NHTSA Complaint #10321008 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

WE PURCHASED A 2009 PRIUS, 11/08. IN 3/16/09 IT ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE NJ TURNPIKE NEAR NEWARK AIRPORT, A SPEED JUDGED AT 85 MILES/HOUR. I WAS THE DRIVER, THERE WERE 4 PASSENGERS. CLEARLY UNATTENDED ACCELERATION NOT CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT. SCENARIO: TRAVELING IN RIGHT LANE, CAME UP BEHIND CEMENT MIXER TRAVELING AT 45-50 MI/HOUR; ACCELERATED QUICKLY TO GET INTO MIDDLE LANE; MIDDLE LANE TRAFFIC CONSTANT, TRAVELING MIN. 70 MI/HOUR; ONCE IN MIDDLE LANE, DE-ACCELERATED; INSTEAD OF DE-ACCELERATING, THE CAR ENGINE ROARED, TAKING OFF AT AN UNBELIEVABLE SPEED; TURNED ON FLASHERS, PUT FOOT ON BRAKE; ABLE TO CONTROL SPEED OF CAR, BREAKING ALL THE TIME, ENGINE ROARING. NO PLACE TO PULL OVER. ONLY THOUGHT: GET TO TOLL BOOTH, HOPE I COULD STOP IT COMPLETELY WITH BRAKE; SUDDENLY, AFTER ABOUT 5 MIN., THERE WAS A SOUND IN THE ENGINE (?) LIKE A THUD; CAR RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. FOLLOW-UP: WENT INTO NYC, DROVE CAR HOME THAT EVENING, 3 HOUR DRIVE; HUSBAND TOOK CAR TO VINELAND TOYOTA DEALER WHERE BOUGHT; THEY SAID BLACK BOX SHOWED THAT, IN ADDITION TO MOST RECENT ACCELERATION, THERE WERE PRIOR ACCELERATIONS; WE NEVER NOTICED THEM; THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT; SAID MAT HAD BEEN THE PROBLEM; HUSBAND, FORMER CEO/AMER. LUNG ASSOC., CONTACTED TOYOTA REGIONAL, SAYING THAT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM - WE WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. KNEW MANAGEMENT BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S SUPPORT OF ALA. IN FACT, AFTER HIS RETIREMENT, ENDORSED '02 PRIUS IN TOYOTA BROCHURE, AND WAS FEATURED IN 2 TOYOTA VIDEOS; MANAGEMENT SENT TECHS FROM REG. OFFICE; REPS CONCURRED WITH DEALER: PROBLEM WAS FLOOR MAT. OUTCOME: NO WORK WE KNOW OF WAS DONE TO RECTIFY ACCELERATION; MAT REMOVED, BUT COULDN'T SEE HOW IT INTERFERED WITH PEDAL. COULDN'T REPLICATE THE EVENT BY MOVING MAT AROUND. NO EXPLANATION FOR THUD; LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE MAT COULD SLIP BACK IN PLACE. DON'T TRUST CAR! PLEASE ADVISE US OF YOUR INTENT ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. *TR