NHTSA Complaint #10705208 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY WIFE WAS BACKING INTO OUR GARAGE. SHE PULLED FORWARD TO REALIGN CAR. WHEN SHE PLACED GEARSHIFT BACK INTO REVERSE (AUTOM. XMSN) AND PERHAPS HAD LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE THROTTLE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO VERY HIGH SETTING. CAR ACCELERATED BACKWARD UNTIL STOPPED BY FIREWOOD PILE, FURNACE AND REAR WALL OF GARAGE. THROTTLE CONTINUED AT HIGH SETTING FOR SOME TIME. DRIVEN WHEELS KEPT SPINNING (AS SHOWN BY SKID MARKS ON GARAGE FLOOR). THEN THROTTLE AUTONOMOUSLY RETURNED TO IDLE. FIREWOOD WAS SCATTERED. FURNACE WAS DESTROYED. GARAGE WALL WAS DISPLACED ABOUT ONE INCH. BUMPER, ONE REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND ONE QUARTER PANEL OF CAR WERE DAMAGED. (BODY SHOP INSPECTION MAY REVEAL OTHER DAMAGE.) MY WIFE EXPERIENCED NECK DISCOMFORT, WHICH HAS GONE AWAY. SHE IS SURE THAT SHE DID NOT PRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL MORE THAN VERY LIGHTLY. CLEARLY, UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES THE RESULTS OF THE THROTTLE RUNAWAY COULD HAVE BEEN FAR MORE DISASTROUS. *TR