NHTSA complaint: 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MAY 5, 2010 ACCIDENT. TOYOTA RAV4 2007 ACCELERATED. AT TIME OF ACCELERATION I HAD ALREADY BEGUN BRAKING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. ENGINE BEGAN LOUD RACING AND CAR ACCELERATED. WITH VERY LITTLE ROOM TO MANEUVER I TURNED CAR HARD RIGHT TO AVOID CARS AND RAN INTO A LARGE TREE WITH CAR STILL ACCELERATING STOPPING ONLY WHEN HITTING TREE AND BOUNCED OFF. WHEN CAR CAME TO A STOP ENGINE WAS STILL RACING AND VERY LOUD. THE ACCIDENT WAS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY SO POLICE WERE NOT CALLED. WITNESS OBSERVED SLOW DOWN AND TURN SIGNALS AND THEN SEEING CAR BEGIN ACCELERATING VERY QUICKLY. 2ND WITNESS THAT HEARD THE NOISE OF THE CRASH CAME OUT OF HOUSE AND WAS ALARMED AT THE LOUD RACING STILL COMING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER CAR HAD COME TO A STOP. ENGINE RACING DID NOT STOP UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF. ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER ACCELERATION BEGAN AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE HANDS OFF OF WHEEL TO ATTEMPT PUTTING INTO NEUTRAL OR TURN ENGINE OFF. CAR ESTIMATE WAS $14,000 WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE THE NEW ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED SO IT WAS TOTALED. INJURIES SUSTAINED BY ME INCLUDE SEVERE BRUISING, SORENESS AND BURN LIKE ABRASIONS ACROSS NECK AND RIGHT ARM FROM SEAT BELT. A CONCUSSION DUE TO HEAD AND NECK BEING THROWN BACK WARD AND FORWARD ON IMPACT. REMAINING SYMPTOMS INCLUDE DIZZINESS, NAUSEA, HEADACHES, COGNITIVE ISSUES. THIS WAS 2ND EXPERIENCE OF ACCELERATION PROBLEM. FIRST INCIDENT 2 WEEKS PRIOR, LASTED LESS THAN 30
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation