NHTSA Complaint #10877040 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

SATURDAY JUNE 18 2016 AT 6:40 A.M. DRIVING ON TULLY ROAD IN MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. MY SPEED WAS 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE HIGHLANDER THIS HAD NO EFFECT ON SLOWING DOWN THE HIGHLANDER. THE BRAKES WENT INTO ANTI LOCKING MODE THE WHEELS STARTED TO PULSATE. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR , BUT ON THE BRAKES. THE HIGHLANDER WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN BUT INCREASING SPEED. I DOWN SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR, THE ENGINE RACED AT A HIGH RPMS. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THE RPMS STILL RACING AT A HIGH RATE. I THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN TO SLOW DOWN. THE HIGHLANDER STARTED TO SLOW DOWN I THEN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN CAME TO A STOP. I WAITED FOR A MINUTE AND STARTED THE CAR THE ENGINE RACED AT A HIGH RPMS AS IF MY FOOT WAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, BUT MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. I WAITED AGAIN A FEW MINUTES TO START THE HIGHLANDER , THE SAME HIGH RPMS HAPPENING AGAIN. A FEW MINUTES LATER I TRIED AGAIN TO START THE HIGHLANDER AND THIS TIME THE HIGHLANDER IDLED NORMAL. I TURNED THE HIGHLANDER AROUND AND WENT HOME WHICH WAS HALF A MILE AWAY. THE TOTAL DISTANCE OF UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION WAS IN MY ESTIMATION OVER 1,000 YARDS. I HAD TO HIGHLANDER TOWED TO STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA WHERE IT REMAINS NOW JUNE 27 2016.