NHTSA Complaint #11349138 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON AUGUST 7, 2020 I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF A SUBWAY RESTAURANT. I WENT IN AND PICKED UP MY ORDER TO GO. WHEN LEAVING I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT. THERE WAS A LARGE POLE ABOUT 15 FEET BEHIND ME THAT I SLIGHTLY BACKED INTO. PUTTING MY CAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE SUBWAY RESTAURANT , JUMPING A CURB AND SIDEWALK CRASHING INTO THE BUILDING. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION, BRAKES DID NOT ALLOW ME TO BRAKE. THANKFULLY NO ONE IN THE BUILDING OR MYSELF WAS INJURED. THE POLICE OFFICER THAT MADE OUT THE ACCIDENT REPORT TOLD ME HE COULD NOT GIVE ME LEGAL ADVICE BUT THAT THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND THAT I MAY WANT TO GOGGLE IT. I DID GOGGLE THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND MANY OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS OCCURRED. I CALLED A TOYOTA DEALER AND GAVE HER MY VIN NUMBER AND SHE SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS AND SHE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAT SOMEONE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THE CAR IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP BUT I DO NOT WANT IT BACK UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. NEXT TIME THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENS THE OUTCOME COULD BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT. PLEASE NOTIFY ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. PICTURES AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.