NHTSA Complaint #10956608 — 2013 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, UPON BREAKING, HAVING SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. THIS OCCURS WHEN I AM BRAKING FOR A STOP ON CITY STREETS, STOPPING IN TRAFFIC, STOPPING IN A DRIVEWAY. I SUGGEST THE CAUSE IS THE PROXIMITY OF THE BREAK PEDAL TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED, THE LEVEL OF THE PEDAL IS BELOW THAT OF THE ACCELERATOR LEVEL. SO, I FIND MY FOOT AT TIMES HAS A SLIGHT OVERLAP, CAUSING MY FOOT TO APPLY BOTH PEDALS, RESULTING IN BOTH ACCELERATION AND BRAKING. THIS HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS FRIGHTENING INSTANCES, SUCH AS BRAKING FOR A PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK, I OCCASIONALLY FIND MYSELF NEARLY STRIKING A PEDESTRIAN! TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS, I ACTUALLY SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AS I SLOW DOWN COMING TO A STOP (E.G. STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, OR STOP SIGN). THUS PREVENTING ANY UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN 50 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE WITH NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS OF AUTOMOBILES OR PICKUP TRUCKS, BOTH DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN AUTOS. I AM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL CIVIL ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. I SUGGEST THAT THE PEDAL IS 1) TOO CLOSE LATERALLY TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND 2) THE LEVEL OF THE DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL IS BELOW THAT OF THE NEARBY RESTING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I FEEL THAT IF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS POSITIONED AT A HIGHER LEVEL RELATIVE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE DEPRESSED BRAKE WOULD NOT ACCIDENTALLY ACTUATE THE ACCELERATOR. I HAVE MADE TOYOTA AWARE OF THIS, BY 1) A PHONE CALL TO THEIR 800 NUMBER (YEARS AGO), AND 2) AT MANY OF MY SCHEDULED SERVICES WITH TOYOTA OF ORANGE IN SO CA. [XXX], PE, *DL