NHTSA Complaint #10969040 — 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA

ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 4X4 TOYOTA TACOMA ON A 55MPH ROAD WITH OR 3 YEAR OLD AND 1 YEAR OLD CHILDREN ON MARCH 2017 AT AROUND 12:00 NOON, WHEN SHE STARTED TO DECELERATE TO TURN ONTO SIDE ROAD SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DIDN'T WORK, SHE PRESSED HARDER AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE; THEN THE TRUCK ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE SHE STILL ONLY APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES FINALLY WORKED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE TURN, YET MUCH TOO FAST. OVERT THE NEXT TWO MILES TO OUR HOUSE ON A 35MPH ROAD, SHE STOPPED THE TRUCK FINE (ONCE AT A STOP SIGN, AND ONCE AT OUR MAILBOX). HOWEVER, AS SHE PULLED INTO OUR GARAGE SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND AGAIN THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, AND THE TRUCK AGAIN ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND HIT A TOOL CABINET WHICH HIT THE GARAGE WALL. THANKFULLY SHE AND THE KIDS WERE OK. THE TRUCK HAS A PUSH-BAR ON THE FRONT AND THAT WAS PUSHED INTO THE FRONT BUMPER AND GRILL, THE TACOMA'S FRONT BUMPER IS CONCAVED IN THE MIDDLE AND THE ENDS ARE BROKEN FROM WHERE THE JOIN THE FRONT FENDERS, THE LOWER GRILL AREA ALSO BROKE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THREE DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASK IF THERE WAS A RECALL. TWO CLAIMED TO NEVER HAVE HEARD OF THIS, AND ONE OF THOSE TOLD ME TO MAKE SURE A FLOOR MAT WASN'T IN THE WAY (WHICH IT WASN'T). ONE SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT THIS WAS SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO A NATIONAL RECALL THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR OTHER TOYOTA MODELS, BUT NOT OUR TACOMA WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE. I TOOK TO THE INTERNET AND INSTANTLY FOUND THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BY TACOMA OWNERS, AND EVEN VERBIAGE THAT NHSTA HAS HAD THOUSANDS, MAYBE TENS OF THOUSANDS, OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THIS GENERATION TACOMA. I TESTED THE TRUCK LATER IN THE DAY AND IT WORKED AS IT SHOULD, HOWEVER IT'S CLEAR THAT TOYOTA, AND THIS TACOMA, HAVE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ISSUES