NHTSA Complaint #10322973 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

I WAS DRIVING MY NEWLY PURCHASED 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS (VIN# [XXX]) ON RT 66 IN ARLINGTON VIRGINIA ON MARCH 31, 2010. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MILES PER HOUR AND ACCELERATING. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO SLOW THE CAR AND THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE, BUT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW, AND IN FACT I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE 'GUNNING' AND IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I PRESSED THE BRAKE DOWN AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO AND WHILE THE CAR SLOWED ITS ACCELERATION, IT DID NOT SLOW OR STOP THE CAR. AS SOON AS I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE RACING. I PRESSED THE BRAKE AGAIN, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED ' THE CAR SLOWED ITS ACCELERATION, BUT DID NOT SLOW ITS OVERALL SPEED. AS SOON AS I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED. I DID THIS THREE TIMES, BECOMING INCREASINGLY AFRAID. I THEN JAMMED MY FOOT HARD ON THE BRAKE AND PULLED OFF ONTO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND IT FINALLY STOPPED. I SAT THERE FOR A FEW MOMENTS, THEN TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND GOT BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. AS SOON AS I GOT UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ' THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THE BRAKE WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I PULLED OVER A SECOND TIME AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AS THE ONLY WAS I COULD FIND TO STOP IT. I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN, AND THIS TIME WAS ABLE TO REACH MY DESTINATION WITH NO MORE INCIDENTS. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE CARMAX DEALER FROM WHOM IT WAS PURCHASED AND HAVE BEEN ON HOLD TO REPORT THIS DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA FOR OVER 30 MINUTES, BUT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THROUGH. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR