2008 Toyota Matrix Speed Control & Cruise Problems

I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR. WHEN I STARTED IT IN MY DRIVEWAY AND PUT IN REVERSE THE CAR IMMEDIATELY WHEN SPEEDING BACKWARD OUT OF CONTROL. I ENGAGED THE CLUTCH WHILE THE CAR CONTINUED TO SPEED IN REVERSE THEN MOVED TO 1 GEAR AND THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURN IT OFF TO STOP THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM PARK, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH AND SHIFT THE GEAR SHIFTER IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ON MAY 28TH, WHILE PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AS I'VE DONE WITH MY 2008 MATRIX HUNDREDS OF TIMES, THE BRAKES FAILED AND MY CAR RAN INTO MY HOUSE. I COULD FEEL THE ABS FIRING, BUT THE CAR FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. I HAVE A SHORT DRIVEWAY, ABOUT A CAR AND A HALF IN LENGTH, AND IT IS DOWNHILL. THE APPROACH TO THE DRIVEWAY HAS ME TURNING AND BRAKING WHILE GOING OVER THE BUMP OF THE CURB. TO ADD TO THAT, IT WAS RAINING THE DAY THIS HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY, MY APPROACH WAS RATHER SLOW AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. MY CAR SUSTAINED SOME MINOR DAMAGE, AND MY GARAGE SUSTAINED MORE DAMAGE FROM THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT. UNDER THE ADVISEMENT OF MY AUTO INSURANCE AGENCY, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY RAN A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTIC, AND ALL OF THE SYSTEMS WERE RUNNING FINE. THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE IN GOOD CONDITION, AND THERE WERE NO HOT SPOTS. FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, THE CAR SEEMED FINE. I ADVISED THEM THAT WHILE THE DIAGNOSTICS REPORTED THE CAR AS BEING FINE, THE INABILITY FOR THE CAR TO BRAKE COMING INTO MY DRIVEWAY, AND THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED, LEAVES ME NEEDING A BETTER ANSWER THAN THAT. THEY TOLD ME THAT WHEN IT NEXT RAINED THAT I COULD COME IN AND DRIVE THE CAR WITH ONE OF THEIR TECHNICIANS TO TRY AND RE-CREATE THE ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS, AND WE HAVE NOT HAD THE PROPER WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN OPEN AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OFF WORK AND GET OVER THERE WITH OUR ONE REMAINING CAR. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DEALER REP ON MONDAY, HE RE-ITERATED HOW THEIR SOFTWARE DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED THE CAR WAS OPERATING FINE. I ASKED HIM HOW THEN THE 2010 PRIUS HAD A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO CORRECT A BRAKING ISSUE. HE SAID THAT THE PRIUS SITUATION WAS COMPLICATED, BROUGHT ON BY THE COMBINATION OF TURNING, GOING OVER A BUMP AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS WHAT HAPPENED DURING MY ACCIDENT. THERE WAS SILENCE, AND A REPEAT STATEMENT THAT I COULD COME IN AND TEST THE VEHICLE WITH THEIR TECH. *TR

AFTER PURCHASING GAS AT 6:30 A.M., I STARTED MY 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX AND WAS ROLLING SLOWLY OUT A SLIGHT INCLINE TO THE STREET. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND I JAMMED FIRST ONE FOOT THEN BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE WHILE PULLING UP THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. IT FELT LIKE HOLDING BACK A HORSE AT THE STARTING GATE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RACING LIKE IT DOES DURING AN AUTO EMISSIONS TEST. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT STOPPED. I FINALLY GOT THE NERVE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND IT PERFORMED NORMALLY AS IT HAS SINCE. I TOOK THE CAR TO PERFORMANCE TOYOTA IN FAIRFIELD OHIO ON APRIL 3RD AS INSTRUCTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SO THEY COULD TRY TO RECREATE THE SITUATION AND HAVE IT ON RECORD THAT I EXPERIENCED THIS INCIDENT. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 28TH I WAS STOPPED AT THE CORNER OF VINE AND GALBRAITH AT A LIGHT. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE IT KIND OF LOCKED AND DID NOT STOP THE CAR- I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE UP AND THE CAR STOPPED. THERE WAS A PEDESTRAIN THAT WAS CROSSING THE STREET THAT I NEARLY HIT. *TR

MY 2008 MATRIX ENGINE RACES UP, AND REACHES SPEEDS OF 90 WITH OUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS. IT HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME ALMOST A YEAR AGO. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOTHING, COULD IT HAVE BEEN THE MATS.... I DIDN'T HAVE MATS IN MY CAR. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL, THE ENGINE RPM GOES REALLY HIGH, LIKE IT IS GOING TO RACE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND AND IT RACED, HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WENT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVERY TIME I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR IN THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR FOR 30 OR MINUTES. I'M TRYING NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS, TAKE THEM TO THE SHOP AND ARE BEING TOLD THAT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE A PROBLEM. ANY ONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING KNOWS ANYTHING KNOWS THAT 9/10 THE MECHANIC CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX DEVELOPED A GRUNTING/RATTLING SOUND WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. DEACTIVATING THE CRUISE CONTROL DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT FIRST DISAPPEARED AFTER PULLING OFF THE HIGH WAY, SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND HENCE RESETTING THE SYSTEMS. WHICH PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED BY TOYOTA NEWBURGH NY SWIFTLY, WITH THE REMARK THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. IN THE LIGHT OF THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US ALL THIS MIGHT BE AN ITEM OF INTEREST ON YOUR BEHALF? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 35 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AND ALSO A THIRD VEHICLE. ONE OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS WAS INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT GIVEN A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000.