NHTSA Complaint #10551585 — 2011 TOYOTA RAV4

WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION AND ALMOST STOPPED, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RACE, SOUNDING LIKE A JET ENGINE TAKING OFF. IN SPITE OF PUTTING MY FULL FORCE ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR KEPT JERKING FORWARD INTO THE INTERSECTION. FINALLY, AT MY WIFE'S SCREAMED INSTRUCTION, I SLAMMED THE CAR INTO PARK. THIS FINALLY STOPPED THE ENGINE. WE WERE FRIGHTENED TO DEATH. I DO NOT BELIEVE MY WIFE COULD HAVE STOPPED THE CAR WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF US OR SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT WE WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. AT THEIR QUESTION, I TOLD THEM THAT THE FLOOR MATS WERE TOYOTA'S AND CAME WITH THE CAR. THREE HOURS LATER, THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE COMPUTER AND A TEST DRIVE FOUND NOTHING WRONG; PICK UP THE CAR. I THEN CALLED THE TOYOTA COMPLAINT OFFICE TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT. HOWEVER, THEIR PROCESS IS TO MERELY SEND THE DEALER'S DATA TO THE REGIONAL OFFICE, WHO, OF COURSE, FOUND NOTHING WRONG. IN THE MEANTIME, I CONTINUED TO GET SEVERAL CALLS FROM VARIOUS DEALER PERSONNEL TO PICK UP THE CAR. NO SYMPATHY WAS EVER EXPRESSED. SINCE NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I COULD EVER FEEL SAFE IN THE CAR, I SOLD IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A BIG LOSS. WE DON'T WANT TO FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR ENDANGERING OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. THIS PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA CARS IS NOT RESOLVED. IT MUST BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED. IN FACT, THIS CAR HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT PREVIOUSLY WHERE THE MOTOR ROARED AT AN INTERSECTION, HOWEVER WITHOUT LASTING LONG ENOUGH TO START MOVING THE CAR. *TR