NHTSA Complaint #10482255 — 2011 MAZDA MAZDA3

WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN MY BRAKING WAS NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED UNTIL ABOUT 10-15 MPH, HOWEVER FURTHER APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE DIDN'T CONTINUE TO STOP THE VEHICLE SMOOTHLY AND I NOTICED THE ENGINE REVVING AND 'JERKY' CONTINUED FORWARD MOTION. HAD A VEHICLE BEEN STOPPED AT THE SIGN IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE CRASHED, INSTEAD I RAN THE SIGN SLIGHTLY. I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT THE PROXIMITY OF THE BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALLOWED MY (LARGE) FOOT/SHOE TO CATCH THE EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR WHEN I WAS BRAKING. I COULDN'T DETECT A CHANGE IN PEDAL 'FEEL' WHEN I WAS ENGAGING THE BRAKE VERSUS THE BRAKE PLUS ACCELERATOR. WHILE NOT AN ELECTRONIC MYSTERY AND CLEARLY MY BIG FOOT THAT HIT THE PEDAL, I FIND IT TROUBLING THAT AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, NO CRASHES OR TICKETS IN 25 YEARS, WHOSE OWNED ABOUT 12 VEHICLES IN THAT TIME SPAN CAN HAVE THIS HAPPEN FOR THE FIRST TIME - I WONDER IF THIS VEHICLE'S PEDAL GEOMETRY IS OFF. I NOTICED A SIMILAR COMPLAINT FOR THE 2012 MODEL, ALTHOUGH IT SIMPLY SAID IT LURCHED INTO A POLE WHILE PARKING. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD BE SAYING IF I WAS TRYING TO PARK RATHER THAN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, LUCKILY WITH NO LEAD VEHICLE. *TR