NHTSA Complaint #10376939 — 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY. I POWERED IT ON THEN TRIED TO PUT IT IN DRIVE. THE SHIFT KEPT BOUNCING OUT OF DRIVE WITHOUT MY MOVING IT, INTO N, R AND FINALLY BACK INTO DRIVE AT WHICH POINT I RELEASED THE HAND BRAKE, THEN EASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. I DID NOT PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN ORDER TO TURN ONTO THE ROAD SLOWLY. BUT THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED REALLY FAST. AS IT DID SO THE RED TRIANGLE 'PROBLEM - CHECK ENGINE' SYMBOL CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CAR WENT ACROSS THE ROAD AND INTO A NEIGHBOR'S FRONT YARD WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF SNOW AND A SNOWDRIFT BY THE ROAD, AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE SNOWDRIFT WHICH STOPPED IT. I WAS THEN ABLE TO TURN OFF THE POWER. THE FOOT BRAKE HAD NO EFFECT. THE CAR WAS HEADING ON A LINE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE HOUSE AND HAD THERE NOT BEEN THAT SNOWDRIFT THERE, WOULD HAVE HIT THE HOUSE HEAD-ON. THIS WAS NOT DRIVER ERROR, BUT 'UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION'. THERE MAY BE A CONNECTION TO THE FOLLOWING BATTERY FAILURE: ON 1/11/11 A RECENTLY INSTALLED START-MOTOR BATTERY (INSTALLED 1/3/11) WENT DEAD, AFTER 1636 MILES, AND HAD ITSELF TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS NOW BEING CHECKED BY THE LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE AND DEALERSHIP. *TR