NHTSA Complaint #10565056 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

WHILE RETURNING FROM WORK AT 5:30 PM, 02/18/14 ON HIGHWAY 90 WEST TO ALBANY, NY, WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK ON MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE PEDAL DID NOT RETURN BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION EVEN WHEN I TURNED OFF CRUISE CONTROL. I SPONTANEOUSLY TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN THE HOPE OF RELEASING BUT DID NOT YIELD ANY RESULTS AND THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED ITS SPEED. APPLYING BRAKES MADE NO EFFECT AND DID NOT CURTAIL THE CAR. IT CONTINUED TO MOVE WITH ALMOST THE SAME SPEED EVEN WHEN BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. I HAD NO CONTROL ON MY CAR IN ONE OF BUSIEST FREEWAYS. I CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND TRIED TO MERGE TO THE RIGHT MOST LANE WITH HAZARD BLINKERS ON. IT TOOK MORE THAN 5 MILES PANIC RIDE TRYING TO AVOID TRUCKS AND OTHER CARS TO MERGE TO THE RIGHT LANE. EVEN WITH THE BRAKE FULLY DEPRESSED, THE 2010 PRIUS DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND I MANAGED TO REACH THE SHOULDER LANE WHICH HAD GRAVEL & SNOW. THEN I PRESSED PARK BUTTON AND SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE BY PRESSING THE POWER BUTTON. I COULD FEEL THE WHEELS LOCK UP BUT THE PRIUS CONTINUED TO MOVE WITH STRONG RUBBER BURNING SMELL. FINALLY, I ENGAGED THE PARKING BREAKS TO STOP IT FROM MOVING INTO THE FREEWAY. AFTER COMPLETE STOP, WITH DIFFICULTY I MANUALLY PULLED UP THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS ENTIRE ORDEAL WAS SHOCKING AND AN UNBELIEVABLE NARROW ESCAPE FROM A MAJOR CATASTROPHIC EVENT. I THANKED GOD & CALLED 911 AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL POLICE CAME TO THE SPOT AND PROMPTLY HELPED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AND MYSELF FROM THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC. THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS MOVED TO TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR & PERFORMED EVERY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE PUNCTUALLY. INCIDENTALLY THE LAST SERVICE AND CERTIFICATION WAS IN 12/2013. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT EVEN REGULAR DEALER MAINTENANCE SERVICE AND CERTIFICATION DID NOT HELP THIS VEHICLE. REPORT FILED WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. *TR