NHTSA Complaint #10450412 — 2004 SCION XB

IT HAD RAINED EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT BY THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE RAIN HAD BEEN OVER FOR A FEW HOURS. I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, AND I REACHED A HILL IN THE ROAD, AND I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO INCREASE MY MOMENTUM. I THEN EASED OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DIDN'T EASE UP WITH ME. INSTEAD, IT KEPT GOING DOWN. I TRIED THE BRAKES. THEY WERE LOCKED UP. AFTER SEEING ALL THE HORROR STORIES OF TOYOTA'S FLOOR MATS, I IMMEDIATELY RIPPED MY FLOOR MAT OUT FROM UNDER MY FEET AND THREW IT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP THE HILL. I TRIED THE BRAKES AGAIN. NOTHING. THEN I REACHED DOWN, AND TRIED TO PULL THE GAS PEDAL UP. I PULLED AS HARD AS I COULD, BUT THE PEDAL STAYED STUCK. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS NOT ACCIDENTALLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, BUT I WAS NOT. BY THIS POINT IN TIME, MY CAR HAD INCREASED ITS SPEED FROM THE 35 MPH TO 65 MPH. AS I CRESTED THE TOP OF THE HILL AND RAN THROUGH A STOP LIGHT, I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES WITH ALL MY STRENGTH. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH FROM THE 65 MPH IT HAD BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. I, THEN, SLIPPED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AND CONTINUED PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE STILL FIGHTING ME. THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AS IF I HAD MY FOOT FIRMLY PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS. BY THE TIME I WAS 20 FT AWAY FROM ANOTHER INTERSECTION AND A RED LIGHT IN MY DIRECTION AND A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE CROSS-FLOWING TRAFFIC, I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR DOWN TO 10 MPH. I HAD NO TIME. I COULD EITHER FORCE IT INTO PARK OR GO SWIFTLY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE INTERSECTION. SO I PUT IT IN PARK, BUT EVEN IN PARK THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AS IF I STILL HAD MY FOOT PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE ONLY THING THAT GOT THE ENGINE TO STOP REVVING WAS TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT EVEN THEN THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO GO FOR ANOTHER 10 TO 15 SECONDS. *TR