NHTSA Complaint #10513648 — 2000 ISUZU RODEO

AFTER EXITING A PARKING LOT AND WHEN APPROACHING THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL (ALREADY RED) AT A SPEED LESS THAN 5MPH (THE SIGNAL WAS APPROX 5 CAR LENGTHS FROM THE PARKING LOT EXIT), WHILE FURTHER SLOWING (BRAKING) TO LINE UP BEHIND THE LAST OF THE 2 CARS ALREADY STOPPED AT THE SIGNAL, THE RODEO UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WHICH REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO AGGRESSIVELY AND CONTINUOUSLY APPLY THE BRAKES. THE RODEO SLOWED BUT COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITHIN A DISTANCE OF APPROX 2-3 CAR LENGTHS AND RESULTED IN CONTACT WITH THE 2ND CAR WHICH WAS STOPPED AT THE SIGNAL. AFTER EXCHANGING INSURANCE INFO WITH THE INVOLVED PARTIES, THE RODEO WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY TO CKM AUTO SERVICE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. CKM DID NOT FIND SOURCES WHICH MAY HAVE CREATED THIS PROBLEM ... CKM ALSO RETAINED THE RODEO AND DROVE IT A PERIOD OF DAYS TO ATTEMPT TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. WEBSITE RESEARCH FINDS OTHER SIMILAR UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION EVENTS WITH THE RODEO (SOME AT MUCH HIGHER SPEEDS) BUT NONE SEEM TO HAVE FOUND THE CAUSE. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT OF THIS SAME NATURE WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND NO OTHER VEHICLES, PROPERTY OR PERSONS WERE DAMAGED (JUST A HEART-STOPPING MOMENT WHEN THE RODEO COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITH AGGRESSIVE AND CONTINUOUS BRAKING..RODEO WAS CHECK OUT BY CKM). RODEO IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND SINCE A DEFINITIVE CAUSE COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED, THIS RODEO WAS TRADED IN ON 5-24-13 AS WE NO LONGER HAD CONFIDENCE IN ITS SAFETY. *TR