NHTSA Complaint #10573431 — 2010 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WHILE WAITING IN TRAFFIC IN A PARKING LOT TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY, WITH CAR IN "DRIVE", FOOT ON BRAKE AND AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO A HIGH IDLE (APPROX 1200-1500 RPM). THE CAR LUNGED FORWARDED SLIGHTLY, BUT I WAS ABLE TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE AND STOP WITHOUT COLLIDING WITH THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. WHEN I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE ACCELERATOR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST BACK TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT CAUSING ANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. I NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND ENGINE WAS STILL AT A HIGH IDLE. I PUT THE CAR IN "PARK" AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I RESTARTED THE ENGINE; THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON BUT THE ENGINE IDLED NORMAL AND THE ACCELERATOR RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A SATURDAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP EARLY THE FOLLOWING WEEK, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD ALREADY GONE OFF. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR ALL WEEK, BUT WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE CAR AT THE END OF THE WEEK, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE MALFUNCTION AND NO FAULT CODES WERE STORED IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED IN THE EXACT SAME MANNER JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, FORTUNATELY IN RELATIVELY SAFE CONDITIONS. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO "RESET" THE ACCELERATOR FUNCTION BY TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING. AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. THIS TIME THEY INDICATED THAT SEVERAL FAULT CODES HAD BEEN STORED IN THE COMPUTER--SOME THAT THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. THEY KEPT THE CAR IN THE SHOP FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE MALFUNCTION MIGHT BE ELECTRONIC/SOFTWARE RELATED. IF THE ACCELERATOR BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE IN TRAFFIC, THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY CREATE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR