NHTSA Complaint #10325665 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SHE WAS UNABLE TO DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL SINCE THE RPMS BEGAN INCREASING EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND WOULD NOT STOP DESPITE HER ATTEMPTS TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND CONTINUE TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THERE WAS SMOKE PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE AS IT BEGAN TO DECREASE IN SPEED TO 15 MPH. SINCE THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, SHE THEN JUMPED FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE AS THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED AND PLOWED INTO A SNOW BANK BEFORE STOPPING. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL BODY DAMAGE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED DUE TO HER SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GEAR FROM THE PARK POSITION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TOYOTA WAS SCHEDULED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE INVESTIGATOR COULD FIND NO FAILURES WITHIN THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000.