NHTSA Complaint #10637867 — 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

I WAS MAKING A ROUTINE VISIT TO MY MOTHER AT HER APARTMENT. TURNED LEFT INTO THE COMPLEX THEN TURNED RIGHT AND WENT UP A SMALL HILL. AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AT NO MORE THAN 5-10 MPH I TURNED FAIRLY SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE PARKING SPACE. AT THAT POINT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HIT A TREE APPROXIMATELY 15-20 FEET AWAY. THE FORCE OF THE CRASH CAUSED THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY AND THE FRONT END RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE RESULTING IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 30 YEARS WITH NO ACCIDENTS AND CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXCELLENT DRIVER. OF COURSE I QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT I COULD HAVE HIT THE GAS BY MISTAKE, BUT THIS VISIT IS SO ROUTINE AND HAVE MADE THIS SAME TURN INTO THE PARKING SPACE SO MANY TIMES, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE SURGED FORWARD AND HIT THE TREE WITH THAT MUCH FORCE IN SUCH A SHORT DISTANCE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED AS I WAS ALONE IN THE VEHICLE. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER HOW MUCH WORSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN. I DID REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE SUBARU DEALER AND WILL BE MAKING A REPORT TO THE MANUFACTURER SUBARU OF AMERICA. *TR