NHTSA Complaint #10353127 — 2009 PONTIAC VIBE

ON TUES. MORNING, AUG. 31, 2010, AT 6:51 A.M. (PER RECEIPT), I WAS STOPPED AT THE PRECINCT LINE & HWY 183 STARBUCKS DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW. MY 2009 PONTIAC VIVE WAS IN DRIVE & MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AS IT WOULD BE AT A STOP LIGHT. AS MY TRANSACTION PROCEEDED, I HEARD A TERRIFIC, LOUD RACING OF AN ENGINE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A RACE CAR & THEN FELT MY CAR BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CAR BEHIND ME DOING SOMETHING WEIRD OR BEING SOMEHOW OUT OF CONTROL. I PUSHED HARDER ON MY BRAKE TO PROTECT MYSELF, BUT MY VIVE STARTED TO SURGE FORWARD. I THEN REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE "TOYOTA PROBLEM" HAPPENING TO ME & I, THEREFORE, PUT THE CAR IN PARK & TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. AS I PUT THE VIVE IN PARK, THE ENGINE RACED WILDLY & I NOTICED THE TACHOMETER BOUNCING CRAZILY UP THE SCALE. I EXCLAIMED TO THE WORKERS THAT MY CAR WAS DOING THE "TOYOTA THING." THEY JUST STARED AT ME WITH WIDE EYES. I TRIED TURNING THE CAR ON AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH BOTH OF MY FEET ON THE BRAKE; THE ENGINE RACED WILDLY ONCE AGAIN, & THE TACHOMETER BOUNCED WILDLY. MY FEET REMAINED EXTREMELY FIRM ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT STRANGELY WEAK, AS THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT FURTHER TO THE FLOOR THAN NORMAL. I TURNED THE VIVE OFF A SECOND TIME & TOLD THE STARBUCKS WORKERS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, IN THAT I WAS IN THEIR DRIVE-THROUGH LANE & I WAS AFRAID TO TURN THE ENGINE ON TO TRY TO MOVE AWAY. I WAS PANICKED; THEY REMAINED WIDE-EYED AND SPEECHLESS AT THE NOISE AND SPECTACLE. I DECIDED TO TRY A THIRD TIME; THIS TIME THE ENGINE ACTED "NORMALLY" BUT SOUNDED AND ACTED WEAK. I WAS VERY SCARED AS I DROVE AWAY & WAS UNSURE OF WHAT THE CAR WOULD DO NEXT. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO MEET ME AT WORK A FEW MILES AWAY TO PICK UP THE CAR THAT I NO LONGER TRUST TO DRIVE. THE STARBUCKS MANAGER AND DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW BARISTA WHO WITNESSED THIS EVENT GAVE THEIR NAMES & PHONE NUMBERS TO US & ARE WILLING TO CONFIRM THE EVENT. RECALL 10038 WAS PERFORMED 6 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE. *TR