SOMETIME IN 2006, MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I WAS STANDING ON THE BRAKE TO MAKE THE CAR STOP AND IT WOULDN'T. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT THROUGH THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, HIT THE BRAKE, THEN THROUGH IT INTO PARK WHILE IT WAS STILL MOVING. I CALLED JIFFY LUBE WHO JUST HAD PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE. THEY SENT A TECHNICIAN OVER TO LOOK AT IT. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR FOR THE TECH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. WE BOTH LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING STUCK UNDER THE ACCELERATOR. THERE WAS NOT. WE BOTH PULLED UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE STUCK. THE TECH COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT. I CAN'T RECALL IF I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA OR IF THE PROBLEM STOPPED SUDDENLY AND I DROVE MYSELF. TOYOTA IS ONE MILE FROM WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. TOYOTA TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND ASSURED ME THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I DROVE HIM WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL I PULLED IN MY DRIVEWAY, THE CAR ACCELERATED AND I AGAIN HAD TO THROW THE CAR INTO PARK WHILE MOVING. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO TOYOTA AND WE WERE TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS "FIXED" AND GIVEN SOME EXCUSE THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN AND WE TRADED THE CAR FOR A NEW ONE IN 2008. THE DEALERSHIP WAS BOB ROHRMAN TOYOTA IN WESTMONT, IL. I THINK THE RECALL NEEDS TO GO BACK FURTHER TO INCLUDE 2002 VEHICLES. *TR
2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
FOLLOW-UP LTR TO NHTSA RE 4/8/10 CORRESPONDENCE ON BEHALF OF RE INCIDENT OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AFTER RECALL FIX BY DEALER ON HER 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *KB THE CONSUMER BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECENT ACCELERATOR PEDAL ISSUE AND CONTACTED THE DEALER TO SEE IF SHE COULD GET OUT OF THE LEASE. THE DEALER INFORMED HER THERE WAS A FIX TO THE PROBLEM, SO THE CONSUMER MADE AN APPOINTMENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2010. ON MARCH 2, 2010 THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK MULTIPLE TIMES. TWICE, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK WHEN TAKING OFF; IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO PUSH, TO THE POINT WHERE IT ACTUALLY WENT DOWN, AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THEN ON THE WAY HOME, THE CONSUMER PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN TO SLOW DOWN AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE GOING MUCH FASTER. SHE PUSHED HARDER AND HARDER ON THE BRAKE AND WHEN SHE LOOKED DOWN THE RPM'S WERE GOING STRAIGHT UP AND SHE WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. SHE CONTINUED TO HOLD THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE BRAKES STARTED WORKING. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY, BUT WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE FIX HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. *JB
