NHTSA Complaint #10314752 — 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL

IN 2006-2007, MY 20 YEAR-OLD 1986 TOYOTA TERCEL STATION WAGON BEGAN EXHIBITING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND/OR FAILURE TO DECELERATE, CAUSED BY A STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL -- CAUSING NO INJURIES BUT REQUIRING ME TO BRAKE, SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, AND/OR STOMP REPEATEDLY ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO LOOSEN IT AND ALLOW IT TO RISE BACK UP. THERE WERE AT LEAST 4-5 OCCASIONS WHEN THIS OCCURRED OVER 6 MONTHS -- WITH NONE OF THE INCIDENTS INVOLVING A FLOOR MAT. THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED ON A TEST DRIVE BY MY LOCAL (NON-TOYOTA) CAR MECHANIC, WHO COULD FIND NO APPARENT CAUSE (SUCH AS RUST) OR FIX FOR THE STICKING GAS PEDAL. WE CONSEQUENTLY SIMPLY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO THE "OLD AGE" OF THE AUTO -- WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUED DRIVING AND LATER JUNKED BECAUSE IT HAD BECOME UNSAFE FOR DRIVING. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENTLY-REPORTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH LATER TOYOTA MODELS, I'D ADVISE LOOKING INTO WHETHER THE 1980'S TOYOTA TERCEL GAS PEDAL USED THE SAME, OR A SIMILARLY SUSCEPTIBLE, TYPE OF PEDAL ASSEMBLY AS THOSE OF THESE LATER TOYOTA MODELS; IF SO, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA'S PEDAL ASSEMBLIES GOES BACK FURTHER THAN CURRENTLY PRESUMED. *TR