2008 Toyota Avalon Speed Control & Cruise Problems

NHTSA, I WOULD LIKE REPORT AN INCIDENT OF 'SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION' WHEN DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE, [XXX], ON SUNDAY, 10/23/16 TRAVELING WEST ON WALKER ROAD IN BEAVERTON, OREGON AT 11:05AM (ADDRESS: [XXX]) . I WAS STOPPED BEHIND (2) CARS WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. SUDDENLY THE CAR ENGINE QUICKLY REVVED UP. MY CAR SURGED FORWARD AS I DEPRESSED MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE FURTHER. THANKFULLY MY CAR ONLY SURGED FORWARD A FOOT OR TWO AND THEN THE ENGINE RETURNED TO IDLE. NO CONTACT WAS MADE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS INCIDENT WAS VERY SCARY FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS 'SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION' IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND WILL CAUSE HARM TO ME, MY FAMILY AND OTHERS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TAKATA RECALL MARCH 9TH 2016 9:30PM I WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE ONRAMP TO ABOUT 70MPH WHEN THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AFTER PRESSING THE BRAKE SO I CONTINUED TO PRESS THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO RELEASE OF ACCELERATION SO PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND I FOUND ROOM TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. I GAVE IT 15 SECONDS AND RE-STARTED BUT IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING, I REPEATED THIS AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I LEFT ITHE ENGINE OFF FOR A FULL MINUTE AND RE-STARTED TO FIND IT HAD RESET. I THEN CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND FOUND IT INTACKED AND PINNED TO THE FLOOR PINS.

THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN, BRAKES WERE LOCKED !!! I MADE A LEFT TURN AFTER A STOP SIGN AND THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF ON IT'S OWN - ACCELERATING UP TO 50 MILES PER HOUR. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, BUT THEY WERE LOCKED. I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, IT SLOWED THE CAR DOWN ABOUT 10-12 MILES. TO AVOID CARS IN FRONT OF ME - I THEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK. AFTER AN UGLY NOISE AND JERKING OF THE CAR...IT DID STOP! THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. IT WAS A HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE. THE CAR WAS IN FULL THROTTLE! HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC.....IT WAS STILL AT FULL THROTTLE WHEN HE LOOKED AT IT A COUPLE DAYS LATER. HE ADVISED ME TO CALL TOYOTA. TOYOTA SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I JUST WANT MY CAR FIXED,

I WAS COASTING, BARELY MOVING WHEN I HEARD THE ENGINE REV UP AND ACCELERATE. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS. BEFORE I COULD APPLY BRAKES MY CAR HIT THE HOUSE. I WAS ABOUT 2 FEET FROM THE HOUSE SO THERE WAS NOT MUCH TIME TO REACT. THIS ALL TOOK PLACE IN 1-2 SECONDS. I HAD TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY TO PARK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V017000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I WAS COASTING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE HARDER TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE ENGINE BEGAN TO UNCONTROLLABLY RACE AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I APPLIED THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD, FLIPPED THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, MISSING THE CAR IN FRONT BY INCHES. I WAITED APPROXIMATELY 10-15 SECONDS, RESTARTED THE CAR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO UNCONTROLLABLY RACE AGAIN. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES RE-STARTED THE CAR AND IT STARTED SOMEWHAT ROUGHLY BUT THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION STOPPED AND I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. WHEN I PARKED THE CAR I CHECKED THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS FIRMLY ANCHORED AND NOWHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT WAS. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT I WAS BRAKING AND THE CAR WAS SLOWING APPROPRIATELY SO IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ITSELF BECAME STUCK. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY TO THE DEALER AND NOTIFIED TOYOTA. *TR

MY LASER CRUISE CONTROL BECAME UNRELIABLE TOWARD THE END OF 2013. I HAD USED IT ON A DAILY BASIS FOR OVER 5 YEARS AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WAY IT SHOULD PERFORM. WHEN TRACKING A VEHICLE DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME ON A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ROAD, THE LASER CONTROL SHOULD MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE AND A SPEED THAT IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THE "LEAD" VEHICLE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE FOR THE PAST 7 MONTHS. MY CAR WOULD OFTEN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A SPEED THAT WAS FASTER THAN THE "LEAD" CAR,AS IT WAS SAFELY SLOWING DOWN, AND COME SO CLOSE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO JAM ON MY BREAKS. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER, WHO INSISTED THAT THE LASER CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN AN ACCIDENT (THEREFORE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT APPLY) AND I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A CLAIM ON MY CAR INSURANCE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS WELL AS MY REPAIR SHOP COULD SEE NO DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. EVENTUALLY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE "REPAIR". AFTER THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CAR WITH A NEW LASER CONTROL SENSOR THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED, ALTHOUGH NOT AS OFTEN. I'VE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY INSIST IT MEETS ALL SPECIFICATIONS AND IS PERFORMING TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECS, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO FOR ME. CORPORATE TOYOTA BASICALLY WASHES THEIR HANDS OF THE INCIDENT BY SAYING EVERYTHING RELATED TO THIS MATTER IS AT THE DEALERS DISCRETION. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, THIS MALFUNCTIONING "SAFETY" FEATURE PUTS ME AT JEOPARDY. I FEAR FOR MY LIFE EVERY TIME I USE IT. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, AND MAY HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. I HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT FOOT AND INJURIES TO THE FACE, KNEES, BACK, AND NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTO BODY SHOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V017000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER A CURB AND ONTO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FENCE AND SOME SMALL TREES. THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE ALTHOUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WAS FLAT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V017000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 44,767. UPDATED 10/13/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/19/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD, ACCELERATED OVER A CURB, AND CRASHED INTO A SIGN. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE AND THEN ANOTHER CURB. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 39,606.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING IN A GARAGE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED IT TO CRASH INTO THE GARAGE. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP SO THAT A TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE COULD INSPECT IT. THE REP HAD NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 23,500 UPDATED 11/29/10 *CN UPDATED 11/20/10

MY TOYOTA AVALON 2008 DOES ACCELERATE AFTER FIXES MAD BY TOYOTA. SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPEN AGAIN YESTERDAY AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPAIRED. WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND FORCED HIM TO APPLY EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AGAIN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 47000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. HE DROVE APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH INTO HIS GARAGE AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY TEST DROVE IT AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49450 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49476. UPDATED 4/13/10 *CN UPDATED 05/20/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT 15MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 40MPH.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE NHTSA RECALL #09V388000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND 10V017000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CALLED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000

2008 TOYOTA AVALON WAS RECALLED TO REPLACE A GAS PEDAL. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR THE SAID REPAIR. IT TOOK 4 HOURS. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE AND WAS SLOWLY BACKING OUT OF A RESIDENTIAL CARPORT WHEN IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THE CAR DID ABOUT 3 LOOPS AROUND THE GARAGE AREA OF THE HOME CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CAR, BENCHES, TREE, BUSHES, LAMP POST, ETC. THIS HAPPENED AFTER THE RECALLED DEFECT WAS REPAIRED. OWNER OF VEHICLE PUT IN CLAIM TO HER OWN INSURANCE COMPANY, PUT IN A CALL TO THE 800 TOYOTA NUMBER AND HAD CAR TOWED TO WHERE SHE PURCHASED THE CAR. EVERYONE SEEMS CONCERNED, BUT ONLY WANTS TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR RATHER THAN GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. WE THOUGHT TOYOTA HAD THE FIX, BUT APPARENTLY NOT SINCE ACCELERATING AND GOING OUT OF CONTROL ON AN ACCELERATED PACE. *TR

2008 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE AFTER KIT WAS INSTALLED. *TGW AFTER TAKING AN EXIT, THE CONSUMER ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TRAFFIC, WHEN HE HAD TO BRAKE BEHIND BACKED UP TRAFFIC. AS HE EASED INTO THE LINEUP, HE DISCOVERED HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT STOPPING. THE BRAKES STARTED TO FADE AND AT THAT POINT HE THREW THE SHIFT SELECTOR INTO NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE ROARED, REVVING OVER 4,000 RPM'S AND THEN SETTLED DOWN TO NORMAL SPEED. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RECALL. AT THAT TIME, THE DEALER INSTALLED A SHIM KIT. UP TO THE FEB 21, 2010 INCIDENT NO PROBLEM WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED. WHEN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO REPORT THE INCIDENT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE INTERNAL BLACK BOX COMPUTER DID NOT REGISTER AN EVENT. *JB

TOYOTA'S HANDLING OF RECALL. I OWN ONE OF THE RECALLED VEHICLES BUT HAVE RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION FROM EITHER TOYOTA OR THE DEALER ON THE RECALLS. *TR

TOYOTA AVALON CRUISE CONTROL SAFETY PROBLEM. AFTER SEVERAL EXPERIENCES WITH UNEXPECTED RAPID ACCELERATION I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN O'FALLON, ILLINOIS. WHAT I DISCOVERED IS THAT THE LASER CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM ADJUSTS ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVEL IN 5 MPH INCREMENTS UP OR DOWN. HOWEVER, IF YOU TAP THE LEVER UP MORE THAN ONCE IT WILL INCREASE THE SPEED BY 5, 10, 15, 20 MPH. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU HOLD THE CRUISE LEVEL FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS, THE CRUISE SETTING CONTINUES TO INCREMENT AND IN JUST A FEW SECONDS YOU MAY HAVE UNKNOWINGLY INCREASED THE SETTING FOR THE CRUISE BY 20 OR 25 MPH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE OLDER MODELS OF MOST CARS, INCLUDING TOYOTAS, JUST INCREMENT YOUR SPEED BY A FEW M.P.H. AS YOU HOLD THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVEL UP TO GET TO THE DESIRED CRUISING SPEED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE OWNERS MANUAL IS INACCURATE AND DOES NOT DESCRIBE HOW THE RESETTING OF THE CRUISE SPEED ACTUALLY WORKS. IN MY OPINION THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO INCREASE YOUR SET CRUISING SPEED BY 20 OR 30 MPH BY LIFTING UP THE CRUISE LEVEL OR A FEW SECONDS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN RAPID ACCELERATION SEVERAL TIMES IN HIGHWAY DRIVING AND HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. MY GUESS IS THAT A LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TOYOTA PRIUS IN THE PRESS RECENTLY RESULT FROM THE SAME CONDITION WITH THE OWNERS NOT INFORMED AS TO HOW THE CRUISE ADJUSTMENTS WORK AND THE MANUALS ARE PROBABLY INACCURATE OR INCOMPLETE. *TR

LASER CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT APPARENT REASON, MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMS IT HAS ARE UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN DECELERATION, WHICH HAS NEARLY CAUSED MY RAMMING INTO A CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND A CAR BEHIND ME CRASHING INTO ME. THESE, ALONG WITH OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE SYSTEM, OCCUR EVERY TIME IT IS ENGAGED. WHEN FIRST PRESENTED TO THE DEALER IN PHONE CONVERSATION WAS TOLD IT WAS A PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTION TO NEWS REPORTS AND GIVEN AN 800 NUMBER TO A RECORDED MESSAGE TELLING ME IF I HAVE A PROBLEM STOP MY CAR AND REPORT IT TO MY DEALER. I THEN WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS THEN TREATED WITH DISBELIEF. THEIR INITIAL SOLUTION WAS DENIAL THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. AFTER DEMANDING A MECHANIC TEST DRIVE THE CAR, THE TECHNICIAN CONCEDED THE PROBLEM IS EXACTLY AS I DESCRIBED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEIR IN SHOP DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE LASER CRUISE. AND WHEN I QUESTIONED THIS WAS INCREDIBLY ASKED IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE TECHNOLOGY WHEN THEIR OWN MECHANIC VERIFIED THAT IN REALITY THE SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING DURING THE ROAD TEST.THEN THEY DECIDED TO TAKE ANOTHER TACTIC. THERE IS A 1/2 INCH DING IN THE FRONT BUMPER OF MY CAR THAT IS THE RESULT OF MY CAR ROLLING 5 FEET WHILE IN NEUTRAL AND TAPPING A POLE. THEY DECIDED TO BLAME THE MALFUNCTION ON THIS MINUTE DING EVEN THOUGH I INFORMED THEM THAT THE MALFUNCTION DID NOT CORRELATE WITH THE TIME OF THE BLEMISH TO THE CAR. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT, OVER $3000, TO FIX THIS DING, HOPING IT WILL DETER ME FROM PURSUING THE ISSUE OF THE INNATE FLAWS IN TOYOTA'S LASER MECHANISM. I KNOW THIS WILL NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT AM INSTRUCTING THEM TO REPAIR THE BUMPER AS A MEANS OF GUARANTEEING THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO MY LASER CRUISE PROBLEM. I WILL PAY TO FIX MY DLCC, NOT CORRECT A BLEMISH IN MY BUMPER. I AM LETTING YOU KNOW BECAUSE OTHERS ARE PROBABLY BEING MET WITH THE SAME RESISTANCE AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. MY CAR IS 2008 AVALON LIMITED. DEALER: TOYO OF WATERTOWN. *TR