Car Accelerates On Its Own problems of the 2007 Toyota Highlander

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid. When applying pressure to the brake pedal, the engine would occasionally rev making braking more forceful. He speculated that the engine control system failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician stated there was no diagnostic testing equipment available to detect the malfunction. The failure mileage was 40,000. The current mileage is 42,000. Updated 02/1710 updated 02/19/10 updated 03/02/10 the consumer believed the problem was engine idle, not accelerating or braking. Updated 03/22/10. The consumer stated the problem he experienced was not due to a stuck accelerator, because the accelerator pedal also runs the hybrid motor. The hybrid motor is not accelerating the vehicle like the gas engine. If the gas pedal was the problem, the vehicle would still run away in electric motor. Therefore, it is definitely an engine problem, not an electric motor or electric generator. And it is something that controls the engine and the hybrid electric motor. Updated 04/09/10. The consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration again. Updated 05/03/10.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph on normal road conditions. There was pressure applied to the accelerator pedal in which an increase of unintended acceleration occurred without warning. The vehicle was able to continue in normal operation. This was a one time failure occurrence and the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be inspected. The failure mileage was 18,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander. While driving 5 mph, pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, struck a curb, crossed the median, and crashed into two parked vehicles. There were no injuries. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger side bumper and drivers side of the vehicle were damaged. The manufacturer stated that they would inspect the vehicle within 30 days. The insurance company was notified. The failure occurred without warning. The failure mileage was 29,000. Updated 12/15/08. The consumer the poilce were not called. Updated 12/15/08.

On may 9, 2007 we purchased a new 2007 Toyota Highlander. About a month later it unexpectedly accelerated and ran through the end of our carport while being driven in to park. Luckily no one was in front of it. The auto sustained about $650 in damages and the carport received similar monetary damages. About a month later we had a similar incident while parking in a parking lot. At first we attributed the incidents to my wife's foot someway slipping off the brakes and on to the accelerator. Now, after the recent national publicity, we are not so sure. Perhaps the accelerator mechanisim or software in this vehicle is defective in this model Toyota also. In the mean time, I now wonder if this model vehicle is safe to drive. I will bring this issue up to our Toyota dealer in the near future. I hope this information will be useful in helping the government and Toyota to solve this important issue.