NHTSA Complaint #10426439 — 2010 TOYOTA RAV4

ON A PUBLIC MAIN STREET TRAVELING 35-45 MPH, STARTED TO BRAKE TO STOP FOR A LIGHT CHANGING FROM YELLOW TO RED. AS THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV TO 5000 RPM. THE BRAKES WERE HOLDING BACK THE CAR, BUT THE ACCELERATION WAS PERSISTENT. THE CAR BARELY STOPPED BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION, BUT THE ENGINE REMAINED AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE FULL THROTTLE. I SHIFTED THE STOPPED VEHICLE INTO PARK ON THIS AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE/TRANSAXLE MADE A SIGNIFICANT "BANG" AS IT WAS SHIFTED, THE ENGINE STOPPED REVVING AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SHOT BACK TOWARD MY LEG HITTING MY ANKLE. AT NO TIME DID MY RIGHT FOOT LEAVE THE BRAKE PEDAL. IN FACT, I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE WITH ALL MY STRENGTH TO COMPLETE THE STOP. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY FAMILY MEMBERS. IT WAS MY FIRST DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH IT AND THE VEHICLE IS JUST OVER A YEAR OLD. IT HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER FOR THIS REASON AND RECEIVED A RECALL UPGRADE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO DURING A ROUTINE FREE MAINTENANCE VISIT. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA DIRECTLY TO TERMINATE MY LEASE ON THIS AND ANOTHER EXACT SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR LEASED THE SAME DAY. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT FIXED THE ISSUES FROM 2010 AND THAT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARE NOT ADDRESSING WHAT IS REALLY WRONG. THE FACT THAT BOTH VEHICLES WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE RECEIVED "REPROGRAMMING" TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THERE IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM THAT REMAINS UNDISCOVERED. UPDATED 10/03/11 *TR