NHTSA Complaint #10433469 — 2004 DODGE DURANGO

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN I PUT ON THE BREAK AS TRAFFIC HAD GOTTEN A LITTLE THICK. AS I RELEASED MY FOOT OFF OF THE BREAK THE CAR KIND OF JUMPED (SIMILAR TO WHEN ITS IN CRUISE CONTROL) AND I NOTICED THAT IT WAS PICKING UP SPEED BY ITSELF. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THAT SOMEHOW IT HAD GONE INTO CRUISE CONTROL ON ITS OWN BUT WHEN I AGAIN TRIED TO PUT THE BREAK ON I NOTICED THAT THE BREAK PEDAL WAS A BIT RESISTANT AND WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT IT AGAIN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. STILL THINKING THIS WAS A CRUISE CONTROL ISSUE I HIT THE OFF BUTTON BUT THIS DID NOT HELP. NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO AND REALIZING THAT GETTING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN WAS VERY DIFFICULT I DIDN'T WANT TO EXIT THE EXPRESSWAY AND NOT BE ABLE TO STOP OR PREVENT AN ACCIDENT SO I CONTINUED MY DRIVE TO WORK WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE KNOWING THAT IN THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO THERE WAS A FIELD I COULD CRASH INTO (AT MY WORK EXIT) IF I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO STOP. AT ONE POINT I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BREAK TO SEE IF THE SPEED WOULD CONTINUE TO RISE OR IF IT WOULD STOP AT ANY POINT, BUT AFTER IT BEGAN TO APPROACH 100MPH (IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS GOING TO CONTINUE RISING)AND SCARING ME EVEN FURTHER I PUT MY FOOT BACK ON THE BREAK. UPON EXITING THE EXPRESSWAY I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND PRESSED DOWN AS HARD AS I COULD, ONLY MANAGING TO GET THE SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH BEFORE I PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL AND SHUT IT OFF. I WAS LATER TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT MY THROTTLE WAS STUCK. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE! *TR