NHTSA Complaint #10315389 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM, OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON EXPERIENCED ACCELERATION PROBLEM. *TGW IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A PROBLEM IN ACCELERATING, DECELERATING AND SHIFTING GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER A FEW WEEKS LATER. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS NO MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAT A MINOR ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO THE SHIFTING POINTS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED FINE FOR A WHILE, BUT THEN THE SAME PROBLEMS QUICKLY RESURFACED. A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE STATED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT A DEFECT; RATHER IT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS INTENDED TO HANDLE DUE TO ITS DRIVE-BY-WIRE SYSTEM. THE REPRESENTATIVE WENT ON TO SAY THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE SYSTEM DID NOT HAVE A TRADITIONAL ROD THAT CONNECTED THE PEDAL TO THE ENGINE; RATHER, THE PEDAL WENT TO AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT SENSED THE INTENDED ACCELERATION AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO ACCELERATE AS DIRECTED BY THE DRIVER. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE HESITATION HE COMPLAINED OF WAS NORMAL AS THE SYSTEM WAS DETERMINING HOW MUCH TO ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER DID NOT BELIEVE THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION WAS DUE TO A STICKING PEDAL; RATHER A PROBLEM WITHIN THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, THROTTLE OR ONBOARD COMPUTER.*JB