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Positions of brake & acceleration pedals

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10K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  CoffeeBear  
#1 ·
On at least 3 different occasions in city driving & parking situations over the last 6 months my foot has gone / slipped onto the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. Scared the heck out of me every time.

While it could be user error, is it possible the locations and/or the design are slightly offset from other vehicles? FWIW, I have been driving for over 25 years foreign autos mostly, and this has never happened.
 
#24 ·
This has happened multiple times with the last being this morning. While stopped with the brakes on, I’ll hear the engine racing as the gas pedal is simultaneously being pressed. This last time, I’m dropping my wife at work & as she’s getting out, the engine is revving while the brake is on. The only way to stop it is letting up on both & braking as fast as possible. The car jerks while her foot is on the pavement & she hurts her leg. This same scenario has happened luckily w/o injury, too many times to be user error. The systematic problem is the unprofessional response with 0 empathy & being wholly dismissive. I guarantee there’s a problem with the 2015 rav 4 whether acknowledged or not.
 
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#4 ·
onix said:
On at least 3 different occasions in city driving & parking situations over the last 6 months my foot has gone / slipped onto the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. Scared the heck out of me every time.

While it could be user error, is it possible the locations and/or the design are slightly offset from other vehicles? FWIW, I have been driving for over 25 years foreign autos mostly, and this has never happened.
Click to expand...
I have a similar problem: I have really big feet, and when I wear hiking boots with a wide sole, I sometimes have the foot press both the brake and the accelerator pedal at the same time. Fortunately, the computer in the car prioritized the brake over the accelerator. (In the very old days, many people drove two footed, i.e. left foot on the brake and right foot on the accelerator. The problem with that is in panic mode, most people push both, hence, modern cars prioritize the brake.)
 
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#6 ·
Interesting, thanks for bringing that up.

I two foot drive a lot, done it for many years. I was in my girlfriends Civic (no an ex though) and the first time I two-footed it I thought something was wrong with the car. Started accelerating to jump out into traffic while still on the brake then the vehicle felt as if it stalled. Then it happened another time or two before I realized it cut the throttle due to brake application. I am driving a Ford at the moment and it does the same thing but is far less sensitive than the Honda was. I can get away with quite a bit of movement before it thinks the brake should be applied.
I'll have to experiment with this when the Toyota comes in. Thanks for the reminder!
 
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#5 · (Edited)
You know what I find intriguing about this thread (and others like it).

Not matter what brand of vehicle, there are always posts indicating how crappy the layout is. Could be the turn signal stalk is too long or short or the brake pedal is too high, etc.
Toyota is now my 4th vehicle forum -each of the others have the same post.
We are creatures of habit and as soon as something is wrong, it's the fault (or because of) of the vendor, not us.
People switch from one brand to another can complain about steering radius or how sensitive the brake pedal is/is not. It really never ends.

I'm sure you'll get used to it.
My current vehicle takes a tad more pressure applied to the pedal to prevent it from creeping forward. It took time to get used to it as the vehicle I had for 8 years prior was normal, today it's something different. We all adjust because we are humans.
Good luck and pay attention!


Note: We actually have to get used to the differences in feel between different shoes. If I am wearing a work boot with a thicker sole I find my first few brakings are more abrupt as the pedal is effectively closer. I can even feel the difference between a new pair and old pair of bicycle shoes. The shoes of course are taller but I can feel it. When I bought the shoes, one new one and one old one on my feet, I felt the difference.
I think it was a vehicle previous to what I am driving now (I don't have a RAV4 yet), the pedals were closer together and it was difficult to not miss the brake from not lifting my foot high enough while wearing work boots and/or switching back to the the gas pedal I would sometimes now pivot my foot far enough to fully clear the brake pedal.
Before I arrive at my destination I've adapted though.
 
C
#7 ·
to add to this...people claim 'I am done with Toyota this is BS, this [brand] does it far better'

well, just go and get that [brand] and come back later and tell us all the failures and issues it will
have over it's lifetime that Toyota doesn't have. I mean.... broken this, and broken that, and electrical failures...etc.

no vehicle is flawless, however, Toyota has the least major issues requiring 'a rental car while it gets fixed' than
any other and it's been that way for years. stupid stuff just doesn't break as often as all other brands.
 
#8 · (Edited)
How quick the conclusion of Toyota bashing. Even worse, the idolatry worship. I love my Prime. I was humble enough to suggest it could be me. The fact is nothing is perfect, designs shift whether intentionally or unintentionally, and can even inadvertently drift over time. I came here for a useful technical discussion, not vitriol.
 
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#10 ·
I think that's taking it a little too far. I think we might be a little too short fused here on this site lately. Myself included at times. Stressful times we are all living in. It sneaks over into the way we react to others posts.

I did not mind that first post and did not interpret as Toyota bashing or a troll comment. I've had the same thing happen with other vehicles. Was an honest inquiry if perhaps the RAV4 was just a little different and if others had noticed.... I take the "it could be me" as an attempt by the poster to make it clear he was open to that explanation.
 
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#12 ·
onix said:
On at least 3 different occasions in city driving & parking situations over the last 6 months my foot has gone / slipped onto the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. Scared the heck out of me every time.

While it could be user error, is it possible the locations and/or the design are slightly offset from other vehicles? FWIW, I have been driving for over 25 years foreign autos mostly, and this has never happened.
Click to expand...
I have to agree with you on this one. Been a Toyota buyer since 79 after getting screwed over by the Big Three in the seventies. Many cars and trucks and never had a brake / accelerator issue,

Now the issue, I purchased a Maverick Hybrid (only one on the market) and have been having trouble hitting the accelerator after braking. I'm either to low or on the left side of the accelerator and sometimes dead center. Still the same old size ten shoe. When I drive my wife's 2016 RAV, I never miss a beat.
 
#13 ·
Posting photos from a Honda Clarity. Including 3 photos to ensure that my 2D is faithful to a head-on (normal view). See that the steering wheel is left-right centered to the console and to the seat location.

The cabin around the legs also feels different than my RV4P. There is more space for the right leg, and the accelerator pedal is lower than the brake pedal, which unfortunatly the photos do not show. IMHO, I think this is a design error by Toyota. While I can certainly adjust my driving behavior going forward from my prior 20 years of driving, the Rav4 layout seems non-standard to me.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season, and a happy new year to you all.
 

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#15 ·
I challenge you to find a vehicle where the accelerator and brake pedal is aligned along the top plane (the place where feet go. When the 2 pedals are not discernable, it is easy for a big foot to press both pedals at the same time. The pedals are offset on purpose for that reason.
Every automobile forum has complains about pedal position. Usually it is when a person gets into their car for the first several time. I call it "not being used to the difference".

I have a pair of boots that can slip off a brake pedal (hasn't happened yet in this car, or I haven't worn those boots). The lug pattern is that of when I barely rest my foot on the edge of the pedal, sometimes as I become lazy I'm not pressing hard enough and the lug will slip (due not very small surface contact at that moment. If I am trying to stop the vehicle, I never seem to miss any brake pedal.

I've worn boots a couple times in the car and I'm actually amazed how much floor space there is around the pedals. I fully expected to be making all sorts of driving errors. Everything in the car smaller than the 30 years of pickup trucks I have been driving before this car. I can't find the window switch and I'm cramped trying to open the console lid but I know where the brake and gas pedal are located.
 
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#14 ·
So the rav4 is a good car for single amputees.......... Left leg in NA, Right leg in UK?
Seriously, if the problem is boots are creating a safety hazard, politely suggest changing your footwear as a remedy.
What next, my feet are so tiny I keep getting them stuck between the pedals when changing from brake to gas or the reverse.
Relax, only joking.................. been watching the Gong Show at CSPAN so everything is funny to me today.
 
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#17 ·
I have done this on our old Camry. My boots with lugged soles would slip off the go pedal. I installed a set of aftermarket pedal covers and problem went away. Im not sure toyota likes this idea due to the past “involuntary acceleration” recalls it has had in the past but it worked great for me. Rav4P is not a problem though
 
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#19 ·
Don't think so. You said one foot on brake, and one on accelerator. Are you stopping, or going?? The car is smart enough to say "you can't do that". It reverts to the safe zone and cuts power. There are so many who drive with their foot on the brake, not much, but enough to trigger the brake lights. Annoying, and possibly dangerous. I am sure you have heard of "crying wolf".
 
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#21 ·
The problem with "two foot" drivers, when in panic mode, they will press both feet on the pedals. Modern cars will counter that (as others have said), but older cars with high power engine, that will result in disaster. That is why it is not a good idea.
 
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