2010 Corrola Gas pedal issue

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2010 Toyota Corrola with a strange gas pedal problem. Randomly while driving the gas pedal will stop working. If I depress the gas pedal all the way when this issue happens it’s as if I’m doing nothing. The car just goes to ideal. When I let off the pedal and reapply pressure it’s like nothing ever happened. Any suggestions to what might be wrong would be appreciated!! The car has 123k miles and an automatic transmission. Thanks, jake

2

Your vehicle doesn’t have a throttle cable between the gas pedal and the throttle body.

Instead your vehicle has a drive-by-wire throttle system.

What this means is, there’s a throttle pedal position sensor that sends a signal to the computer, and the computer then opens the throttle plate on the electronic throttle body. And that what makes the car accelerate.

Here’s the electronic throttle body for your vehicle.

http://www.cardone.com/Products/Product-Detail?productId=678001&p=rock

So either there’s a problem with the throttle pedal position sensor, the computer, or the electronic throttle body.

Tester

3

This vehicle has a drive by wire accelerator pedal. The accelerator position sensor, which is part of the accelerator pedal assembly may be going bad.

4

Have you had this recall done?:

If so, are you a left-foot braker and maybe resting your foot on the brake pedal?

5

First on the agenda: Your shop needs to determine if it is the throttle position sensor that’s not working, or instead, is it the electric motor than moves the throttle plate inside the throttle body.

6

George,

On a drive-by-wire throttle system, there is no throttle position sensor.

That’s replaced by the throttle PEDAL position sensor.

Tester

7

You are correct @Tester … While the sensor in question relates to the throttle function, “pedal position sensor” is the correct terminology for car’s which use this configuration.

8

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Is this something a shop should be able to diagnose or will they be guessing which part is failing. I don’t want to put a lot of money into the car before I sell it. I also don’t want to sell an unsafe car.

9

Depends on the shop. A competent shop of good integrity will be able to diagnose the problem and replace the right part. Unfortunately, we hear a lot of stories of shops that don’t meet this description.

My suggestion? Do NOT go to a chain operation. Find a reputable independently owned and operated shop. Your odds of having the job done right will be much better.

10

Is the check engine light on? If not you may be touching the brake pedal or have a bad brake switch. Either of those conditions will result in the engine returning to idle.