NHTSA complaint: 2005 TOYOTA AVALON — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WEATHER: SUNNY. ENGINE WARM - DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MILES ON THE WAY TO SMALL SHOPPING CENTER. I'M IN NO HURRY, STOPPING TO BROWSE IN A FAVORITE BOUTIQUE. LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE, SLOWED VEHICLE TO A CRAWL WHILE SCANNING THE LOT & THEN TURNED SLOWLY ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO DRIFT INTO AN AVAILABLE SPACE WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL RAMMING THE PARKED VEHICLE FACING THE SPACE I WAS IN. I REMEMBER A LOUD NOISE - WHICH WAS THE ENGINE ACCELERATING: AN UNFAMILIAR SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS JUST ABOUT STOPPED. THEN, THE NOISE OF THE CRASH - ABOUT 6 FT IN FRONT OF THE AVALON AT THE TIME OF THE NOISE & LURCH. THE IMPACT STOPPED THE CAR. I PUT IT IN REVERSE & BACKED AWAY, THEN TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE AS IT HAD BEEN ON THE BRAKE WHILE DRIFTING DOWN THE AISLE TOWARD THE OPEN SPACE - THERE HAD BEEN NO ACCELERATION WHILE IN THAT AISLE. TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE SPACE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO APPLY ONLY THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE ; THEREFORE, IF I HAD TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE I WOULD HAVE NOT DONE SO WITH ENOUGH PRESSURE TO CAUSE THE WILD ACCELERATION. WITH MY FOOT ABOVE THE BRAKE IN THAT INSTANT WHEN I TOUCHED THE BRAKE TO STOP THE LURCH IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE SPEED OF THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT: THERE WAS NOT ANY HESITATION IN THE ENGINE. NO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE AVALON SUSTAINED SOME BUMPER DAMAGE AND A BENT HOOD - DRIVABLE, BUT I REFUSED TO DRIVE IT. WHILE WAITING FOR A
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation