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Feds Probe Unintended Acceleration in Toyota Sienna Minivan

Missing retainer pin can cause problems

April 14, 2008
Federal safety regulators are investigating one complaint of unintended acceleration in the Toyota Sienna.

The Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported receiving the complaint.

“The Complainant reported that he applied the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle and experienced unwanted acceleration upon release,” ODI reported on its Web site.

Safety regulators said that field data “indicates that when a retainer pin is missing from the driver's side center stack/console trim panel, the panel can detach from the console and the accelerator pedal can become entrapped under the trim panel causing unwanted acceleration.”

The trim panel was used on Toyota Sienna minvans produced from January through June of 2003, according to ODI. The new component used after June 2003 apparently does not "entrap the throttle,” according to the safety agency.

ODI has launched a preliminary investigation to “assess the scope, frequency and potential safety related consequences” of unintended acceleration in the Sienna.

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