The federal safety agency, 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).
2008 Toyota Avalon: sudden unintended acceleration
21 of the 349 complaints about the 2008 Toyota Avalon describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 21
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 23,500
- recalls
- 2
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
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.
2008 toyota avalon. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration. *smd the consumer stated as his wife turned into a perpendicular parking space, all of a sudden, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own, only stopping when it hit a parking barricade. His wife did attempt to apply the brake, but to no avail. The consumer stated the air bag did not deploy.
Driver was pulling into a parking space when the car had unexpected, sudden acceleration and hit a concrete wall. Driver was wearing a seat belt; air bags deployed. The person was uninjured except for chest bruises. The car had been taken in when it was recalled and was " fixed" in response to 2 recall notices by the dealer on march 4, 2010. The front of the car is bashed in, hood is bent upward, radiator damaged and the front doors jammed. Men had to force the driver side door open to get the driver from the car. Toyota and the insurance company have been notified but neither have had time to examine the car.
2008 toyota avalon _ sudden acceleration when attempting to move car up slightly from rest while turning into a parking lot. Car was going less than 10 MPH when engine revved violently & car accelerated uncontrollably & crashed into barriers & head on into a brick wall. Car had to be towed to body shop & has heavy damage.
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
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. While the contact was driving approximately 2 MPH into the garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated which resulted in a crash. There were no injuries. The contact did not state if a police report was filed. The vehicle sustained damages to the hood and fender. The vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. The failure and current mileages were 32,444. Updated 05/11/10. *lj updated 5/28/10 *cn updated 09/23/10
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.
My toyota avalon 2008 does accelerate after fixes mad by toyota. Sudden acceleration happen again yesterday again.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. The vehicle sped off after being stopped at a traffic light. When the accelerator was pressed the vehicle rapidly moved forward about 2000 feet. The contact stated when he pressed the ignition button the engine shut off. The contact also stated that the dealer replaced acceleration system. The failure mileage was about 22,000. The current mileage was 23,000.
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 the federal safety agency 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
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without A/C) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.
- Risk
- The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. Gm will notify owners for the pontiac vibe please see 10v‑018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on february 5, 2010 and will be completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 10V017000 · Recall details
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
- Risk
- A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331, lexus at 1‑800‑255‑3987.
Recall number 09V388000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2008 Toyota Avalon sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2008 Toyota Avalon?
21 of 349 owner complaints about the 2008 Toyota Avalon (6%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Toyota Avalon?
There are 2 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Toyota Avalon
Headlights 210Adaptive cruise 11Overheating 7Check engine light 6No deployment 5Fire or smoke 5
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