2009 Toyota Venza

I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE SURGE PROBLEM WITH MY 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. IN MY CASE, IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, AND HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IN ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, I WAS ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR OR TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED, CAUSING THE CAR TO MOVE MUCH FASTER THAN I HAD INTENDED. IN THE FIRST CASE OF PASSING, THE SURGE NEARLY CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE TORQUE PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL BEYOND WHERE I INTENDED TO TURN. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE CUSTOMER HANDLER TOLD ME THE CAR WAS DESIGNED TO DO THIS, AND EVENTUALLY HE WORKED HIS WAY AROUND TO, "ONCE THE CAR'S COMPUTER GETS USED TO THE WAY YOU DRIVE, IT WON'T HAPPEN ANY MORE." MORE RECENTLY, THE DEALER HAS SAID THE VENZA IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL, SO I CAN'T EVEN GET THE SHIM'WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY TO SOLVE AN ENGINE SURGE PROBLEM, BUT WOULD AT LEAST HELP TO DISPROVE THE STICKING PEDAL STORY. *TR

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES HE NOTICED THAT IT TOOK MORE THAN NORMAL PRESSURE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL PEDAL WAS INITIALLY DEPRESSED. HOWEVER, AFTER RELEASING THE PEDAL AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL A SECOND TIME, THE BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE CONTACT HAS NOTICED THE FAILURE SINCE THE DAY HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1100.

2009 TOYOTA VENZA -- I WAS COASTING INTO A PARKING SPOT WHEN THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND HIT A FENCE DAMAGING THE FENCE AND THE CAR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY HAVE OPENED A CASE FILE, BUT NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN DONE AT THIS POINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SLIGHT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. THE IDLE SPEED WAS SLOW; YET, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE GEAR WAS IN THE REVERSE POSITION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. UPDATED 03/09/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATES SOMETIMES WHEN BACKING UP, THE IDLE SPEED IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE VEHICLE MOVE IN REVERSE. UPDATED 06/04/10

THE "LURCH" OR "BRAKE RELEASE" THAT PRIUS OWNERS DESCRIBE HAPPENS - INCONSISTENTLY - IN MY 2009 VENZA WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. TOYOTA JUST BLOWS IT OFF AS IF MY WIFE AND I ARE LYING ABOUT IT. THERE WERE SOME ALIGNMENT ISSUES WITH IT ALSO AND TOYOTA HAS WORKED ON AND/OR "INSPECTED' IT SEVERAL TIMES.

DRIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AREA, 20-25 MPH, MADE TURN, AND WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR HAD SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL, BUT IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK IN DRIVE AND IT STILL WOULD NOT GO. THE CAR, HOWEVER, WOULD GO IN REVERSE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS MADE SHIFTING FROM OTHER GEARS TO DRIVE (INCLUDING THE SEQUENTIAL SHIFT) WITHOUT SUCCESS. FINALLY DROVE THE CAR IN REVERSE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE GEAR ENGAGED AND IT WENT FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO SHOP. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ERROR AND SAID NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL AN ERROR CODE WAS FOUND OR THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED. CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY REFERRED US BACK TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED, BUT IF IT HAPPENED ONCE IT WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN. NEXT TIME, I COULD BE IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ABS/VSC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, ALSO WARNING TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER IMMEDIATELY. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND DESCRIBED PROBLEM OF MY 2009 TOYOTA VENZA WHICH WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE DUE TO SENSE THAT BRAKE WAS ON. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP I COULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE CAR UNTIL I COULD TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, WHERE WE WERE TOLD IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WE WERE PROVIDED A RENTAL CAR WHILE CAR WAS EVALUATED AND PARTS REPLACED PART 467011 BRAKE PEDAL SUPPORT ASSEMBLY AND 1 47110-0T011 SUPPORT ASSY,BRAKE WE QUESTIONED NEED FOR FAILURE IN A 2009 CAR AND RESPONSE WAS THAT ON AN ASSEMBLY LINE A BAD PART WAS PROBABLY USED. WE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE RESPONSE AND THE FAILURE OF THIS TYPE IN AN OBVIOUSLY SAFETY SYSTEM. *TR