NHTSA Complaint #10317129 — 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON 2/26/10 I BROUGHT MY 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA LE TO NORTH HILLS TOYOTA/SCION SERVICE CENTER AT 711 BROWNS LANE PGH PA 15237 TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED. AS PER THE WORK ORDER #TOCS162571, THE WORK PERFORMED WAS: INSTALLING ACCELERATOR PEDAL REINFORCEMENT BAR, BRAKE INSPECTION, INSTALLING INTAKE AIR TUBE CONNECTOR KIT. UP UNTIL THAT TIME, I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS. ON 3/1/10 AT 10:25AM, THE 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED TO OVER 7,000 RPMS WHILE MY FOOT WAS APPLIED TO BRAKE AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE DESPITE APPLYING EXTRA PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE WITH MY FOOT. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF WITH THE KEY, PUT IT IN PARK, WAITED APPROX. 1 MINUTE, AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE ACCELERATION WAS MUCH WORSE THAN THE FIRST TIME AND THE NEEDLE ON THE TACHOMETER AGAIN WENT TO OVER 7,000 RPMS AND THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE A "JET ENGINE". I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO ENGINE OFF AGAIN. THE POLICE WERE THEN CALLED AS THE CAR WAS BLOCKING TRAFFIC. THE OFFICER AND MYSELF PUSHED THE CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD WITHOUT STARTING IT. AAA EVENTUALLY TOWED THE CAR TO NORTH HILLS TOYOTA/SCION SERVICE CENTER. ON 3/2/10, DEANA HICKS OF THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED TO SAY, UPON INSPECTION, THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I ASKED THEM TO EXAMINE THE CAR FURTHER AND A SERVICE TECH. TOOK IT HOME OVER NIGHT IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE TOLD WE COULD TAKE THE CAR BACK. *TR