NHTSA Complaint #11195768 — 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH, I WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY AT EXACTLY FIFTY-FIVE MPH AND EXITED AT EXIT 17N. THE EXIT RAMP THERE IS SLOPED UPHILL AND PARALLELS TAYLOR ROAD. THERE IS A STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THAT RAMP AT HEMPSTEAD AVENUE. JUST AS I WAS COMING TO THE END OF THAT RAMP AT VERY SLOW SPEED AND ALMOST TO THAT SIGN, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPED UP WITH EXTREME ACCELERATION AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. I SLAMMED MY FOOT ONTO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH KEPT THE CAR FROM MOVING FURTHER FORWARD AND THEN BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING ELSE, THE PHENOMENON ENDED AND THE ENGINE RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL IDLING SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 700 RPM ON THE DASHBOARD TACHOMETER. I DROVE HOME AND PARKED THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, MONDAY APRIL 8TH, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THAT DAY TO BRING THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER. AS I WAS PREPARING FOR THAT, I STARTED THE CAR AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. I PUT IT INTO REVERSE IN ORDER TO BACK OUT WHEN THE ENGINE AGAIN SUDDENLY SPED UP TO EXTREME ACCELERATION. AGAIN, I SLAMMED MY FOOT ONTO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THIS TIME I PUT THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK WHICH KEPT THE CAR FROM MOVING FURTHER. THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE WAS ROTATED CLOCKWISE AND WELL UP INTO THE "RED" ZONE WHICH BEGINS AT 6000 RPM. IN A MOMENT OR SO, THE PHENOMENON AGAIN ENDED AND THE ENGINE AGAIN RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL IDLING SPEED.