All of which happens to me, but does not match the description of my wife's experience as she fought for control in order to avoid running down bicyclist on the road that day.

The ICE usually comes on with a kinda lurch. Because It's happened at stop lights/stop signs, I don't worry about it. Besides, I'm rolling into the garage with my foot on the brake.

I'm not impugning your honesty, but it is certainly possible that the Toyota Rep (he who photographed the mat over the accelerator pedal) could have lied about the codes.

So, keep in mind: My wife is around 5'1", 5'2", small feet, summer so no snow boot and the cutout of the mats around the accelerator peddle, plus the height of peddle above the mats makes in very unlikely that the (a) mats climbed up the accelerator, and (b) that the brake peddle could have made contact with the mat as the brake peddle was depressed.

Nice hearing from a dealer. You guys are on the front line. The service reps at Toyota of LB were super. And than Hooman bought them out. Now I'm considering having oil changed and wheel/tire work done at a local shop.

 

Methinks it may be time for a "failsafe" circuit/system design like the one that prevents you from shifting out of park absent a firm foot on the brake.

A failsafe circuit that "forces" the throttle (DBW, E-throttle) to close fully if the brake is applied, maybe including the parking brake. That would also put a stop to left foot brakers driving along for miles and miles with their left foot "resting" on the brake pedal, wasting fuel and wearing the brake pads out prematurely.

And I suspect many of us, like me, are finding the new LED brake lights FAR TOO BRIGHT.

 

Yup, I remember couple years ago when this happened to me for the first time. Wooo! It was very startling, especially since I had the windows down and the engine noise echoed from the garage walls made it sound really loud. But the only unintended acceleration was my heart! Took me a minute to calm down after that. Now when it happens it's more like "crap, an engine start just 2 seconds away from shutdown, what a waste, oh well".

 

I have a story for you guys with the issue of "lurching"
First time when I had to change my oil for the Camry HV, I used my old drive up ramps to get under the car. 1st time successful, I even drove up the ramps without a "spotter" outside telling me when to stop.

2nd time comes around to change the oil...I drive up the ramps with a spotter, the guy tells me I am getting closer to the end. Well, it was in EV mode/electric while going up the ramp and all of a sudden the gas engine kicks in and the car lurches forward, overshoots the ramp, and falls off it!
The ramp was stuck under the car until I had to use a jack to raise the car to remove it. Lesson learned: don't use ramps to change the oil for this car, its very hard to drive up the ramp because all of a sudden the gas engine might kick in and shoot the car forward. Now I have been using the hydraulic jack ever since....

 

This can be avoided!

Place the TCH in "B".
If the ICE is not running, firmly hold your foot on the brake pedal and tap the gas pedal. The ICE will start.
Slowly drive up the ramps, and the ICE will stay running.

When the TCH is in "B" the ICE will not shut off once it is running.

 

IN 10,000 miles, I've never experienced a "lurch" when the ICE kicks in. I find the transition from E-mode to ICE very smooth. Perhaps this will change as the car ages.

Regarding the whole "stuck throttle" issue, several years ago NASCAR mandated a "kill switch" on the steering wheel after a few incidents of drivers being killed after hitting the wall with a stuck throttle (Adam Petty comes to mind, but I know there were a couple others as well).

The problem with the kill switch is that drivers are not conditioned to use it, so it takes a long time. What drivers ARE conditioned to do is hit the brakes, so Roush Racing came up with an alternative solution. The car has a device that will kill the engine if it detects significant brake pressure in combination with significant air flow to the engine (meaning the motor's running wide open but you mashed the brakes). This is a pretty low-tech solution and would make sense to me to be installed on all passenger cars.

(Note: Roush cars still must have the NASCAR mandated kill switch since that's the only "approved" solution in the rules.)

 

Close to 50 K and I've experienced the, "lurch" but most while the ICE is cold. Still, a prudent driver would enter the garage with foot on the brake.

The lurch is not forward but kinda side-to-side. As if one is shuting down a standard ICE with a key. The car does not charge forward.

For Toyota to start installing kill switches in their cars presents a whole host of problems for them including an admission of the probability of such an event happening.

 

For clarity, I did not intend to suggest that Toyota or ANY manufacturer install kill switches. I was pointing out that there is an unobtrusive bit of programming that can be done to add an extra margin of safety to ALL vehicles, and that would be the brake pressure/air flow interlock.

 

"..kill switches.."

No, just something to complement the already existing park/brake lockout, itself introduced to help prevent inadvertent instances of sudden unintended acceleration.

 

Could you send an email to Tim at the Automobile Protection Association, here in Montreal ? He is doing some research and would like to ask you some questions about your experience with your car.
His email: apamontreal@apa.ca
My email: hotlubo@hotmail.com

thanks very much,
Lubo

p.s. have not had any more problems with my TCH, but am in
touch with Transport Canada about at least 1 other similar
occurence. If you wish, I can keep you up-to-date through
your email rather than this post at GreenHybrid.