1995 Toyota Previa

PROBLEM OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WE HAVE A 1995 PREVIA. ABOUT 3 YRS BACK THE VAN WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. LUCKILY WE DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS. FIRST MY WIFE NOTICED IT. THEN I STARTED DRIVING THE VAN AND NOTICED IT TOO. SCARED US. REALLY SCARY. I HAD TO PRESS ON BRAKE PEDAL FORCEFULLY TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. TOOK IT TO LANSING TOYOTA DEALER, THE HEAD ENGINEER THOUGHT IT WAS ONE KIND OF SENSOR WHICH WAS ABOUT $350.00. ONCE IT WAS REPLACED, IF IT STILL DID THE SAME, HE WOULD REPLACE ANOTHER SENSOR THAT WOULD COST $600.00. WE FIRST REPLACED THE FIRST SENSOR AND STILL IT WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. SO WE ENDED UP REPLACING THE OTHER SENSOR AND THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION PROBLEM SINCE THEN. WE NEVER REPORTED IT 3 YRS AGO (THOUGH WE WERE TOLD TO) AS WE THOUGHT WITH AGING OF THE VEHICLE IT COULD CAUSE THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS AND NOT BE NECESSARILY DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. BUT READING ABOUT OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS PROBLEMS WE DECIDED TO REPORT IT NOW AS IT MAY HELP OTHER CUSTOMERS/KEEP THEM SAFE. WE HAVE MOST OF THE RECORDS RELATED TO ABOVE REPAIRS AT SPARTAN LANSING TOYOTA. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION PLEASE LET US KNOW. *TR

WHILE ENTERING MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT, THE WHEEL , SPECIFICALLY THE "CRUISE CONTROL LEVER" WAS IN THE 6:00 O'CLOCK POSITION. I HIT THE LEVER WITH MY KNEE WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND BROKE THE LEVER. OTHER THAN BEING UPSET FOR A MOST LIKELY COSTLY REPAIR, I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL A FEW MINUTES LATER. I WAS EXITING A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT WITH TRAFFIC MOVING ALL AROUND, ALSO, SOMEONE WAS FOLLOWING ME. WHEN I WENT TO TURN LEFT, THE WHEEL FROZE (DUE TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER HAD CAUGHT ON THE WIPER LEVER, AND WOULD NOT MOVE) IN THAT IT WAS NIGHT, I DID NOT REALIZE THE PROBLEM AND PANIKED , SLAMMED ON BRAKES, AND ALMOST GOT HIT FROM THE REAR AND RIGHT SIDE AS WELL, SINCE THE WHEEL WAS FROZEN AND ALL STEERING WAS LOST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY, KILLING MANY PEOPLE AND OF COURSE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DESIGN. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT AN ACCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR, BUT I DO HAVE NIGHTMARES AS TO WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL REPLACED, IN THAT THE SAME PROBLEM COULD OCCUR AGAIN. *AK