NHTSA Complaint #10332573 — 2001 TOYOTA CELICA

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW TOYOTA CELICA IN 2001. IN 2006 IT BEGAN SOUNDING STRANGE WHEN ACCELERATING AND ALSO WHEN I WOULD BACK UP AND USE THE BRAKES. IT WOULD MAKE A VERY STRANGE SOUND AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK THE SAME AS THEY USED TO. I REPORTED THIS TO MECHANICS AT TOYOTA BUT THEY SAID THE CAR WAS FINE MECHANICALLY. ON DECEMBER 24, 2008 WHEN MERGING ON TO A EXIT SAN JOSE BLVD FROM 295 IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA MY CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN IT ACTUALLY ACCELERATED. THE RPM GAUGE WENT UP INSTEAD OF DOWN AND THE PRESSURE WAS HIGH. MY CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. IT WAS ACCELERATING WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. I TRIED TO PUT THE BRAKES ON AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS MERGING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON A BUSY ROAD NEARING A CRASH. I THEN TRIED TO PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT STILL WOULD NOT STOP. I THEN PUT IT IN PARK AND IT STILL KEPT GOING DRIVING. I THEN PULLED THE KEY OUT BECAUSE IT WAS MY LAST ATTEMPT TO STOP THE CAR AND THANK GOD MY CAR STOPPED JUST MISSING A COLLISION. SO TO SUM IT ALL UP, MY CAR ACCELERATED, HAD HIGH PRESSURE AND THE BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND IF NOT FOR MY PULLING THE KEY OUT I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO ERNIE PALMER TOYOTA. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR SENSOR. I SOLD MY CAR TO THEM BECAUSE I NEVER WANTED TO GET IN OR LOOK AT THAT CAR AGAIN. I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT. I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW IT WAS FIXED BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE IT FIXED, I SOLD IT. HOWEVER THE MECHANICS LATER AT TOYOTA TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR SENSOR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OTHER THAT MY NECK BEING HURT FROM BEING THROWN TO SUCH A QUICK STOP. *TR