NHTSA Complaint #11361932 — 2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

MY CHILDREN AND I ALMOST DIED TWICE! 4 RUNNER ALMOST CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. 9/24/20, 6:15 PMISH, VEHICLE IN MOTION FOR APPROXIMATELY OVER AN HOUR, 70MPH CRUISE CONTROL SET, BEGINNING TO CLIMB UP A LARGE MOUNTAIN WESTBOUND INTERSTATE 8. ENGINE HESITATES/STALLS BRIEFLY, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT, CAR SHUDDERED, WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE, ONLY LASTED SECONDS. AT A SLOWER SPEED ENGINE BACK UP AND ALL WAS FINE, ASSUMED IT WAS NOT A MAJOR ISSUE. CONTINUED DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AT SAME HIGHER SPEEDS AND FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. 9/26/20, AROUND 6:30 PM, VEHICLE IN MOTION FOR OVER AN HOUR, ABOUT 70MPH FLOW OF TRAFFIC, NOT IN CRUISE CONTROL, FLAT ROAD, EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 8, LEFT LANE OF 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC. ENGINE STALLS/HESITATES FOR ABOUT 10 LONG SECONDS, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, ALMOST RAN INTO BARRICADE ON LEFT, ALMOST RAN INTO CAR ON RIGHT, LUCKILY NO ONE BEHIND US. SAW BLACKISH SMOKE OUT REARVIEW MIRROR. LOUD SOUNDS, SHAKING AND GRINDING. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND CRYING/SCREAMING KIDS, ENGINE NO LONGER STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE TO TURN ON HAZARDS. WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! SAFETY EXITED, CONTACTED TOYOTA SERVICE TO INFORM THEM. VEHICLE TOWED 161 MILES TO DEALERSHIP, THEY SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND WERE READY TO RELEASE IT TO US. BACK STORY, MOST ALL SERVICE PERFORMED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND DID WHAT WAS SUGGESTED. 8/31/20 TOYOTA POWAY INSTALLED FUEL PUMP SAFETY RECALL (PRIOR TO THIS I HAD NO ISSUE, THIS WAS PREVENTATIVE) A WEEK LATER ENGINE LIGHT ON, ALEXANDER TOYOTA, FINDS MY SAFETY RECALLED PART WAS INCORRECTLY SECURED/INSTALLED. THEY FIXED IT AND RETURNED THE CAR. SINCE THE FUEL PUMP SAFETY RECALL PART WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED WE ARE NOW EXPERIENCING ENGINE HESITATION/STALLS, OUR VEHICLE IS UNSAFE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OF DEATH.