1992 Toyota 4Runner VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

A 1992 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER WAS PURCHASED AND WE ONLY HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS. THE TRUCK WAS DRIVEN TO WEST VIRGINIA. THE NEXT DAY THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT WOULD NOT STOP. IT CRASHED AND FLIPPED OVER. MY HUSBAND DIED IN THAT TRUCK. THERE WAS A LAW SUITE BUT IT NEVER WENT TO COURT AFTER FIVE YEARS. MY LAWYERS GAVE UP. TOYOTA NEVER SETTLED WITH ME AND ONLY SAID IT WAS DRIVER ERROR. THE ENGINEER WHO WAS ON THE CASE SAID THERE WAS A DESIGN DEFECT BUT THEY COULD NOT PROVE IT. SEE ALSO ODI 10121117 *DSY *TR

ON FEBRUARY 28, 2010, MY 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER HAD A REPEATED ACCELERATOR ISSUE. MY TRUCK ACCELERATED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK SURGED FORWARD. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO RACE. I WATCHED THE TACHOMETER GO FROM 1.1K RPM TO 4K RPM WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER A 1/2 MILE STRETCH OF CITY BLOCKS (EL CAJON BLVD IN SAN DIEGO, CA). I HAD TO PULL OVER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I REMOVED THE PLACEMAT AND THE ISSUE CONTINUED. IN FACT, WHEN I APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 4K RPM TO 8K RPM IN THE RED ZONE EVEN THOUGH I WAS BARELY TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS I HAD TO PLACE THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL WHEN ACTUALLY RIDING ON THE STREET JUST TO CONTROL MY SPEED. MY TRUCK HAS 143K MILES AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY NEXT TRIP. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BEYOND THE DRIVER'S EFFORT 8 TIMES AND TO 4 SEPARATE DRIVERS. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FREEWAY IN 1998. WHILE TRAVELING 50 - 60 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH. IN AN ATTEMPT TO DECREASE THE SPEED, IT WAS PLACED INTO NEUTRAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE KEY WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. THIS NORMALLY OCCURS AT SPEEDS OF 50-60 MPH, HOWEVER THERE WAS ONE INCIDENT ON LOCAL ROADS AT 35 MPH. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE THROTTLE PLATE WAS CLEANED. AFTER EACH THROTTLE PLATE CLEANING, THERE WAS A REOCCURRENCE. ON THE LAST VISIT TO THE SERVICE DEALER, THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT DRIVABLE.

MY HUSBAND, STANLEY W. SIRNIK BOUGHT A 1992 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. HE ONLY HAD IT FOR TWO WEEKS WHEN HE DECIDED TO TRAVEL TO WEST VIRGINIA. STANLEY, MY BROTHER -IN-LAW AND MY YOUNG SON WAS COMING BACK FROM SHOPPING THE NEXT DAY. STANLEY PUT THE TRUCK INTO CRUISE CONTROL AT 40 MPH. HE WAS TRAVELING ALONG AT 40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN THE TRUCK STARTED TO ACCELERATE UP TO A VERY HIGH SPEED. HE TRIED TO TAKE IT OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL BUT HE COULD NOT. HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. TO KEEP FROM GOING OVER A CLIFF, HE RAN UP AN EMBANKMENT AND THE TRUCK FLIPPED OVER. STANLEY WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. HIS BROTHER WAS BADLY INJURED AND MY SON WAS IN THE BACK SEAT IN SHOCK. I RETAINED TWO LAW FIRMS. THE ENGINEERS SAID THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. RIGHT BEFORE IT WAS TIME TO GO TO COURT IN JANUARY OF 1996, MY BIG LAWYERS ASKED THE COURT TO WITHDRAW FROM THE CASE. THE COURT GRANTED THEIR WISH. I NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH MY CASE AND WHY MY LAWYERS WANTED TO WITHDRAW AFTER KEEPING AND WORKING ON THE CASE FOR FOUR YEARS. THE LAWSUITE WAS FILED IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. IT WAS ALL SET TO GO TO COURT WITH A JURY TRIAL. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED MARCH 2. 1992. THE LAW FIRMS WERE MCCARTHY, BACON, COSTELLO, WASHINGTON BUSINESS PARK SUITE 300, 4640 FORBES BOULEVARD, LANHAM, MD 20706 AND SCOTT W. ROONEY, ESQUIRE, CHARFOOS & CHRISTENSEN, P.C. DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48202. SEE ALSO ODI 1030488 *DSY

CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NO DEACTIVATE DURING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE WENT INTO A ENBANKMENT. *AK