2005 Toyota Camry: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed Oct 12, 2025 · Acceleration, Brakes · CA · crash

When slowly finishing my entry into a parking spot and braking the car suddenly accelerated to a high speed and bolted over the curb with a planter zone into another parked car directly facing my parking lane hitting the front passenger side. My car was still accelerating and hit another car to the left of the first parked car, hitting it in the rear driver side door. My car kept going until I was finally able to get the brake to work and it stopped just before another parking lot curb with planter zone. As far as I can tell the brake and or accelerator malfunctioned dangerously and suddenly. It could also have been a malfunctioning TPS (throttle positioning sensor). I would like my car inspected to determine what caused this malfunction. While everyone involved said they felt fine. One person, in the first car hit, was sitting in the driver seat, luckily no one was in the front passenger seat. That driver said she was ok. The second car was unoccupied. This dangerous incident had no warnings or symptoms prior to the accident. My online research shows that there was a recall that included my make and year for sticky pedal, floormat, and deformed accelerator cable housing. These can cause unintended acceleration or unresponsive pedal. According to the Toyota website my VIN has no outstanding recalls though. I would like my car checked out because any recall repair, if done, may not have been done thoroughly enough to prevent the collision I experienced on September 28, 2025, some 15 years or so after the 2010 recall.

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Brakes · FL

While going about 15MPH the car accelerated on its own . Had a hard time finally stopping vehicle breaking and put the car in neutral.

Filed Nov 9, 2023 · IL

Unattended acceleration. I was on a slight incline, trying to enter the highway. I was stopped with my foot on the break with all of a sudden acceleration, and I started to surge forward. I kept my foot on the break and kept the car from moving forward, but it did seemed to it, going into high gear to want to move forward. Then put it in neutral and in reverse to back up a couple feet so that I wasn’t hit by a moving car on the highway. And then drove the car home. And Toyota to report the problem.

Filed Apr 15, 2018 · Acceleration · 10,000 miles · NC · crash

On 4/13 around 2pm, I arrived at friend's townhouse (address: 203 wildfell trl. Cary nc27513). I drove my car into a parking lot in front of the townhouse slowly while stepping on the brake. Before I shifted the gear to the 'parking', my car suddenly shoot up and hit the electrical transformer box in the front of the townhouse. The car kept moving forward until it hit the outside wall of the next door neighbor's house, then moving backward and stopped. The electrical transformer box was damaged, that caused the power outage in the neighborhood for at least 6 hours. The front bumper of my car was also damaged. I also got the citation and got charged with 'the misdemeanor or infraction' from the police, for that I will need to hire a lawyer to defend the case. I was so shocked and panic. I have a very clean driving record in the past 30 years. I knew toyota did have a 'sudden acceleration' problem, but because my car was never recalled so I thought it was safe to drive. Yesterday, I searched the internet and found out the '2005 toyota camry' did have several car incidents caused by 'sudden acceleration' in the past. I was lucky that the car didn't injure or kill any people. I don't want to drive this car anymore. Please investigate why toyota didn't recall my car and the toyota company should reimburse me all the costs of the damages.

Filed Jun 26, 2017 · Acceleration · 28,462 miles · CA · crash

I initially had an unexpected acceleration, but was able to stop the car and didn't know why it had happened. I was unaware that this was a common issue. Later I was backing out of a parking space, then switched to drive in attempt to go forward. The car accelerated w/o my touching the gas. I couldn't stop the car and it plowed into several other cars. I didn't understand why this had happened. The police came and assumed it was my fault because after having this happen, I was confused. They took the car to a body shop that did the repairs. No one mentioned this is a common problem w/toyotas. By the time I heard about sudden unintended acceleration (sua), I contacted toyota. As the insurance company had already arranged to have the car fixed before I called, the investigator said they wouldn't even look at the car as it had been repaired. Then I had a 3rd incident where I'd come to a stop, but the car began to accelerate. Initial date estimate was a guesstimate for mid-october acceleration. 11.21.16 was the accident, which resulted in over $7,000 damage to my car and more was paid towards the cars I hit. The most recent acceleration was january 16, 2017. To date toyota has on reattached the carpets, so I am concerned this car is still a risk to my life & that of others.

Filed Jul 19, 2016 · 93,000 miles · MI

On monday july 18th 2016 at approximately 1:30 p.m. I pulled my 2005 toyota camry into the parking lot handicap spot at bagger dave's located 50570 gratiot, chesterfield michigan 48051. As I was preparing to put the vehicle in park the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward very hard and very fast I attempted to apply the brakes three separate times and the car was still moving forward at the same rate on the fourth try I use both feet to press on the brakes very hard jamming the brake pedal into the floor rendering my body into a 180 degree angle position stretched out completely with an arched back. I am only 5 ft 1 in tall. I waited then I put the car in park at that time and just sat in the vehicle. Upset crying shocked fearful I looked to my right and there were three witnesses a woman and her two daughters entering the restaurant and standing approximately 5 feet from a vehicle. They witnessed the entire incident from that close vantage point offered assistance helping me out of the vehicle the manager came out of the building call the police. The chesterfield police department arrived on scene and completed accident reports and complaint number 2016 - 13942 dated 7/18/16. The property damage was flower beds shrubberies and small trees. On my vehicle as far as I could see when the car was bad from the dirt back on to the cement something was hanging from underneath my car it appeared to be some long metal object which came off my car upon driving a vehicle home very slowly with my hazards on about 5 miles an hour I noticed the wheels front wheels are squeaking and somewhat difficult to turn left or right the vehicle is sitting in my driveway and has not been moved. Witness sarah store manager, 5867651531 chesterfield police dept. Chesterfield mi 48051 macomb county accident complaint # 2016-13942 officer ogden

Filed May 3, 2016 · Brakes, Engine · 100,000 miles · CA · crash

March 19th 2016, driving on a city street when the car suddenly accelerated. Applied the brakes/emergency brake. Car continued to accelerated and I attempted to enter freeway. I was unable to turn the steering wheel and I hit a car that was entering the freeway.

Filed Apr 22, 2016 · Brakes, Engine · 100,000 miles · CA · crash

On march 19, 2016, I was driving my toyota 2005 camry at approximately 35 MPH, when the car suddenly accelerated. I applied the brakes, emergency brake and put the car in park. The car continued to accelerate and I attempted to approach the freeway on ramp. I was unable to turn the steering wheel. I crossed a raised island and into the freeway lane and hit a car that was driving onto the freeway ramp. Both cars were damaged. My car was totaled. I was transported to hospital and was discharged from emergency room.

Filed Apr 14, 2016 · Acceleration, Engine · 15,000 miles · NY

2005 camry purchased used as a program car in nov 2005 with 12k miles on it. When starting up vehicle, then driving at less than 10 MPH in reverse (to back up out of a driveway or parking space), applying the brake and then putting car into drive, the car will accelerate intermittently on its own before driver depresses the gas pedal. Driver always has had to continue to apply the brake for sefveral seconds, to be certain the vehicle will not surge forward, esp if approaching a corner less than 100 ft away. The dealer was informed of this phenomena in early 2006, while vehicle was still under warranty. Dealer examined the vehicle but could not replicate the problem. Owner has "learned to live with" the safety defect. Driver never knows when event will happen. Most recent occurence was 4/10/16. No one but owner is allowed to drive the car. Vehicle now has 120k miles on it, and has otherwise been reliable.

Filed Feb 27, 2016 · Acceleration · 111,000 miles · WA

On 12/4/2015, experienced sluggish response when pressing accelerator, then sudden unintended acceleration and surging forward at high speed, causing speed of car to be totally unpredictable with a steady foot on the accelerator. Braking did slow and stop the car. Took car immediately to toyota dealer. They replaced the ecu (electronic control unit) at a cost of $900. About 10 weeks later, the exact same thing happened again. Driving to work on the freeway that day, acceleration was sluggish and unpredictable. Parked car at work, and then after backing up in the parking area to leave, the car again was sluggish on acceleration, and then began to surge forward unpredictably, out of my control, with no increase in pressure on the accelerator. Again, the brakes functioned to slow or stop the car. I pulled over and called the toyota dealer, who advised I could bring it in that evening. No surging was noticed when car was in park. I had a harrowing drive to the dealership during rush hour, keeping a long distance behind the cars in front of me to avoid hitting anyone. Acceleration was very sluggish when merging or starting up again after a red light turned green, and once I began moving ahead, the unpredictable surging and slowing began again and continued until I stopped at the next light, etc. They have had the car ten days and have been unable to replicate the problem. I now need to return the loaner, and drive the defective car again. No floor mats were in place. I can only hope my husband, children or I are not involved in a serious accident in the event this happens again, which I fully expect. How can toyota and the federal safety agency determine there is no problem with these cars when there are hundreds of complaints in this record, and people have been killed and injured as a result of problems with unintended acceleration in these vehicles?

Filed Feb 16, 2016 · Acceleration · 52,195 miles · CA · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota camry. While pulling into a parking space at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The front passenger side of the contact's vehicle crashed into the front driver side of another vehicle. The contact's vehicle then crashed into a block of cement. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed and assessed by the insurance company who decided that the vehicle would be repaired. The vehicle was taken to body shop, but not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in any recall. The approximate failure mileage was 52,195.

Filed Oct 21, 2015 · Transmission · 120,000 miles · CA · crash

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 toyota camry. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration as if the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact held on to the steering wheel, crashed into a parked vehicle, and the vehicle continued to accelerate. While attempting to brake, it continued to accelerate. The contact had to crash the vehicle against the sidewalk and the only thing that stopped the vehicle was that the rim had no tire. The police department was present, but no police report was filed. The insurance company was notified of the crash. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer sent a third party company to investigate the crash and they found no evidence of manufacturing defect. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred several times before. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.