NHTSA Complaint #10533402 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

ON 7-11-13, GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON ROUTE 52 IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK WIDE OPEN CAUSING MY CAR TO ACCELERATE BEYOND MY CONTROL. I SLOWED DOWN TO GET OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, BUT I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR, ONLY SLOW IT DOWN, TO APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH. GOT BACK ON THE ROAD AND TOOK THE NEXT EXIT. AGAIN I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR, AND THOUGH I SLOWED AGAIN TO ABOUT 10-15 MPH, I DRIFTED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT THE STOP SIGN, WITH TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT! I TURNED SHARPLY LEFT, GOT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TURNED THE KEY OFF TO STOP THE CAR. GOD WAS WATCHING, BECAUSE NO COLLISION OCCURRED. WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN, IT ROARED LIKE I'VE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE. SOMEHOW, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW, I GOT THE CAR ABOUT 100 YARDS DOWN THE ROAD TO A MARATHON GAS STATION, TO GET COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD AND OUT OF THE WAY. A MAN STOPPED AND WALKED OVER TO ME, TELLING ME THAT MY THROTTLE WAS STUCK BECAUSE OF A FAULTY TPS (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR). HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS A MECHANIC, WHO FORMERLY WORKED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, AND SAID THAT WAS A ?KNOWN? PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS. HE TOWED ME TO HIS HOUSE, REPLACED THE TPS, AND WE TESTED THE CAR, TO THE SATISFACTION OF BOTH OF US. IT RAN JUST FINE, SO I FOLLOWED HIM TO THE PNC BANK TO GET MONEY TO PAY HIM. WHILE THERE, THE LADY HELPING ME, IN RESPONSE TO MY STORY, TOLD ME THAT HER TOYOTA PARKED OUTSIDE HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM! EXCEPT IT COST HER A LOT MORE THAN MY TOW & REPAIR DID. MY INCIDENT WAS MOST DEFINITELY A PART FAILURE, NOT AN OPERATOR ERROR, OR A PROBLEM DUE TO FLOOR MATS, AS IS ALLEGED IN THE PENDING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION? LITIGATION AGAINST TOYOTA, AND MY 2003 HIGHLANDER IS NOT SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THAT LITIGATION INFORMATION ON-LINE. I AM SENDING A LETTER TO TOYOTA, THE NTSB AND OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR.