NHTSA Complaint #10551664 — 2003 NISSAN MURANO

I WAS IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, NOTHING HAPPENED. I PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR 3 OR 4 TIMES AND SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND THEN STARTED MOVING. THE NEXT TIME I CAME TO A STOP, I HAD TO REPEAT THE PUMPING OF THE GAS PEDAL TO MOVE AGAIN. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD. WHEN I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I CAN GO SEVERAL MONTHS WITH EVERYTHING BEING FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT TO A DEALER BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND SINCE EVERYTHING IS FINE AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND THEN STARTED AGAIN, HOW DO I RECREATE THE ISSUE FOR A MECHANIC? THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THE LURCHING FORWARD HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON VARIOUS BLOGS AND ON THIS WEBSITE. IN THE QUALIFIER ABOVE IT ASKS IF THERE HAS BEEN A CRASH, FIRE OR FATALITY. PLEASE TELL ME WHY ONE OF THESE HORRIFIC THINGS HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL ON A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH A VEHICLE? A CAR NOT ACCELERATING IN TRAFFIC AND THEN SUDDENLY LURCHING FORWARD SHOULD NOT BE THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR COST TO REPAIR. IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST OF THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SELLING A SAFE VEHICLE. *TR