NHTSA complaint: 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON 11/29/09 IN THE AFTERNOON AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT IN A TRADER JOE'S PARKING LOT, MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD OVER A CURB, ACROSS A CROSSWALK AND CAME TO REST AGAINST A TREE. SPACE COVERED BY THE CAR FROM ACCELERATION TO THE TREE WAS ABOUT 20-25 FEET. WITNESSES ATTEST THAT I WAS USING MY BRAKE AS THEY SAW THE LIGHTS. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ATTEMPT TO SHIFT THE CAR TO "NEUTRAL." THE FLOORMATS WERE NOT INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (I HAVE PICTURES) AND THE FLOOR MATS WERE HOOKED DOWN. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT INCLUDING ME. THERE WAS SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BUMPER OF AN EMPTY CAR PARKED FACING ME. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF MY PRIUS. AS I STATED, THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES WHO GAVE ME THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION AND SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO TESTIFY FOR ME IF NECESSARY. THERE WAS A TRADER JOE WORKER WHO CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH THE MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS QUITE UPSET AND CALLED THE POLICE WHO CAME AND WROTE A REPORT. MY CAR HAS NEVER SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BEFORE - THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO HOOMAN TOYOTA IN LONG BEACH. IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA, A REGIONAL TEAM WAS SENT TO EVALUATE THE ACCELERATOR MECHANISM. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED HOWEVER TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ME TO TELL ME THEIR FINDINGS. TOYOTA'S BEHAVIOR TO MY COMPLAINTS OF SAFETY ISSUES HAS BEEN TO TELL ME THAT THE ONLY PROBLEM THEY HAVE IS F
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation