I WAS GENTLY ACCELERATING ONTO NJ RT. 22 EAST AT 7:40 AM ON MAY 19, 2010. VERY SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT FULL THROTTLE, EVEN AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I APPLIED FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT KEPT ACCELERATING. I THEN APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND WHILE WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC AT VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED, ATTEMPTED TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF DRIVE. I DROVE ON TO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID TRAFFIC. AFTER SOME COMBINATION OF BRAKING, APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL OR REVERSE, IT CAME TO A STOP. I AM NOT SURE WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK, BUT I PRESSED THE IGNITION BUTTON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS, TOOK A DEEP BREATH, AND REALIZED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE CORNER WAS PROTRUDING THE RIGHT LANE. SO AS NOT TO BE A FURTHER HAZARD TO TRAFFIC, I STARTED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE IT. A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD TELLING ME TO "CHECK THE BRAKES WITH THE DEALER," OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. THE SMELL FROM THE OVER HEATED BRAKES WAS VERY STRONG--STRONG ENOUGH TO PROMPT ME TO OPEN THE WINDOWS. ODDLY ENOUGH, THE CAR RAN FINE AFTER RESTARTING. IT WAS AS IF I REBOOTED THE COMPUTER. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE DEALER FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SO WITH THE HAZARD LIGHT BLINKING, I DROVE SLOWLY TO THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER. THEY SAID THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THEY ALSO BROUGHT IN A TOYOTA ENGINEER WHO SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 2 WEEKS OLD WHEN THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. I DO NOT FEEL SAVE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I DO NOT WANT IT BACK. THEY STILL HAVE POSSESSION OF IT. ON A SIDE NOTE, I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO SELL IT TO ANYONE ELSE. PLEASE CONTACT ME ([XXX]) AT [XXX] WITH QUESTIONS. PLEASE HELP US. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
2009
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 35MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED HIS FOOT WAS NOT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A CONCRETE CURB. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE AN INVESTIGATOR WAS BROUGHT IN TO FURTHER ASSESS THE FAILURE. THE INVESTIGATOR ATTRIBUTED THE FAILURE TO AN EXTRA ALL WEATHER FLOOR MAT. ONE WEEK AFTER THE CRASH, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V023000) RELATING TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 7,000.