NHTSA complaint: UNKNOWN UNKNOWN1 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I ENTERED MY AUTO ON THE EVENING OF 10/4/00 AT 8:10PM AND TURNED KEY TO START. I DID NOT AT ANY TIME DEPRESS GAS PEDAL. AFTER ENGINE STARTED, I ALLOWED RPM'S TO SETTTLE DOWN AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. PUT TRANSMISSION IN "REVERSE" AND LET UP ON THE BRAKE. THE IMMEDIATELY STARTED MOVING IN REVERSE IN AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION (S?). I SET MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT MOVE. THE CAR KEPT SPEEDING UP UNTIL IT HIT A TREE, BROADSIDE. THE TOTAL DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 20-25 FEET, BUT THE CAR WAS "TOTALLED." THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, EXCEPT ON THE PREVIOUS OCCASION, THE AUTO STOPPED IN ABOUT 3 FEET. TWO TIMES SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE AUTO, I HAVE HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY AND, IT SEEMED TO ME, THAT THE BRAKES WORKED THE WAY ABS BRAKES ARE SUPPOSE TO, BUT I'M NOT SURE. A WITNESS WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT ESTIMATED THAT THE AUTOMOBILE WAS RACING IN REVERSE ABOUT 20-30 MPH,BEFORE IT STRUCK THE TREE, BUT ONLY A GUESS. (DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRESIZE: N/A)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation