INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) MY 2009 TOYOTA VENZA VIN [XXX] , EXHIBITED SEVERE UNINTENDED AND UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION AT 7:45AM ON MAY 5, 2010. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FOR LESS THAN TWO MINUTES WHEN I STOPPED TO MAKE A TURN FROM LORAIN AVENUE, SILVER SPRING MD, ONTO WESTBOUND MD 193 UNIVERSITY BLVD. I ACCELERATED TO ENTER TRAFFIC AND THE CAR TOOK OVER AND ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE ON ITS OWN. THE SAME BEHAVIOR AS IF GOING INTO CRUISE CONTROL "RESUME" MODE AFTER BEING IN "COAST" EXCEPT THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES FIRMLY BUT THEY DID NOT SUFFICIENTLY SLOW THE CAR NOR DID THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURN TO IDLE POSITION. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND GUIDE THE CAR TO A SAFE STOP. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AT FULL THROTTLE AND THE TACHOMETER WAS WELL INTO THE RED ZONE, ABOVE 6800 RPM. THE ENGINE STOP BUTTON DID NOT STOP THE MOTOR WHEN PRESSED PER NORMAL OPERATION. ONLY WHEN I PRESSED AND HELD THE ENGINE STOP BUTTON DOWN DID THE MOTOR STOP. I PLACE THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKE. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE FLOOR MAT WAS ENTRAPPED IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT WAS NOT. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT AGAIN IMMEDIATELY REVVED TO FULL THROTTLE. I SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND LEFT IT (WITH MY CHILDREN, AGES 2 AND 6, WHO HAD BEEN THEIR SECOND ROW CAR SEATS AND WERE NOW IN TEARS). AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR I RETURNED TO THE CAR BY MYSELF AND STARTED IT AGAIN. THIS TIME IT STARTED NORMALLY AND IDLED AT ABOUT 800 RPM. I DROVE THE CAR TO MY HOME TWO BLOCKS AWAY AND PARKED IT. KOONS TYSONS TOYOTA TOWED THE CAR TO ITS LOCATION AT 8610 LEESBURG PIKE VIENNA, VA 22182. THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER 24 HOURS AND FAILED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON APPOINTED TIMES TO CALL ME BACK WITH A STATUS REPORT ON THE VEHICLE. *TR
2009
POWER TRAIN
I WAS DRIVING AT 35-40 MPH, PULLING UP TO AN INTERSECTION. I GRADUALLY HIT BRAKES TO REDUCE SPEED, AND THE CAR SURGED FORWARD TWICE. BOTH FEET SLAMMING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WERE REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE, BUT CAUSED GREAT ALARM AND POSES A POTENTIAL SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS WAS UNDER LIGHT BRAKING INITIALLY, WITH NO PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THE CAR SURGED FORWARD. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE ACCELERATOR OR COMPUTER WAS AT ISSUE. FLOOR MATS WERE NOT INVOLVED. *TR
