NHTSA Complaint #11372683 — 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS

SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION INCIDENT. I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING GARAGE. AS I STRAIGHTENED IT OUT TO COMPLETE THE MANEUVER, THE CAR TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN AND HIT THE WALL OF THE PARKING GARAGE THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED ONCE BEFORE WITH NO DAMAGE. TOYOTA HAS HAD RECALLS IN PRIOR YEARS FOR THIS PROBLEM - BROKEN THROTTLE RETURN SWITCH - BUT THEY INSIST THIS ISN'T THE PROBLEM HERE. ESSENTIALLY THEY ARE CLAIMING THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN, THAT WHAT I EXPERIENCED WITH THE CAR JUST TAKING OFF ON ITS OWN DIDN'T HAPPEN. THE CAR ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT GETTING THIS REPAIRED, BUT THEY CLAIM IT DOESN'T NEED REPAIR. IN THEIR RESPONSE LETTER, TOYOTA SAID, "THE EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) RECORDED THAT THERE WAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATION AND NO BRAKE APPLICATION LEADING UP TO THE IMPACT." OF COURSE THERE WAS NO BRAKE APPLICATION, THERE WAS NO TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKE! THE CAR TOOK OFF LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL AND RAMMED INTO THE WALL IN 2-3 SECONDS! THIS IS NOT ONLY A DANGER FOR ME AND MY CAR BUT COULD BE FOR OTHER PRIUS OWNERS AS WELL. I HAVE A YOUTUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO DO THE REPAIR BUT I CAN NOT UPLOAD IT HERE.