NHTSA Complaint #10314998 — 1987 TOYOTA CRESSIDA

"RAPID & UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION IN TOYOTA MODELS" TOYOTA CRESSIDA MODEL SHOULD BE ADDED TO RECALL LIST. HERE IS MY EXPERIENCE. HAVING JUST FINISHED PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO PARK, BUT INSTEAD, THE CAR RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO TOP SPEED. THE CAR WAS BLOCKED FROM MOVEMENT BY THREE OBJECTS. THESE WERE IN ORDER OF CONTACT: A TALL CURB, A LANDSCAPED MEDIUM ABOUT 4 FEET DEEP, WITH A SMALL TREE AND FINALLY, ACROSS THE MEDIUM (ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF MY PARKING SPOT, FACING MY FRONT) A PARKED VOLVO SEDAN. IT WAS AN OLDER MODEL, WHICH HAD A LARGE AND PROTECTIVE FRONT METAL GRILL (PROBABLY A 1970'S MODEL). MY CAR'S WHEELS WERE MADLY SPINNING IN PLACE, BURNING RUBBER ON THE CONCRETE. THE FRONT WHEELS JUMPED THE TALL CURB AND PUSHED DOWN ONE OF THE PARTS OF THE TREE, THEN WAS STOPPED IN PLACE BY THE HEAVY GRILL OF THE VOLVO SEDAN. I EXITED THE CAR BEFORE IT JUMPED THE CURB, THEN GOT BACK IN WHEN IT WAS BLOCKED BY THE VOLVO, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AT THAT POINT THE CAR STOPPED AND THE WHEELS STOPPED SPINNING. IT WAS AN EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND FURTHER DAMAGE WAS CONTAINED ONLY BECAUSE OF THE OBJECT IN FRONT OF THE CAR. NO ONE WAS INJURED, AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE CAR FRONT AND THE LANDSCAPING. I SOLD THE CAR, SOON AFTER, BUT DID TELL THE BUYER ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THIS WAS A TOYOTA CRESSIDA, APPROXIMATELY A 1987 YEAR MODEL. CRESSIDA MODELS WERE DISCONTINUED, BUT THEY ARE STILL BEING DRIVEN TODAY, AND SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST!!! IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE "RAPID ACCELERATION PROBLEM" GOES BACK MUCH FURTHER THAN IS BEING CURRENTLY INVESTIGATED BY THE SENATE. *TR