NHTSA Complaint #10457221 — 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

THE FOLLOWING EMAIL/REPORT WAS SENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FROM WHOM I HAD PURCHASED THIS NEW VEHICLE: I AM WRITING TO REPORT AN ABNORMAL INCIDENT, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED TO THE STALL PROBLEM I HAD ENCOUNTERED, AND WHICH YOU INSPECTED DURING MY LAST VISIT. IN THIS INCIDENT, I WAS VERY GENTLY TRYING TO MOVE THE CAR INTO MY GARAGE FROM A STATIONARY POSITION (THERE IS A SMALL 10 TO 15 DEGREE GRADE OVER A 3 FT DISTANCE BEFORE THE GARAGE FLOOR BECAME LEVEL AGAIN). AS I SLOWLY PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE SLOWLY IN A NORMAL FASHION, BUT AFTER MOVING HALF WAY INTO THE GARAGE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, ALMOST AT FULL THROTTLE... I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD REACT, MISSING A CRASH BY ONLY A FEW INCHES. AS I TRIED TO ANALYZE WHAT HAPPENED, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THINK OF IS THAT AS I WAS MOVING SLOWLY ENOUGH WHERE MOST LIKELY ONLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS MOVING THE CAR, BUT THEN VERY SUDDENLY THAT ELECTRIC MOTOR SOURCED ITS ABSOLUTE FULL POWER TO ACCELERATE THE WHEELS ---ALMOST AS IF THE SW DECIDED TO IGNORE MY VERY SOFT PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL AND SOURCE MAXIMUM POWER. PLEASE ADVISE WHEN YOUR TOYOTA ENGINEERS WILL BE VISITING YOU AGAIN SO THAT THEY MAY REVIEW THIS LATEST ABNORMALITY. I AM ALSO FORWARDING THIS MESSAGE TO THE NATIONAL AUTO SAFETY DEPARTMENT, SINCE I AM NOW QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. *TR