NHTSA complaint: 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN UNWANTED FORCEFUL ACCELERATION (SUSPECT AUTO CRUISE CONTROL GOT ENGAGED VIA EYESIGHT MALFUNCTION), COLLISION AVOIDANCE FAILED TO ENGAGE. BACK HOME SAFELY FROM A LOCAL GROCERY, PULLED THE CAR SLIGHT ON THE DRIVEWAY, STOPPED WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO OPEN THE GARAGE, ABOUT TO HIT THE HOME LINK, MUST REMAIN STOPPED WHILE GARAGE DOOR OPENS BECAUSE DRIVEWAY SLOPES DOWNWARD, HEARD ENGINE ROAR WITH FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE, CAR STARTED THROTTLE FORCEFULLY, GOT BEWILDERED, PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE; IT DID NOT RESPOND, THE CAR HIT HARD ON THE GARAGE AND BRICK WALL, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGES. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, DRIVER WAS SENSELESS, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER HURT, CAR IS DECLARED TOTAL. IT WAS VERY HOT AT ABOUT 4:15 PM, AIR CONDITION HAD BEEN RUNNING AT FULL FORCE ALL THE WHILE DURING THE SHORT 15 MINUTE DRIVE. THE DRIVEWAY HAS A 10 FT SLAB WITH UPWARD SLOPE, THE CAR STOPPED WITH FRONT WHEELS AT THE END OF THE FIRST SLAB. THE REMAINING DRIVEWAY IS ABOUT 30 FT ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE. I KEEP THE CAR TOTALLY STANDSTILL WHILE THE GARAGE IS OPENING. THE CAR WAS AT A SLIGHT ANGLE FACING SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE DRIVER SIDE CORNER OF THE GARAGE. THE CAR IS STILL ON MY DRIVEWAY: EVENT DATA RECORDER AND EYESIGHT DATA RECORDER SHOULD HAVE VALUABLE DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION. THE IMPACT WAS VERY FORCEFUL: A COMPLETE BRICK WALL GOT DISPLACED BY ALMOST 1 INCH AT ONE SIDE AND THE DISPLACEMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL CAUSED A TWO STORY LOAD BEARING BRICK COLUMN TO CRACK ON BOTH SIDES. GARAGE STRU
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation