NHTSA Complaint #10326251 — 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX

I WAS ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN AND HAD BEGUN TO ACCELERATE BUT THEN DECIDED TO NOT TURN, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, I'M NOT SURE IF I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKE AND GET ANY RESULTS OR NOT BECAUSE I WAS HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC SUDDENLY. I WAS VERY CONFUSED BY THE INCIDENT, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MY INTENT TO DRIVE FORWARD AND YET IT DID SO. I WAS ASSUMING THAT SINCE I HAD THE CAR SERVICED FOR THE RECALL ISSUES LAST MONTH, THE CAR WAS SAFE. WE HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE GAS PEDAL BEING NON RESPONSIVE WHEN IN CRUISE CONTROL MODE. IT HAD HAPPENED ONCE WHEN I HAD USED IT AND ONCE WHEN MY HUSBAND HAD USED IT, BUT WE HAD NO INCIDENTS FROM IT AND DISCONTINUED USING CRUISE CONTROL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CHEROKEE COUNTY (GA) TOYOTA COLLISION CENTER WHERE I TOLD THEM OF THE NON INTENDED ACCELERATION. THEY ASSURED ME THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT, BUT ONLY AFTER REPAIRING THE BODY. AFTER THEY HAD DONE SO, THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME TO GENERATE A CASE AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO TOYOTA. I DID SO ON FRIDAY, APRIL 16TH. I HAVE NOT YET HEARD FROM THE CASE MANAGER, BUT AM CONCERNED AND FRIGHTENED OF THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. I HAVE A HEAD INJURY; A CONCUSSION AND A WRIST INJURY AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE RECALL SERVICE WORK WAS DONE AT CHEROKEE COUNTY TOYOTA IN GEORGIA WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. MY INSURANCE COMPANY WAS ALSO INFORMED OF THE ISSUE AND HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THEY WILL LOOK INTO THE ISSUE AND SEEK REPAYMENT FROM TOYOTA IF THEY ARE LIABLE FOR THE ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND COLLISION CENTER GUY WHO IS HANDLING MY VEHICLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT I WOULD BE "HIT BY LIGHTENING AND MAULED BY A BEAR ON THE SAME DAY" THAN IT IS THAT MY ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A PROBLEMATIC OR UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION THAT IS A RESULT OF AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT A COMPUTERIZED "TEST" WAS DONE AND THAT MY CAR IS OK, BUT THEN TOLD ME TO INITIATE A CASE WITH TOYOTA. *TR