NHTSA complaint: 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I STARTED THE CAR, AND I RELEASED THE BRAKE AND STARTED IN REVERSE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE CAR SUDDENLY SPED UP TO ABOUT 45 MPH IN REVERSE. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP EVEN AS I PRESSED THE BRAKE, AND IT THEN HIT TWO CARS. THAT IS WHEN IT STOPPED. I TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE TO GO BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE, BUT IT JOLTED FORWARD AND SKIPPED TWO PARKING BUMPERS. AT THAT TIME, I HIT ANOTHER CAR. AT THAT POINT, I LEFT THE CAR ALONE SEEING AS THERE WAS SOMETHING CLEARLY WRONG. IN THE END, MY CAR SUSTAINED DAMAGED TO THE FRONT AND TO THE BACK TOTALING $10,111.60. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DAMAGE TO THE THREE OTHER CARS, THE TOTALS OF DAMAGE OF WHICH I AM NOT AWARE OF ALTHOUGH THEY ARE CLAIMING MY INSURANCE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER HAVING CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. I FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CLAIMS AGAINST TOYOTA FOR PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRONIC THROTTLE WHERE THERE IS A SUDDEN, INVOLUNTARY ACCELERATION. I SHOWED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALL THE RESEARCH I HAD GATHERED FROM THE INTERNET. THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR'S COMPUTER, AND THEY CLAIMED THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE OR WITH THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THEY CLAIMED THAT AIR POCKETS BETWEEN THE ACCELERATION AND THE BRAKE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. AS A RESULT, THEY FIXED THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO MY CAR, BUT THEY MAINTAINED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, SPECIFICALLY THE THROTTLE, OF THE CAR. *NM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation