NHTSA Complaint #10333955 — 2009 TOYOTA RAV4

AS I DROVE INTO OUR PARKING LOT AT WORK AFTER LUNCH, I WAS IDLING ENGINE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE AS I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT. I WAS ALREADY MAKING MY TURN INTO THE PARKING SPOT WITH FOOT ON BRAKE AND ENGINE IDLING WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATE. I RESPONDED BY APPLYING FOOT BRAKE AND GRABBING AND PULLING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT ONLY HAD ABOUT 15 - 20 FEET BEFORE HITTING A CONCRETE WALL AT THE BAKE OF THE PARKING SPOT. I MANAGED TO NOT HIT HARD ENOUGH FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY BUT THERE IS DAMAGE TO MY FRONT BUMPER AND HOOD. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME MY CAR HAS DONE THIS. I BOUGHT IT NEW LAST AUG. 09 AND IT HAS APPROX 12,432 MILES. TOYOTA TOOK IT TO QUALITY IMPORTS TOYOTA AND "INVESTIGATED" IT AND HAS FOUND NO DEFECT. I TALKED TO THE INSPECTOR OVER THE PHONE AND HE EXPLAINED THAT HE SPENT A FEW HOURS GOING THROUGH A SERIES OF TESTS ATTEMPTING TO FIND OR REPRODUCE A MALFUNCTION WITH NO SUCCESS. HE TOLD ME THAT WHILE MY REPORT IS QUITE COMMON HE HAS NEVER FOUND A DEFECT TO EXPLAIN SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION AND THAT HE THINKS MY CAR IS SAFE AND "HE WOULD LET HIS DAUGHTER DRIVE MY CAR." I ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT A STICKING ACCELERATOR AND/OR A SLOWLY RETURNING ACCELERATOR CANNOT EXPLAIN THIS EXPERIENCE AND IS NO "FIX" FOR MY ACCIDENT. MY EDUCATION IS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND I HAVE BEEN AN EQUIPMENT MECHANIC ON MACHINERY FOR 15 YEARS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU CANNOT REPRODUCE AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM IN A MATTER OF HOURS THAT THE CONCLUSION SHOULD BE THAT THERE IS NO DEFECT. IT DOES NOT EXCUSE THE FACT THAT THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND NOTHING SERIOUS IS BEING "INVESTIGATED." *TR