1998 Toyota 4Runner Driver assistance Problems

I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR OVER 7 YEARS. TODAY, THE ONLY OCCASION OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. DRIVING I-95 IN NORTH FLORIDA AT APPROX. 72 MPH, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN A LANE CHANGE AS I APPROACHED A SLOWER VEHICLE TO THE FRONT. THE ACCELERATOR, OF ITS OWN ACCORD, PRESSED ITSELF TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, REACHING A SPEED OF 93 MPH WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE; THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SPEED. I CAME WITHIN A FEW FEET OF REAR-ENDING THE CAR I HAD BEGUN TO GO AROUND, AND JUST BEFORE IMPACT I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, WHICH CUT OFF THE MOTOR. I MOVED FROM THE MIDDLE LANE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, AND WHILE COASTING, TURNED THE KEY BACK TO THE 'ON' POSITION, WITHOUT STARTING THE MOTOR. INSTANTLY THE MOTOR REVVED ON ITS OWN TO TACH REDLINE, AND I TURNED THE KEY TO THE 'ACC' POSITION; THE MOTOR SHUT OFF. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES, AND THE ENTIRE TIME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. IT WAS NOT STUCK UNDER THE FLOOR MAT, AS I CHECKED THIS WHILE COASTING. THE PEDAL COULD NOT BE PRIED UP BY MY TOE, BUT WAS STUCK FAST. I HAD REDUCED SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. AFTER 1/2 MI COASTING, THE PEDAL RETURNED TO THE NORMAL POSITION ON ITS OWN, AND I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. IT DROVE NORMALLY THE ENTIRE WAY HOME, ABOUT 60 MILES. IF I HAD PANICKED AND NOT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WITHIN THE FEW SECONDS I HAD, I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY IMPACTED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH IN EXCESS OF 90MPH. THERE WAS TRAFFIC AROUND ME AT THAT POINT, AND IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MULTIPLE-CAR CRASH. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR AND I CANNOT LET HER DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. I FIND NO RECALLS, BUT THIS SITUATION MOST CERTAINLY WAS VERY REAL, AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS IS NOT TO BE DISMISSED BY CALLING IT 'DRIVER ERROR', OR A PEDAL STUCK UNDER A MAT. I STAYED RATIONAL, AND CONTROLLED THE SITUATION. DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DIES, NHTSA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10408905

Incident

Jun 25, 2011

Mileage

254,299 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC STOP WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. SHE ENGAGED THE BRAKES ABRUPTLY TO STOP THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SENSOR ON THE ACCELERATOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000. UPDATED 11/08/10 * BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AT TIMES. UPDATED 11/10/10.

NHTSA ID

10350065

Incident

Jul 28, 2010

Mileage

152,000 mi

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. IT, TOO, HAS RANDOM ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC FOR PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION NO LESS THAN 10 TIMES BUT NO PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED AND THEREFORE NOTHING WAS FIXED.. THE OCCURRENCES ARE SPORADIC AND UNPREDICTABLE. I DO A LOT OF FREEWAY DRIVING AND THUS, MOST HAVE OCCURRED ON FREEWAYS AND WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCE, THE CAR WAS BOUGHT USED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317399

Incident

May 1, 2006

WHEN THE CONSUMER SHIFTED TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED A MINOR COLLISION WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *AK THE CONSUMER SHIFTED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND BUMPED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE CONSUMER THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE HAD TAKEN OFF BY ITSELF. THE CONSUMER STRUCK TWO OTHER VEHICLES. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10081596

Incident

Jul 6, 2004

Mileage

84,129 mi

MY 1998 TOYOTA SURGES AT STOP LIGHTS. IT DOES NOT DO IT ALL THE TIME. I WILL START TO KEEP A RECORD OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. AND IF I HAVE THE A/C ON. I TRY TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY SO FAR. TOYOTA DOES NOT SEE IT AS A PROBLEM. THE DATE IS A GUESS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10082889

Incident

Apr 14, 2004

GAS PEDAL STICKING T-BODY STICKING EVERY 3000-4000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

740826

Incident

Nov 28, 2000

CRUISE CONTROL REFUSES TO RE-ENGAGE AFTER USING THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, THEREFORE DISENGAGEING THE SYSTEM. RESUME FUNCTION NOT WORKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

718218

THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO KICK INTO HIGH GEAR, COMING OUT OF THE OVERDRIVE AND REVS UP TO 3500 MPH WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

828267

Incident

Sep 15, 1997