NHTSA Complaint #10574821 — 2011 TOYOTA RAV4

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN CITY STREET BEHIND SEVERAL CARS & WE WERE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT INTERSECTION, MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL LETTING CAR SLOW NATURALLY. I HEARD THE MOTOR START REVVING UP QUICKLY, SUDDENLY ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKES, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO REV UP & LURCHED FORWARD HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKES, EVEN TRYING TO PUMP THEM BUT MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN & THEN MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED & I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. WHAT A SCARY SITUATION!! THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED ONLY DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES! WE FILED A POLICE REPORT & I HAD THE RAV TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE IT REMAINS PARKED. I WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN BECAUSE I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF WHAT COULD OF OR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. A CLAIM WAS FILED WITH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, CLAIM # [XXX]. A THIRD PARTY, ENGINEER, CAME OUT TO DEALER'S TO INSPECT, CHECK BLACK BOX, ETC. OF COURSE, WITH AN 18 PAGE REPORT & EXTENSIVE CHECKING HE COULD NOT RECREATE PROBLEM, FOUND NOTHING ON BLACK BOX, ETC. & CLAIMS HE FEELS SAFE TO DRIVE IT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS FOR THEIR OFFICIAL WORD, WHICH I DOUBT WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE INSPECTOR'S. BESIDES I COULD NOT GET A COPY OF THE REPORT BECAUSE HE WAS HIRED BY TOYOTA! NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN NOW. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME, THE UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAD OCCURRED. ON 3 OR 4 OTHER OCCASIONS, MY RAV DID THE SAME THING & LUCKILY DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ONE TIME I THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AS TO STOP IT. THE GAS PEDAL & THE BRAKE WERE WORKING FINE, NO STICKING OR NO ME PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL! THE FLOOR MATS WERE ORIGINAL TO VEHICLE & FIRMLY ATTACHED TO HOOKS. I HAD REPORTED IT TO CONCORD TOYOTA ON ONE OCCASION WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE, BUT THEY COULD NOT SIMULATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM!! OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR