NHTSA Complaint #10345931 — 2003 AUDI A4

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 AUDI A4 ON THE MASS PIKE FREEWAY INTO BOSON, AS I APPROACHED A TOLL BOOTH, I TAPPED THE BREAK TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN SO THAT I PASSED THROUGH THE TOLL BOTH AT APPROXIMATELY 18 MPH. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE TOLL BOOTH, I AGAIN STARTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT ONCE TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL, IT SEEMED TO GO DOWN ON ITS OWN, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED, NOT UNDER MY CONTROL. I IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE ACCELERATION, BUT AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 60 MPH, AT WHICH POINT I APPLIED THE BREAKS AGAIN. LUCKILY, TRAFFIC WAS MINIMAL, AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP THE CAR SPEED DOWN, AND AVOID OTHER VEHICLES WHILE THE BRAKES AND ACCELERATOR WORKED AGAINST EACH OTHER. INITIALLY, THERE WAS NOWHERE TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, BUT THEN AS I APPROACHED A SMALL PULLOUT, I MOVED THE CAR INTO THE OUTSIDE LANE AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I THOUGHT MAYBE THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD MALFUNCTIONED, AND BY TURNING OFF THE CAR, IT WOULD BE RESET. SO AFTER SETTING SEVERAL MINUTES, WITH THE CAR IN PARK, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED UP TO FULL SPEED, SO I AGAIN TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER SETTING ANOTHER 10 MINUTES, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, AND IT STARTED NORMALLY. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITHOUT EXPERIENCING ANY ADDITIONAL ACCELERATION ISSUES. AUDI LOOKED AT THE CAR AND DETERMINED IT WAS A FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH THAT PREVENTED THE CRUISE CONTROL FROM DISENGAGING. HOWEVER, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ACTIVE WHEN THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION OCCURRED, AND THEIR OWN MECHANIC SAID THE FAULTY SWITCH WOULD NOT EXPLAIN THE FULL THROTTLE ENGINE START AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH BUT WILL TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION. BASED ON THE AUDI MECHANICS COMMENTS, I DO NOT FEEL THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. *TR