2007 TOYOTA RAV4, SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE, EVEN THOUGH FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING FORWARD AND THROUGH A STOP LIGHT. AS VEHICLE WAS PULLING FORWARD SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, ONLY THEN DID THE VEHICLE'S MOTION STOP. ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV TO VERY HIGH RPMS FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS, THE RPMS THEN CAME BACK DOWN TO NORMAL. DROVE VEHICLE 10 MILES TO GET HOME TERRIFIED THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
2009
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
GAS PEDAL STUCK ON MY 2009 RAV4 AND I HIT THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT A 4 WAY STOP. I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT THE DISTANCE/TIME WAS TOO SHORT FOR THE BRAKES TO OVER COME THE ACCELERATION. IN FRONT OF THE CAR THAT I HIT WAS A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING--IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I WOULD HAVE STRUCK PEDESTRIANS. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT I DID NOT DETECT ANY EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM. THE PEDAL FAILURE WAS A ONE TIME INCIDENT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT (BEFORE THE RECALL) IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM--I ASSUMED SOMEHOW THAT I HAD MY FOOT ON BOTH ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE. HOWEVER AFTER SPENDING MUCH TIME IN MY DRIVEWAY I COULD NOT REPLICATE HAVING MY FOOT PUSH BOTH THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL. MY WIFE AND I AGREED THAT SHE WOULD DRIVE THE RAV4--AND I WOULD NOT. SOON AFTER MY ACCIDENT THE 2009 RAV 4 RECALL FOR STICKING GAS PEDAL WAS ANNOUNCED. I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE STICKING GAS PEDAL CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. SINCE THE DATE OF THE RECALL (JANUARY 21) WE PARKED THE CAR IN OUR DRIVEWAY. WE WILL NOT DRIVE OUR RAV4 I CONTACTED MY DEALER (LOMBARD TOYOTA, LOMBARD IL)--THEY REPLIED THAT AS A DEALER THEY COULD ONLY RECOMMEND THAT I CALL TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE NUMBER AFTER A COUPLE DAYS I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO THE "TOYOTA EXPERIENCE" LINE--OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS I WAS PASSED UP THE LINE UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO A CASE MANAGER. ON JANUARY 27THE A TOYOTA FIELD TECHNICIAN CAME TO MY HOUSE AND INSPECTED MY CAR. SINCE THEN I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM TOYOTA. *TR
