NHTSA Complaint #10432479 — 2008 JEEP LIBERTY

SUDDEN ENGINE ACCELERATION INCIDENT. MY WIFE AND I WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT. AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE I DROVE FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE TO A STOP SIGN. I PUT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND WAITED FOR A CAR TO EXIT THE INTERSECTION AND FOR SOME PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS. SUDDENLY, WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. I LOOKED AT THE TACHOMETER. THE ENGINE THAT NORMALLY IDLES AT ABOUT 600 RPM WAS RUNNING AT 2500 RPM. I SAT AT THE STOP SIGN FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND DECIDED THE THROTTLE MUST HAVE STUCK. WITH THE STICK SHIFT IN NEUTRAL I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR HOPING TO UNSTICK THE THROTTLE. THE ENGINE ROARED TO 3500 RPM AND STAYED THERE FOR 10-20 SECONDS. THEN THE RPMS STARTED TO DROP BACK DOWN TO NORMAL IDLE.. WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND DRY TEMPERATURE 60 DEGREES, TIME 3 PM. IT WAS SCARY. IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN GEAR WHEN THE ENGINE TOOK OFF, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR