YESTERDAY, JUNE 16, 2011, AS I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA 2008 RAV4 (35,500 MILES), THE CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CAR WAS STILL COLD -- IT WAS LESS THAN 2 MILES AFTER START-UP. OUTDOOR TEMP WAS ABOUT 65. NO RAIN OR INCLEMENT WEATHER. I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT VERY SLOWLY, AT LESS THAN 10 MPH. AS I WAS BRAKING, I BECAME AWARE THAT THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. I BRAKED HARDER AND COULD FEEL THE BREAKS ENGAGING, BUT UNDERNEATH THAT FEELING WAS THE FEELING OF THE CAR CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE AND FIGHT THE BRAKES. I GOT THE CAR STOPPED, BUT ONLY AFTER EXTREMELY HARD BRAKING. IF THERE HAD BEEN SOMEONE IN THE CROSS WALK IN FRONT OF ME, I'D HAVE HIT THEM. THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO TAKE OFF. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. BY NOW THE ENGINE WAS SCREAMING. I SAT THERE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, FOOT NEITHER ON THE BRAKE NOR THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR SOUNDING AS IF IT WOULD SOON EXPLODE, AND FINALLY JUST TURNED THE CAR OFF AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE WRITER WAS COLD AND DISTANT, NON-VERBALLY MAKING SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE THOUGHT I WAS EITHER LYING OR BLOWING THE INCIDENT OUT OF PROPORTION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SAYING NOTHING THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE QUOTED AS RUDE. A SPECIAL TECHNICIAN IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT FROM TOYOTA TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. BASED UPON WHAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED, I EXPECT THE DEALERSHIP TO DO NOTHING. THE CAR IS CLEARLY UNSAFE, AND KNOWING THAT, I CANNOT EVER DRIVE IT AGAIN. *TR
2010
SUSPENSION
I HAVE TAKEN MY 1 MONTH CERTIFIED NEWLY PURCHASED VEHICLE FOR WHAT I DESCRIBE AS BRAKES/SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CANNOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. I HAVE ALREADY STATED THAT I DRIVE WITH MY GRANDKIDS IN THE CAR. THEY SEEM TO IGNORE AND FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I FEEL THERE IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE! *TR
