2008 Toyota Camry Solara

WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN MY 2008 SOLARA AND WHEN I WENT TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE, THE CAR LURCHED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN ACCELERATED. WHEN THE CAR TOOK OFF, I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT ACCELERATING USING THE BRAKES. A PASSENGER PULLED UP ON THE PARKING BRAKE, LAUNCHING US INTO A SERIES OF TIGHT SPINS AND COLLIDING WITH CONCRETE BUMPERS IN THE LOT. WE WERE ABOUT TO HEAD OUT INTO A MAJOR ROADWAY WHEN THEY DID SO. ONCE OUT OF THE SPINS, THE CAR HAD COME TO ENOUGH OF A HALT THAT I COULD SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF. IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF THAT THE FRONT WHEELS (FWD) STOPPED TRYING TO TURN. WHEN WE EXAMINED THE CAR, THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK IN A DEPRESSED POSITION. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN FINE AND DRY FOR SEVERAL DAYS PREVIOUSLY, SO THE PAVEMENT WAS NOT WET. AS THE INCIDENT HAPPENED OVER ~15 SECONDS, WE CANNOT GIVE AN APPROXIMATE MPH THAT THE CAR SPED UP TO, BUT IT WAS AT LEAST 30MPH. AMAZINGLY, MY PASSENGERS AND I WALKED AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH AND SO DID EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PARKING LOT. HOWEVER, THE SOLARA NEEDS EXTENSIVE BODY WORK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS ACCELERATOR ISSUE DUE TO THE COLLUSIONS. TOYOTA HAS SENT AN ENGINEER OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR, BUT HAS NOT GIVEN ANY SUPPORT OTHERWISE. THE ENGINEER INFORMED ME THAT HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT HE DID NOT EXAMINE THE POWERTRAIN IN DETAIL. TOYOTA HAS INFORMED ME THAT IT WILL BE 30 DAYS BEFORE THEY GIVE ME AN OFFICIAL REPORT. WHILE THE SOLARAS WERE NOT INITIALLY INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS FOR THE ACCELERATOR ISSUE, 2008 CAMRYS WERE AND A SOLARA IS BASICALLY A 2-DOOR CAMRY. THE RECALL SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR THE SOLARAS AS WELL. I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING A CAR THAT CAN ENDANGER ME OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THIS INCIDENT, AS FRIGHTENING AS IT WAS, LUCKILY TOOK PLACE WHEN I WAS NOT ALREADY AT A HIGHER SPEED AND WAS IN A PARKING LOT. IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH WORSE. *TR

2008 TOYOTA SOLARA CONVERTIBLE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER, MAP LIGHT AND JERKING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR WIDOW DEFOGGER WAS NOT WORKING AND WOULD NOT CLEAR FOG OR FROST FROM THE REAR WINDOW. ALSO, THE MAP LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT AND WOULD NOT ALWAYS COME ON WHEN OPENING THE DOOR LOCKS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER STATED THE REAR DEFOGGER WAS INSPECTED AND CHECK AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THEY ALSO STATED THE DEFOGGER WAS DESIGNED ONLY TO REMOVE FOR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW AND NOT FROST OR SNOW FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED THE ENTIRE ROOF WOULD HAVE TO REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFOGGER. AFTER THE ROOF WAS REPLACED THE PROBLEM WITH THE REAR DEFOGGER HAD BEEN RESOLVED, REGARDING THE JERKING PROBLEM, THE DEALER STATED THAT TOYOTA TRANSMISSION WERE RECENTLY MODIFIED AND THE JERKING AT SLOW SPEEDS. WAS NORMAL. *JB UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB