NHTSA Complaint #10329106 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

1. I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT, FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, DOING NOTHING BUT WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE. SUDDENLY I REALIZED MY CAR WAS MOVING FORWARD, SO I PUSHED THE BRAKES HARDER. THE PEDAL WENT DOWN FURTHER BUT THE CAR KEPT MOVING FORWARD. ALL OF THIS TOOK ONLY A FEW SECONDS. THEN I HEARD AND FELT THE ENGINE ACCELERATING VERY LOUDLY. JUST AT THAT MOMENT THE LIGHT CHANGED, AND TRAFFIC SPED AHEAD. WITHOUT THINKING, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE STOPPED ROARING, THE CAR ACCELERATED NORMALLY AND THE BRAKES WERE RESPONSIVE. 2. THIS WAS THE ONLY INCIDENT. 3. I WAS ACTUALLY ON MY WAY TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, SO I CONTINUED ON MY WAY. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALER, I HAD THE PERSON WHO MET ME AT MY CAR CHECK THE FLOOR MAT BEFORE I WALKED AWAY. HE SAID IT WAS FINE. TOYOTA PERFORMED ALL RECALL ACTIONS, ASKED IF I WANTED THE COMPUTER RE-PROGRAMMED TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO OVERRIDE EVERYTHING ELSE (I SAID YES), AND FILLED OUT THE FORMS AND PERFORMED ACTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN SUA INCIDENT. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER AND THE NEXT DAY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WOULD BE RELEASED. I ASKED FOR, AND RECEIVED A COPY OF THE FORM FOR AN SUA INCIDENT, BUT IT ONLY HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TECHNICIAN AND NO WRITTEN RESULTS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS FOUND AND WHAT WAS DONE, OTHER THAN NORMAL RECALL WORK. I AM FILLING THIS OUT BECAUSE I NO LONGER TRUST TOYOTA, AND NOW I AM AFRAID. IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND I WANT TO BE PART OF THE RECORD OF INCIDENTS. *TR