NHTSA Complaint #11646058 — 2024 TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS

On January 10, 2025, I was driving my 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross and entered a parking lot to park. I started a three-point turn to park head-in and was slowly turning the steering wheel to the right. I was about to switch from the accelerator to the brake when the car suddenly accelerated rapidly. It felt like the front of the car lifted, and I lost control, colliding with a parked car to the left of the space. The distance between the two cars was about 5 feet, and the sudden acceleration lasted only 1-2 seconds. My car has a proximity warning and automatic emergency braking system, (Pre-Collision System) but neither activated, and the airbags did not deploy. My husband, in the passenger seat, heard a loud engine noise when the car surge forward unexpectedly. After the crash, I parked the car, checked for any objects near the pedals but found nothing. The other car had rear bumper damage, and mine had significant front-right damage, including a severely worn tire. I reported the incident to the police, exchanged information with the other driver, and called a tow truck. I later suspected a malfunction in the throttle or safety systems, such as the proximity warning or braking systems, which failed to activate. No prior warning lights or issues were present. The failure of these systems increased the risk to both myself and others in the parking lot. The cause of the malfunction has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. The vehicle’s onboard diagnostic (OBD) system could be checked for errors, as a potential cause of the sudden acceleration but was told that it is difficult to diagnose such issues and was told that it was slim to find anything even if I did a diagnostic check. Given the car’s advanced systems, I believe these components should be thoroughly inspected to prevent future incidents.