NHTSA Complaint #10312424 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 4 DOOR. FIRST TIME INCIDENT. WESTBOUND HIGHWAY 401 NEAR WOODSTOCK ONTARIO WITH CRUISE CONTROL @ 100 KMH IN RIGHT LANE AND SLIGHTLY ACCELERATED TO MIDDLE LANE TO AVOID MERGING INCOMING TRAFFIC FROM ROADSIDE GAS STATION. ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WITHOUT DRIVER ASSISTANCE. STRONG BRAKING DID NOT STOP CAR. STOMPING ON ACCELERATOR DID NOT STOP CAR. TURNING OFF CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT STOP CAR. FASTEST SPEED WAS 150KMH @ 7500 RPM. SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WHEN SPEED AT 120KMH @ 4000 RPM, THE BRAKES STARTED WORKING. SLOWED AND PULLED OFF ONTO SHOULDER AND PARKED THE CAR. TWO MINUTES LATER, STILL IN PARK, IDLED AT 1900 RPM. ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK. OVER THE PHONE, DAN FROM COMPETITION TOYOTA TOLD ME THAT PROBABLY THE THROTTLE BOX OR THROTTLE CABLE HAD BECOME GUMMED UP AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEANED AS PART OF THE TOYOTA 60,000KM MAINTENANCE. I HAVE NOT USED TOYOTA DEALER TO SERVICE THE CAR DUE TO AFFORDABILITY. I DO HAVE A REGULAR MECHANIC WHO SERVICES THE VEHICLE. TOOK IT INTO COMPETITION TOYOTA AND PROBLEM WAS A DIRTY THROTTLE PLATE WHICH WAS CLEANED AT A COST OF $70. DEALER ALSO DID A RECALL REPAIR ON A WINDOW AND SAID THERE WERE TOO MANY MATS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED. I TOLD DAN THAT DRIVER MATS WERE NOT THE CAUSE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO TOYOTA EMPLOYEES, I SHOWED HIM PHOTOS THAT I TOOK OF THE DASHBOARD JUST AFTER I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. I ASKED IF THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, HE SAID YES, AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SINCE. REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO TRANSPORT CANADA. *TR