ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON DURING LAST SUMMER, I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH MY WIFE AND 9-YR OLD DAUGHTER AT THE BACK SEAT. I HAD THE CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 65/70 MPH. BEFORE MOVING OVER TO MY DESTINATION OFF RAMP, I TRIED TO CANCEL THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT TO MY HORROR IT WAS NOT CANCELING. THE HARDER I PRESSED THE BRAKE, THE FASTER THE CAR TRIED TO MOVE FORWARD/ACCELERATING. I HAD TO TAKE AND SOMEHOW MANAGED A IMMEDIATE LEFT ON A T JUNCTION WITH TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL. I WAS ALMOST GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT RUNNING AT A SPEED APPROPRIATE FOR A BUSY CITY STREET. WE ALL STARTED PRAYING TO GOD. I WAS ON A BRIDGE/OVERPASS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO DRIVE OFF THE ROADWAY. I ALMOST PASSED OUT IN HORROR, BUT BARELY MANAGED TO MOVE OVER TO THE LANES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (LUCKILY THERE WAS NO MEDIAN AND THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS RED). WHEN NOTHING WAS WORKING, I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN THE ENGINE SWITCH OFF. AND STOP THE CAR WITH THE HELP OF THE BREAK WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET JUST BARELY AVOIDING HEAD ON COLLISION WITH THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER STOPPING, I TRIED TO START THE CAR. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE KEY ON THE RPM JUMPED TO 6000/7000. AS I PUSH THE BRAKE HARD TO STOP THE CAR FROM MOVING, THE CAR WAS JUMPING VIOLENTLY. WE WERE SCARED, GOT OUT OFF THE CAR AND THE ROAD. I CALLED THE POLICE. BEFORE A POLICE OFFICER CAME, A KIND DRIVER STOPPED AND HELPED ME PUSH THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. THE OFFICER LEFT WITHOUT EVEN TAKING A REPORT. I TOOK AND LEFT THE CAR TO THE NEARBY TOYOTA DEALER. NEXT DAY, THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE THROTTLE VALVE GETTING STUCK OPEN. I HAD TO PAY TO CLEAN THE VALVE. *TR UPDATED 04/22/10 *BF THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/05/10
2009
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I AM FILING THIS, MY SECOND, COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. MY FIRST COMPLAINT WAS FILED IN FEBRUARY 2010. I COMPLAINED TO MY DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE 4RUNNER WHICH WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN MAY 2009. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO TURN CORNERS TO ABOUT 15 MPH, AND THEN STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR TO SPEED UP, THE CAR REVS, SOMETIMES 2500-3000 RPMS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES AND WE LURCH FORWARD. NOW, 17 MONTHS LATER AND MANY TRIPS AND E-MAILS TO MY DEALERSHIP, WHO CAN'T GET A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA THAT MAKES SENSE, AND MY 4RUNNER STILL EXHIBITS THE SAME PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND HAD A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN AUGUST 2009, WHICH REQUIRES TRAVEL TO A BIG CITY ABOUT 90 MILES FROM HOME SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH, THAT HAS HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW. LAST WEEK, I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK ACCELERATION TO MERGE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE 4RUNNER ACTUALLY DID THE SAME THINK IT DOES ON TURNS. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO MERGE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE 4RUNNER JUST REVVED FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN LURCHED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT RESULTED, BUT WE WERE VERY SCARED. I PARTICIPATE IN FORUMS ON DIFFERENT CAR SITES AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY OF US HAVING THE EXACT PROBLEMS AND YET TOYOTA HAS NO ANSWER OR PUTS US OFF WITH SOME LAME EXPLANATIONS OR WORSE, TELLS US THAT IS JUST THE WAS THE 4RUNNER IS BECAUSE OF THE COMPUTER. MY DEALERSHIP HAS RESET THE COMPUTER AND DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I AM REPORTING THIS NEWEST INCIDENT FOR DOCUMENTATION IN CASE THIS PROBLEM ACTUALLY CAUSES AN ACCIDENT, MY COMPLAINT WILL BE ON FILE. THANK YOU *TR