEP RAMP. AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS THE REVS DROPPED AND EVERYTHING CONTINUED AS NORMAL. THIS HAPPENED ON JULY 17, 2009. THEN, IN DECEMBER OF 2009 I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET WHEN A TRUCK RAN A STOP SIGN AND WAS GOING TO HIT ME. I FLOORED IT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND AGAIN THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS. I REMEMBERED HEARING A REPORT ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF FLOOR MATS CAUSING THE PEDAL TO STICK SO I HIT THE BRAKES, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND REACHED DOWN AND PULLED ON THE FLOOR MAT. THE OUT OF CONTROL ACCELERATION AGAIN LASTED ABOUT 3 TO 4 SECONDS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE FLOOR MAT WAS CAUSING IT TO STICK OR NOT. I HAD A RUBBER MAT ON TOP OF THE MAT THAT I BOUGHT WITH THE CAR THAT HOOKS INTO THE FLOOR BOARD. I DON'T THINK THAT MAT EVER INTERFERED WITH THE PEDAL. I LOOKED AT IT CLOSELY AND IT DOES NOT SEEM POSSIBLE. BUT I TOOK IT OUT ANYWAY. I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA TUNDRA CREW CAB AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO IT BUT I HAVE NEVER FLOORED THAT TRUCK EITHER. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON IT WHEN IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME AND ABOUT 24,000 THE SECOND TIME. *TR