NHTSA Complaint #10379575 — 2000 LEXUS RX300

I WENT INTO MY GARAGE AND GOT IN MY CAR (LEXUS RX300,2000). IT STARTED NORMALLY, BUT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT UNTIL I PRESSED THE OVERRIDE BUTTON AND PUT IT INTO REVERSE. AS SOON AS THE SHIFTER HIT (R) THE THROTTLE SEEMED TO GO WIDE OPEN AND THE CAR BOLTED OUT OF THE GARAGE. LUCKILY, SINCE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE ALMOST INSTANTLY I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT GOT OUT OF CONTROL. THE CAR TRAVELED ABOUT 30 FT BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. I THINK I PUT IT INTO PARK AND JUST SAT THERE AND TRIED TO CALM DOWN. I WAS TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF BLASTING OUT INTO THE STREET ETC. AFTER, CALMING DOWN I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON WITH A GREAT DEAL OF TREPIDATION. AS I DROVE I WAS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PLAN WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, IF THE CAR HAD GONE INTO DRIVE IT WOULD HAVE BLASTED INTO THE GARAGE WALL, OR WORSE. ADDENDUM: [XXX], I INSPECTED THE CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT AND COULD NOTHING WRONG. HOWEVER, I AM A CONTROLS SYSTEM ENGINEER AND IT CERTAINLY SOUNDED LIKE A CLASSIC BOUNDING/ BOUNDARY PROBLEM IN THE CONTROL SOFTWARE. BY THIS I MEAN THAT THE INPUTS TO THE CONTROL LOOP EXCEED THE ALLOWED VALUES. OR DUE TO SOME UNUSUAL SET OF INPUTS THERE IS AN OVERFLOW PROBLEM , WHERE THE LOOP DOES A CALCULATION THAT CAUSES THE VALUE TO CROSSOVER FROM ALL ONES TO ALL ZEROS, THIS OVERFLOW ISSUE CAN HAVE VERY UNEXPECTED RESULTS, LIKE RAILING THE CONTROLLED PARAMETER. IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS MODEL LEXUS ENGINE SEEMS TO HAVE A MECHANICAL THROTTLE LINKAGE, SO THE ONLY SOFTWARE CONTROLLED THROTTLE COMMANDS HAVE TO COME FROM THE CRUISE CONTROL BOX, SINCE IT ALSO HAS AN INDEPENDENT CABLE LINKAGE TO THE THROTTLE PLATE. I DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE TO BE CERTAIN THIS COULD NOT RECUR. THIS IMPLIES THAT ANY TOYOTA WITH CRUISE CONTROL IS AT RISK, BUT IT SHOULD ALLOW A QUICK SAFETY FIX, JUST DISCONNECT THE CRUISE CABLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR