Please don't leave this forum until 1) you give more information to those like you who have experienced this same phenomenon and been told by Toyota that nothing is wrong with the vehicle and 2) you get more information that will help you and allow you to report the matter to all who need to know about this not-uncommon-to-Toyota-owners incident.
The Toyota RAV4 has plenty of "speed control" complaints. SURGING & sudden unintended acceleration are occurring way too frequently. I have a friend who had this happen at a stoplight and it was frightening. Like you, the friend was able to stop but it was so terrifying that the friend insisted that Toyota buy back the vehicle at a fair price. The friend did NOT want to ever drive that vehicle again. It only takes ONE such incident to realize that it is potentially DEADLY for occupants of the vehicle as well as those in the vehicle's path!
Immediately report this incident to both the NHTSA and the Center for Auto Safety in Washington, DC. Ask Toyota for a written report on your vehicle, particularly the EDR data. Toyota refused to give my friend this data and has repeated this refusal with others requesting the same information! IF Toyota does not abide by your request or insinuates that YOU are to BLAME, contact David Kelley, Toyota's DOJ-initiated "Independent Monitor" to let him know HOW you were treated by Toyota. I'm sure you know that Toyota is under probation for lying and covering up in the SUA matter. Toyota owners say this is STILL going on and some are hopping mad about it!
For over two years, some SUA victims, their advocates, engineers, road safety advocates, & others have been examining how some crash reports where surging & SUA are indicated are handled in police reporting & in the media. The driver is said to be suffering from "pedal confusion" in most cases. Remember this is based on Toyota's EDR assessment...the data that t refuses to give to the Toyota owner! Like you, even when drivers know that it wasn't a "driver error" incident, the police report that it is! Yeah...there's a fish smell but it is NOT coming from the driver!
Alyssa, you are FAR FROM ALONE. Please develop that thick skin now so you won't have to encounter these vehicles on the road even when you substitute that Toyota RAV4! Crashes into buildings, storefronts, homes, bodies of water, concrete barriers, brick walls, utility poles, and other vehicles on the road are ALL recorded! You would be wise to use your experience to help others avoid the same.
While this phenomenon is not unique to Toyota, Toyota has the lion's share of incidents to date. Introduction of the all-electronic throttle control system has been connected to six-second stationary-to-airborne crashes..many fatal ones. The open throttle situation has caused braking to be ineffective (some say non-existent) so the experience has been described as "terrifying" universally by those who have experienced it! Indeed most say that they thought that they were going to die!
Be forewarned, there are anonymous entities who are monitoring anything did about sudden unintended acceleration currently. It seems that this topic is a hot one! Drivers are the scapegoats and some want it to remain that way!
I'd like to give you some resource links and discuss this with you further. I make no bones about being totally consumer-oriented. I've been researching & commenting & networking on the topic of SUA on Twitter (@charleneblake). There are others doing the same.
I will post some article titles for you. Do NOT let Toyota blame you! Take a tape recorder with you and let Toyota know that their explanation will be recorded. Owners say the denials continue; therefore the cover-up prior to 2009 does too!
Charlene McCarthy Blake
Even one day is impossible. The event data recorder stores only the last several seconds of data of a crash or other catastrophic incident.
