NHTSA Complaint #10442031 — 2010 TOYOTA RAV4

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AT ABOUT 4:00 PM WITH MY FOOT FULLY ON THE BRAKE. WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, THE CAR WENT INTO A HIGH IDLE. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY, BUT THE CAR WAS LURCHING, TRYING TO ACCELERATE. I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND IT MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE. IT STAYED IN HIGH IDLE FOR SEVERAL MORE SECONDS, BUT THEN SEEMED TO KICK ITSELF OUT OF THAT IDLE. I THOUGHT THE CAR MAY HAVE DIED. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, SO I GENTLY PUT IT INTO DRIVE (AGAIN THINKING THAT IT MAY HAVE DIED), BUT IT WAS STILL RUNNING, SO I DROVE ACROSS THE INTERSECTION, WENT TO A PARKING LOT, AND CALLED THE DEALER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN (AT MY EXPENSE), WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME. I CALLED THE TOYOTA 800 NUMBER AND THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY OF THE EXPENSES. THEY SAID THAT IF SOMETHING WAS FOUND WRONG WITH THE CAR, THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT NIGHT. THE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL THE REGIONAL MANAGER COULD COME, WHICH WOULD BE SEVERAL DAYS. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT AFTERNOON TO SAY THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD RUN ALL TESTS, AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE RAV 4 HAVING THIS ISSUE. THEY SAID THEY COULD KEEP THE CAR UNTIL THE REGIONAL MANAGER COULD COME, WHICH WAS NOW ESTIMATED TO BE 2-3 WEEKS. THEY SAID HE WOULD RUN THE EXACT SAME TESTS ON THE VEHICLE AS THEY HAD RUN. I WENT AND PICKED UP THE VEHICLE. I WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY AND MET WITH THE SERVICE AND SALES MANAGERS. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THOUGH THEY WERE NOT SAYING THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME ABOUT THE INCIDENT, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO, EXCEPT TO HELP ME GET OUT OF MY LEASE AND INTO ANOTHER TOYOTA VEHICLE. I OPTED TO TRADE MY RAV 4 IN AND AM NOW LEASING A CAMRY. *TR