NHTSA Complaint #10576471 — 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX

I WAS DRIVING ON A SECONDARY HIGHWAY GOING BETWEEN 80 AND 100 KPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. I WAS TRAVELING ALONG IN TOP GEAR AT AN RPM OF 2000-2500 - WHEN I NOTICED THAT I WAS ENTERING A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WHERE TRAFFIC WAS HALTED. I HAD JUST BEGUN TO TRAVEL UP A HILL TOWARD THE HALTED TRAFFIC. AS THE CAR STARTED UP THE HILL, I NOTICED THAT THE RPMS HAD DROPPED AND CAUSED THE GEARS TO SHIFT DOWN INTO A LOWER GEAR WITH HIGHER RPM TO PULL THE CAR UP THE HILL. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY OF THE CAR SHIFTING GEARS, I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARD TO BEGIN STOPPING. I WAS ALARMED AS I FELT THE CAR STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE HARD AGAINST MY BRAKING. THE BRAKING HAD NOT DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL. I PRESSED THE BRAKES HARDER. THEN, THINKING THE CAR MIGHT BE CONFUSED, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES BEFORE PRESSING THE BRAKES HARD AGAIN. I STILL FELT THE CAR STRUGGLING TO ACCELERATE HARD AGAINST THE HARD BRAKING. I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND THE TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL BY PRESSING THE BUTTON ON THE END OF THE CRUISE CONTROL STICK. IMMEDIATELY, THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION STOPPED AND THE BRAKING WAS EFFECTIVE TO STOP THE CAR. I HAVE NEVER AGAIN EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM OF CRUISE CONTROL NOT DISENGAGING UPON BRAKING. I SUSPECTED THAT THE SEQUENCE OF BRAKING BEGINNING ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE GEARS SHIFTING MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CONFUSION IN THE CRUISE CONTROL. THAT COULD MAKE THE ISSUE A SOFTWARE PROBLEM IN CRUISE CONTROL AS OPPOSED TO A MECHANICAL BRAKING PROBLEM. *TR