1999 Toyota Avalon

DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL ABOUT THE 17TH OF DECEMBER 2013, I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE THE CAR TO A STOP. INSTEAD THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD SUDDENLY OUT OF CONTROL AND MOUNTED THE SIDEWALK. IT TRAVELED ABOUT 20 FEET BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE IT TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS NO OBJECT OR PERSON IN THE PATH OF THE CAR AND NOBODY WAS INJURED. THIS IS THE THIRD SUCH INCIDENT. THE FIRST WAS ON JUNE 3, 2006; THE SECOND WAS ON 3 FEBRUARY 2010. ALL INVOLVED THE CAR EITHER BEING STOPPED OR COMING TO A STOP. I DOCUMENTED BOTH, WRITING TO TOYOTA FULL ACCOUNTS OF EACH INCIDENT. I HAVE COPIES OF THESE LETTERS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JUNE 3, 2006 LONG BEFORE THE WIDELY PUBLICIZED DEATH OF 4 PEOPLE IN AN ACCELERATING TOYOTA VEHICLE. *TR

1999 TOYOTA AVALON. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS AT A CAR WASH WHICH WAS NEARING THE END OF THE WAS ON THE CONVEYOR BELT WITH THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL GEAR AS REQUIRED. AT THE END OF THE WASH CYCLE, THE GREEN LIGHT CAME ON WHICH WAS HER SIGNAL TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND EASE OFF THE BELT ONTO THE LOT. AT THE GREEN LIGHT, THE CONSUMER PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO CHANGE THE GEAR FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE. ONCE IN DRIVE GEAR, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND INSTANTLY ACCELERATED AT A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH SPEED. THE CONSUMER STOMPED ON THE BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY WITH NO RESULT. THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE EAST SIDEWALK AND THREE EMPTY SOUTHBOUND LANES. IT THEN COLLIDED INTO THE THREE NORTHBOUND-LANE CARS; CROSSED THE WEST SIDEWALK AND CRASHED THROUGH A SIX FOOT COMMERCIAL CHAIN LINK FENCE; HIT A PARKED PICK UP TRUCK AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE WALL WAS THE FINAL OBJECT THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD MAINTAINED EXCESSIVE SPEED. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER ABOUT A STRONG SMELL OF GAS. *JB

AT ABOUT 5:00 P.M. MARCH 18, 2007, AS I WENT TO PICK UP MY 96 YEAR OLD MOTHER AT THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, I STOPPED MY 1999 TOYOTA AVALON UNDERNEATH THE DRIVE-THROUGH CANOPY TO WAIT FOR HER. AS I WAITED THERE, I NOTICED THAT A CAR HAD PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND WAS PREPARING TO DISCHARGE AN ELDERLY PASSENGER SO I PROCEEDED AROUND THE CIRCULAR DRIVE TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. AS I SLOWLY CIRCLED AROUND THE DRIVE BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED THE OTHER CAR HAD CLEARED OUT. AS I COASTED TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALK WALKING TOWARD THE ENTRANCE IN FRONT OF ME. AS I CONTINUED SLOWLY BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE, I FELT MY VEHICLE ACCELERATE VIOLENTLY TOWARD THE GROUP OF PEDESTRIANS. ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET, I GRADUALLY BROUGHT MY VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND CONTINUED TO A SAFE STOP WHERE I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. IT WAS A TERRIFYING FEELING TO FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER THAT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL AND TO REALIZE THAT WITH THE PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF ME I COULD HAVE INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE. THE PEOPLE WERE ONLY ABOUT 30 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME PICK UP MY MOTHER AND ME AS I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY TOYOTA DEALER WHO SCHEDULED AN INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AFTER CLASSIFYING THE INCIDENT AS 'UNINTENDED ACCELERATION', PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY, CLEAN THE FUEL INJECTORS, AND DE-CARBON THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED AT 45,900 MILES, (AN INTERVAL OF 43,240 MILES). A SERVICE INTERVAL OF 50,000 MILES IS RECOMMENDED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR GREAT HARM TO PEDESTRIANS, THIS WAS THE ONLY INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR DURING THE FOUR YEARS THAT I OWNED IT. ON FEB 13, 2008, I SOLD THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO CHANGE LANES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. IT BEGAN SWAYING FROM ONE LANE TO THE NEXT. SHE TRIED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. SHE HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE HAD NO CONTROL AND COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. WHEN INSPECTED, THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2007. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 27,000. UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WITH THE CONTROL SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION; HOWEVER THE CRUISE CONTROL LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED RAPIDLY INCREASED TO OVER 70 MPH, ALTHOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONSUMER DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL BY SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. UPDATED 02/13/06. *JB