1999 Toyota Avalon VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY 1999 TOYOTA AVALON PERIODICALLY SURGES WHEN I USE CRUISE CONTROL ON AN UPHILL INCLINE. TO STOP THE SURGE IN SPEED, I TAKE THE CAR OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO CHANGE LANES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. IT BEGAN SWAYING FROM ONE LANE TO THE NEXT. SHE TRIED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. SHE HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE HAD NO CONTROL AND COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. WHEN INSPECTED, THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2007. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 27,000. UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB

MY 1999 TOYOTA AVALON XLS, HAS HAD SEVERAL ACCELERATION EVENTS, THIS HAS OCCURRED WILL AT A STOP, WITH FOOT BRAKE ENGAGED, IN DRIVE GEAR, THE CAR SURGES FORWARD FOR 1 TO 2 SECONDS. THE BRAKE IS ABLE TO KEEP CAR FROM MOVING MORE THAN A FOOT. *TR

SUSPECT SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IS DEATH. *TR

AT ABOUT 5:00 P.M. MARCH 18, 2007, AS I WENT TO PICK UP MY 96 YEAR OLD MOTHER AT THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, I STOPPED MY 1999 TOYOTA AVALON UNDERNEATH THE DRIVE-THROUGH CANOPY TO WAIT FOR HER. AS I WAITED THERE, I NOTICED THAT A CAR HAD PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND WAS PREPARING TO DISCHARGE AN ELDERLY PASSENGER SO I PROCEEDED AROUND THE CIRCULAR DRIVE TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. AS I SLOWLY CIRCLED AROUND THE DRIVE BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED THE OTHER CAR HAD CLEARED OUT. AS I COASTED TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALK WALKING TOWARD THE ENTRANCE IN FRONT OF ME. AS I CONTINUED SLOWLY BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE, I FELT MY VEHICLE ACCELERATE VIOLENTLY TOWARD THE GROUP OF PEDESTRIANS. ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET, I GRADUALLY BROUGHT MY VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND CONTINUED TO A SAFE STOP WHERE I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. IT WAS A TERRIFYING FEELING TO FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER THAT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL AND TO REALIZE THAT WITH THE PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF ME I COULD HAVE INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE. THE PEOPLE WERE ONLY ABOUT 30 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME PICK UP MY MOTHER AND ME AS I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY TOYOTA DEALER WHO SCHEDULED AN INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AFTER CLASSIFYING THE INCIDENT AS 'UNINTENDED ACCELERATION', PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY, CLEAN THE FUEL INJECTORS, AND DE-CARBON THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED AT 45,900 MILES, (AN INTERVAL OF 43,240 MILES). A SERVICE INTERVAL OF 50,000 MILES IS RECOMMENDED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR GREAT HARM TO PEDESTRIANS, THIS WAS THE ONLY INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR DURING THE FOUR YEARS THAT I OWNED IT. ON FEB 13, 2008, I SOLD THE VEHICLE. *TR

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WITH THE CONTROL SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION; HOWEVER THE CRUISE CONTROL LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED RAPIDLY INCREASED TO OVER 70 MPH, ALTHOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONSUMER DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL BY SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. UPDATED 02/13/06. *JB

THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *AK *SC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE TRYING TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. *AK

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES INTERMITTENTLY ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMERS FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER IS FORCED TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO GET THE PROBLEM TO STOP. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. JB *NLM

THE GAS PEDAL BECAME STUCK THREE TIMES WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *YH

WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE WILL REV UP TO 5500 RPMS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD OR IN REVERSE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER MUST QUICKLY APPLY BRAKES, AND CHANGE GEAR IN ORDER TO KEEP VEHICLE FROM MOVING. TOYOTA CANNOT DUPLICATE DEFECT. THERFORE, CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE. IN MEANTIME, CONSUMER IS DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *AK

THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE (FROM A STOP) WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. --FOR INSTANCE AT AN INTERSECTION OCCASIONALLY, AND RECENTLY, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WHEN I APPLY MODERATE GAS, BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2 PEDAL, THE ENGINE LOSES POWER AND THE CAR JUST SITS THERE. TO COMPLETE MY TURN, I HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS AND PROCEED SLOWLY, SOMETIMES NARROWLY BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *AK

EQUIPPED WITH TRACTION CONTROL, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER SAID TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL, WHICH WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

ERRATIC OPERATION OF SPEED CONTROL. IT TURNS ITSELF OFF DURING OPERATION WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL OR TOUCHING OFF SWITCH. DEALER INSPECTED / REPLACED SOME PARTS, BUT NOTHING CAN CORRECT THE PROBLE. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDTIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE INVOLUNTARY ACCELERATED AS SOON AS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. STEPPED ON BRAKES, VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. DEALER CONTACTED, AND COULD NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE SURGING WHEN BREAKING AT INTERSECTIONS. MUST HOLD BREAK PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO STOP VEHICLE FROM ENTERING INTO INTERSECTION.