NHTSA Complaint #10724646 — 2010 INFINITI FX35

ON SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015, I EXPERIENCED THREE ANOMALIES WITH MY FX35, DURING TWO CYCLES (ENGINE OFF). THE WEATHER WAS FAIR, WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND A TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGH SEVENTIES. AT ABOUT 10AM, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN THE GARAGE, IT HAD AN UNUSUALLY HIGH RPM WHICH I NOTICED AS IT WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE SO I COULD PULL OUT. I ALWAYS BACK MY VEHICLE INTO THE GARAGE, SO IT LUNGED FORWARD WITH A STRONG JERK. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT THIS WAS ODD, I HEADED TO COSTCO IN STERLING VA AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS FOR THE TIME BEING. AFTER SHOPPING AT COSTCO, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AT AROUND 11:15AM AND HEADED HOME ON ROUTE 7 IN STERLING VIRGINIA. WHILE APPROACHING THE RED TRAFFIC LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE NOVA CAMPUS, I APPLIED THE BRAKE. THERE WERE AUTOS IN ALL FOUR LANES, SEVERAL DEEP, IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS PERHAPS 10 CAR LENGTHS AWAY AND DECELERATING, THE VEHICLE ENGINE BEGAN TO INCREASE IN RPM. I HAD TO USE MY LEFT FOOT AND RIGHT FOOT TO APPLY MAXIMUM PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND EVEN THEN, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEGINNING TO SLOW DOWN. WITH LESS THAN 3 CAR LENGTHS LEFT TO GO, I HAD THE GOOD SENSE TO PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL. AT THAT POINT THE TACHOMETER RACED TO 9,000 WHILE THE VEHICLE CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, WITH ABOUT 5 FEET TO GO BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT. I PUNCHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE STILL IN NEUTRAL, AND THIS STOPPED THE ENGINE RACING. I THOUGHT TO PROCEED HOME ANYWAY. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE AND PROCEEDED SLOWLY WITH THE VEHICLE DOWN A BUSY ROUTE 7 TOWARD MCLEAN. A MILE AND A HALF LATER, WHILE COMING INTO ANOTHER INTERSECTION, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME UNINTENDED VEHICLE ACCELERATION. AGAIN I PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN ACCIDENT. AGAIN, I PUNCHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN NEUTRAL, AND THIS STOPPED THE ENGINE RACING.