NHTSA Complaint #10593334 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

THE ACCELERATOR STUCK ON THIS VAN AS I WAS PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE ON A RURAL, TWO LANE ROAD. AS SOON AS I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE GAS PEDAL STAYED DOWN EVEN AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT AND THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN FASTER EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOW HITTING THE BRAKES HARD! WITH CURVES IN THE ROAD APPROACHING IN ABOUT A MILE, I HAD TO DO SOMETHING FAST! I WAS STANDING ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET NOW AND THE VAN CONTINUED TO SPEED UP. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL, ALL THE WHILE CONTINUING TO STAND ON THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE REVVED EVEN FASTER BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VAN TURNED OFF THE ROAD INTO A FARM FIELD ACCESS DRIVE. THE VAN STILL WASN'T STOPPING BUT AT LEAST I WAS OFF THE ROAD AND NOT GOING TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS THE VAN CONTINUED TO MOVE, I THOUGHT ABOUT BAILING OUT BUT THANKFULLY, I DIDN'T. THE VAN WAS STILL GOING FAST ENOUGH IT COULD'VE RUN OVER ME AND I HAD NO IDEA WHERE IT WOULD END UP IF I GOT OUT! BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE VAN FINALLY STOPPED AFTER I STARTED TURNING THE WHEEL HARD TO THE LEFT. I SHIFTED IT INTO PARK AND SHUT IT OFF WHILE I SAT THERE SHAKING AND TRYING TO DECIDE WHO TO CALL FIRST. THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE TURNED OUT EXTREMELY BAD HAD THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN DIFFERENT. THANK GOD THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, I WASN'T IN A CONGESTED AREA OF HOUSES OR OTHER VEHICLES OR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I'M SO GLAD ONE OF OUR BOYS WASN'T DRIVING THIS WHEN IT HAPPENED! THIS WAS THE SCARIEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING OVER 30 YEARS! THE VAN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICED FAITHFULLY. I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT. *TR