NHTSA Complaint #10373627 — 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

I PURCHASED MY 2009 4RUNNER NEW LAST YEAR. FROM THE MINUTE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ANY TIME THE VEHICLE SLOWS BELOW 15MPH AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVS TO A HIGH RPM AS IF SEARCHING FOR A GEAR AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS COMMANDED. THIS IS VERY PREVALENT IN SLOW TRAFFIC, SLOWING FOR A YIELD SIGN OR TURNING CORNERS. THE BIGGEST SAFETY CONCERN IS IN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY DOES FIND A GEAR TO SHIFT INTO, IT LURCHES FORWARD. THE SHIFTING INTO GEAR FROM A HIGH RPM ON SLICK SURFACES COULD CAUSE THE WHEELS TO SPIN OUT. I ALMOST EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS. I'VE BROUGHT IT IN TO GET REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE. ALL THEY DO IS FLASH THE ECM AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2010 MODEL BY ISSUING A TSB. (TSB-0166-10) FROM READING SEVERAL TOYOTA 4RUNNER FORUMS, THIS TSB FIXES THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PUT PRESSURE ON TOYOTA TO ISSUE A FIX FOR THE 2009 MODEL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR