NHTSA Complaint #10316570 — 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA

2005 TOYOTA TACOMA, 4X4, 4 DOOR, LONG BED, 4.0 L, V6, EFI. MARCH 7, 2008 TRUCK WAS TOTALED IN ROLL OVER. 3 INCIDENTS TOOK PLACE WITH 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE. OWNER AND ACCIDENT VICTIM, POLICE OFFICERS AT THE TIMES OF EACH INCIDENT. BOTH HAVE HAD DRIVER TRAINING AND ARE EXPERIENCED DRIVERS. 3RD PERSON IS EXPERIENCED DRIVER WHO HAS DRIVER TRAINING THAT IS EXPERIENCED DRIVING CARS, TRUCKS, BUSES, SEMI TRUCKS. DRIVER HAS CDL(BUS) AND HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR MANY YEARS. OWNER HAD 1ST INCIDENT, GAS PEDAL STUCK AND DRIVER HAD TO PUT TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN HIT GAS PEDAL 2 TIMES WITH FOOT ABOUT 6 TO 10 TIMES TOTAL TO GET IT TO DISENGAGE ITSELF. ON THE 2ND ATTEMPT TO HIT THE GAS PEDAL, PEDAL WAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR HARD. 2ND INCIDENT, DRIVER HAD CRUISE CONTROL SET AT ABOUT 58 MPH. DRIVER TAPPED BRAKE PEDAL TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RACE AND THE TRUCK PICKED UP SPEED. DRIVER PUT TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND HAD TO HIT GAS PEDAL AND DRIVE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET IT TO STOP RACING. DRIVER TOOK TRUCK TO DEALER WITH END 2 WEEKS FOR OIL CHANGE AND TOLD THEM OF INCIDENT. THEY CHECKED TRUCK AND FOUND NO CAUSE OR PROBLEM WITH THE TRUCK. 3RD INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 7, 2008. DRIVER HAD CRUISE CONTROL SET AT ABOUT 64 MPH. DRIVER TAPPED BRAKE PEDAL TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE TRUCK ENGINE THEN STARTED TO RACE AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO FISH TAIL. DRIVER HIT BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND THE TRUCK WENT FROM PASSING LANE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF ROADWAY AND HIT A DITCH AND ROLLED 3 TO 5 TIMES. TRUCK CAME TO REST ON ITS ROOF. DRIVER WAS SEAT BELTED IN AND HAD TO TURN KEY OFF TO GET THE TRUCK TO STOP THE ENGINE FROM RACING. TIRES WERE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE IN 3RD INCIDENT AND IN ALL INCIDENTS FLOOR MAT WAS NOT STUCK IN GAS PEDAL AND HAD NO PART IN INCIDENTS. 3RD INCIDENT ROAD WAY WAS WET AND IT STARTED SLEETING AT THE TIME OF ROLLOVER WRECK. ROADWAY WAS NOT SNOW COVERED. ALL INCIDENTS TOOK PLACE ON 4 LANE ROADWAYS. *TR