NHTSA Complaint #10653640 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

RE: TOYOTA 2007 COROLLA: WHEN DRIVING (IN REVERSE) OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY JERK, EMIT A LOT OF FUMES, AND IT WOULD TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN. PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR- ONLY TURNING OFF THE IGNITION KEY STOPS THE CAR. LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS ON NOVEMBER 4, 2014. AFTER DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND CHANGING GEARS FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE CAR AGAIN JERKED, MADE A LEFT TURN, DROVE ACROSS OUR LAWN, THROUGH THE BUSHES AND TO OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR?S LAWN. WE ARE LUCKY THAT IT DID NOT SLAM INTO OUR HOUSE OR THE ELECTRIC POLE CLOSE TO OUR DRIVEWAY- EITHER ONE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE KILLED US. THE CAR HAS ITS OWN MIND AND DOES NOT RESPOND TO ANYTHING THAT THE DRIVER TRIES TO DO TO STOP THE CAR FROM MOVING OTHER THAN TURNING OFF THE IGNITION KEY. THE TOYOTA DEALER, OF COURSE, ASSERTS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. *TR