2009 Toyota Venza

2009 TOYOTA VENZA. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING THE BRAKE PEDAL. PRIMARILY, IF HE PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY, WHICH HAS A SLIGHT DOWNWARD INCLINE, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN HE ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD BEGIN TO DRIFT BACKWARDS. AT TIMES, HE WOULD MISS HITTING THE BRAKE, TO TRY AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO SMALLER SEAT SIZE AND BODY POSITION ALIGNMENT . THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN THE BRAKE PEDAL SIZE AND DISTANCE/POSITION OF THE ACCELERATOR. *JB

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES HE NOTICED THAT IT TOOK MORE THAN NORMAL PRESSURE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL PEDAL WAS INITIALLY DEPRESSED. HOWEVER, AFTER RELEASING THE PEDAL AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL A SECOND TIME, THE BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE CONTACT HAS NOTICED THE FAILURE SINCE THE DAY HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 1100.

THE "LURCH" OR "BRAKE RELEASE" THAT PRIUS OWNERS DESCRIBE HAPPENS - INCONSISTENTLY - IN MY 2009 VENZA WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. TOYOTA JUST BLOWS IT OFF AS IF MY WIFE AND I ARE LYING ABOUT IT. THERE WERE SOME ALIGNMENT ISSUES WITH IT ALSO AND TOYOTA HAS WORKED ON AND/OR "INSPECTED' IT SEVERAL TIMES.

WE OWN A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA 4 CYLINDER A/T FWD VEHICLE. ONE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THIS VEHICLE IS HILL-START ASSIST. ON 7/20/09 WHILE I WAS AT A RED LIGHT ON AN UPHILL SLOPE, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND UPON RELEASING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS, ALMOST COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE BEHIND US. ON 7/24/09 I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WOLFCHASE TOYOTA IN MEMPHIS, TN. TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. I WAS TOLD FOUR DIFFERENT STORIES FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA U.S. HEADQUARTERS: THAT A: THE VENZA DID NOT HAVE THE HILL-START ASSIST FEATURE, B: IT DID HAVE THE FEATURE AND WAS WORKING FINE, C: ONLY ALL WHEEL DRIVE MODELS HAD THE FEATURE, AND D: MY CAR HAD THE FEATURE BUT IT DOESN'T ACTIVATE AUTOMATICALLY-YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY ACTIVATE THE FEATURE BY FULLY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL A BEEP IS HEARD AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON, AND THEN YOU HAVE TWO SECONDS TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL BEFORE THE FEATURE TURNS OFF. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THE VEHICLE HAS THE HILL-START ASSIST FEATURE BUT DOES NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT ACTIVATING IT MANUALLY. WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THE MANUAL ACTIVATION BY THE DEALER UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE OR BY TOYOTA WHEN THE SAFETY CONCERN WAS FIRST BROUGHT UP. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY SEND OUT A SAFETY NOTICE REQUIRING ALL EMPLOYEES BE BRIEFED ABOUT THE HILL-START ASSIST FEATURE, HOW IT DOESN'T ACTIVATE AUTOMATICALLY, AND HOW TO ACTIVATE THE FEATURE WHEN STOPPED ON AN UPHILL SLOPE. *TR