2002 Toyota Echo

I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. IT CROSSED THE STREET AND RAN OVER A BRICK PLANTER BOX, KNOCKED DOWN A CRAPE MYRTLE TREE AND FINALLY HIT THE NEIGHBOR'S SUV. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO NO AVAIL AND HAD NO TIME TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR TURN OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I CHECKED THE GAS PEDAL TO SEE IF IT WAS AGAINST THE FLOOR OR IF THE FLOOR MAT WAS INTERFERING WITH IT, BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND MY BACK WAS INJURED. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA ECHO ON NOV. 16TH 2010 WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES CA. WENT INTO REVERSE WHILE STILL IN DRIVE. THERE WAS TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME SO I WAS ONLY DRIVING ABOUT 2 MPH WHEN IT WENT INTO REVERSE WHILE THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I WENT TO PUT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND PUT ON THE HAZARDS. TWO MINUTES WENT BY WHEN I TURNED ON THE CAR AND IT WENT INTO DRIVE. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE KEYES TOYOTA IN VAN NUYS CA, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE FROM ANY TOYOTA CARS AND THAT IF THEY WERE EVEN TO LOOK IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY AT MY EXPENSE. I SOLD THE CAR FOR PARTS ON 11/18/10. *TR

1. APPROACHING A LEFT TURN AT 15 TO 25 MPH, GAP IN ON-COMING TRAFFIC, PRESS ACCELERATOR AND TURN LEFT. 2. THE CAR DECELERATES AS THE TRANSMISSION TAKES OVER AND LETHARGICALLY DOWNSHIFTS, 98% OF THE TIME, CAUSING NEAR MISSES. 3. I DOUBT ANYONE CARES TO CONSIDER IT A PROBLEM. SO, HOW MANY MORE BROADSIDES OCCUR WITH ECHOES THAN THE AVERAGE FOR OTHER CARS, OR HAS NO ONE EVER CHECKED? *TR

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CLUTCH WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR, AND WOULD BECOME HARD TO STOP. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CLUTCH HAD TO BE RELEASED TO HEIGHT BEFORE THE VEHICLE MOVED (NO REMEDY), HARD START AT ANYTIME, ALARM WENT OFF BY ITSELF AT ANYTIME (NO REMEDY), WOULD NOT START AND OR CRANK (REMEDY-REPLACED THE STARTER ASSEMBLY/PROBLEM-STARTER RELAY), ALARM HAD GONE OFF RANDOMLY, WOULDN'T SHUT OFF AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, HEAD LIGHTS FLASHED, ALARM WOULD COME ON, SOMETIME THE CLUTCH WOULD HAVE TO BE PLAYED WITH IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE (PROBLEM-SWITCH INTERMITTENT/REMEDY-REPLACED THE PARK NEUTRAL POSITIONER SWITCH ASSEMBLY), THE RADIO HAD STATIC, THE COOLANT LIGHT STAYED ON 5 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THERE WAS A CHIME NOISE WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF, AND THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE HORN DID NOT WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD GO OFF (NO REMEDY), THERE WAS OVER HEATING, WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER, THE ACCELERATOR WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR, THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE OFF AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE GEAR MADE BANGING SOUNDS, AND THE THERMOSTATS RELAY SWITCH WAS PROBLEMATIC AND REMAINED TO BE FIXED. REFER TO ODI#10031522 *SCC *JB