Sudden acceleration

[fnegroni]

Many moons ago, shortly after I bought my Rx-8, there was a report of a driver of an rx-8 in the states that drove into a shop as a result of the car accelerating without control.
Shortly after a few more reports from other countries.
It turned out to be the floor mat on the driver’s footwell was fouling the TPS (throttle position sensor).
Although no recall was ever issued, Mazda dealers were asked to make sure the mats had been secured to the floor using the provided clips.

Might not be the same in this instance but worth checking what could have caused this, especially for MG to take a look in case there’s a software bug.

 

[Kithmo]

Yesterday, 14:00 27/02/2024, car suddenly unexpectedly accelerated, at speed when parking in back garden. Accelerator not used as sufficient to just select drive when having reversed.

Damage to front bonnet, charging flap cover, black front spoiler and probably underneath car as at speed went into plastic green house, garden table, over a concrete bird bath and pots of flowers.

We have security camera footage. I am confident that car misbehaved.

Not sure that car is drivable.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqpqKL8UifDnpO8zRUVGy57bi9FUSg?e=xaPC8U

Do you have any other mats over the originals ?
If not, are the originals still fastened down, i.e. the clips have not come undone or loose from the carpet underneath ?
This definitely looks like the accelerator is being sent a full on signal as it's overridden the AEB which should have kicked in as soon as obstacles were detected in front of the car.
If it's not the mats and not you accidentally pressing the pedal then don't drive it.
One of the things I was surprised about my ZS is that pressing the brake does NOT kill power to the accelerator and the accelerator overpowers the brakes.
On my 2016 Prius I used to have, pressing the brake did kill power to the accelerator so even if the mats got caught up an the accelerator pedal, pressing the brake would stop the car, this is not so with the ZS and I suspect the 5 and the 4.
IMO this is a safety aspect that needs addressing by MG.

 

[Tig170]

.. this isn't some thing that I've come accross (aside from my front car mat, which did cause a slight issue)

 

[DaveYearsley]

The only problem with situations like this is you cannot prove that the accelerator wasn't being pressed instead of the brake pedal. There have been many cases where this has happened, please note I'm not saying that this happened here but you will have a job to prove the car alone caused it.

Yep, I agree, not sure if it is going to help but have saved several security videos that show car being parked gracefully. Not my habit to skid through gravel... I am hoping my Insurance Company will not 'fault me' I like (liked) my no claims bonus. AA came said car was driveable, went to shops and back without attacking people, cars or shopping trolleys. Hopefully, the incident will stop dominating my thoughts in next few days.

 

[Edd Beesley]

Yesterday, 14:00 27/02/2024, car suddenly unexpectedly accelerated, at speed when parking in back garden. Accelerator not used as sufficient to just select drive when having reversed.

Damage to front bonnet, charging flap cover, black front spoiler and probably underneath car as at speed went into plastic green house, garden table, over a concrete bird bath and pots of flowers.

We have security camera footage. I am confident that car misbehaved.

Not sure that car is drivable.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqpqKL8UifDnpO8zRUVGy57bi9FUSg?e=xaPC8U

Did you also hit the wall 9 seconds in? It looks like you gently bounced off it. Then 18 seconds in you looks like you don't have proper control while reversing, hitting the brakes hard. As an impartial observer I'd assume the driver was distracted or unwell.

 

[siteguru]

I see what you mean - it does look like the NSF wheel bounces off the low wall.

 

[fnegroni]

Did you also hit the wall 9 seconds in? It looks like you gently bounced off it. Then 18 seconds in you looks like you don't have proper control while reversing, hitting the brakes hard. As an impartial observer I'd assume the driver was distracted or unwell.

I’d have to agree. They don’t look in proper control of the vehicle

 

[Rolfe]

I don't think the car actually hit the wall, there's no sign of damage. My interpretation of that was that it was normal behaviour to get the turning circle required - the wall seems to be lower than the front of the car. But the jerky reversing looked a bit off.

 

[Ian Key]

How close together are the MG5's pedals? Could the driver have caught the accelerator with the edge of their shoe when pressing the brake?

 

[fnegroni]

How close together are the MG5's pedals? Could the driver have caught the accelerator with the edge of their shoe when pressing the brake?

I am wondering if they weren’t used to an automatic type of drivetrain: only brake and accelerator, no clutch. And have accidentally tried an emergency stop by pressing both the accelerator and the brake pedal convinced they were clutch and brake, in a moment of panic

 

[DaveYearsley]

Re: https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqpqKL8UifDnpO8zRUVGy57bi9FUSg?e=xaPC8U


Regarding sudden acceleration that I experienced. I have rubber mats that are well clear of the accelerator. The accelerator is high so any car mat could not overlap it.

The jerk backwards, before rush forward was odd it needed me to press brake twice. The rush towards the house was scary and pressing brake seemed not to work. The car stopped short of the house, hopefully, because of brake and not destroyed garden table, pots, concrete bird bath, bird table and plastic greenhouse.

In the first instance I tried to get my dealer to check out car before repair, but they would not. I am disappointed by this as I hoped they would check car, report to MG and then repair.

I phoned MG spoke to customer service they gave me a technical number to phone that turned out to be the AA.

Insurance, LV, booked car in for diagnostic tests (Wednesday) and afterward a repair. LV has been gold star. At the moment cannot say the same for MG and my dealer.

I have registered with Vehicle Safety Branch ( Vehicle recalls and faults ) and got a number 043248-240229. Unfortunately, I could not submit video just image.

I am driving the car to London (Sunday) for a few days and will be ultra cautious about parking and zebra crossings. For the latter, I assume it was the backwards and forwards that confused the car. And if I experience a sudden jerk backwards will turn the car off and take a sharp breath….

 

[DaveYearsley]

Re: https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqpqKL8UifDnpO8zRUVGy57bi9FUSg?e=xaPC8U


Regarding sudden acceleration that I experienced. I have rubber mats that are well clear of the accelerator. The accelerator is high so any car mat could not overlap it.

The jerk backwards, before rush forward was odd it needed me to press brake twice. The rush towards the house was scary and pressing brake seemed not to work. The car stopped short of the house, hopefully, because of brake and not destroyed garden table, pots, concrete bird bath, bird table and plastic greenhouse.

In the first instance I tried to get my dealer to check out car before repair, but they would not. I am disappointed by this as I hoped they would check car, report to MG and then repair.

I phoned MG spoke to customer service they gave me a technical number to phone that turned out to be the AA.

Insurance, LV, booked car in for diagnostic tests (Wednesday) and afterward a repair. LV has been gold star. At the moment cannot say the same for MG and my dealer.

I have registered with Vehicle Safety Branch ( Vehicle recalls and faults ) and got a number 043248-240229. Unfortunately, I could not submit video just image.

I am driving the car to London (Sunday) for a few days and will be ultra cautious about parking and zebra crossings. For the latter, I assume it was the backwards and forwards that confused the car. And if I experience a sudden jerk backwards will turn the car off and take a sharp breath….

An Update, car diagnostics and repair has been postponed to 14th March. Not sure why, car repairer said it had to go specialist outfit in Amesbury.

I note some of the comments: car matts were not and could not overlap the accelerator. I often deliberately drive to kerb when parking to maximise turning range. Once in the back garden, I do not need to use the accelerator and gentle touch of brake is sufficient.

I have not driven the MG since the incident – I am wary.

 

[Nelly]

Has anyone experienced the car accelerating fast without warning?
I’ve just tried to park, took my foot off the accelerator and the car shot forward. Just checked and it has hit the parking bollard, denting the front bumper a little.
Did the ACC kick in?
Felt it did this earlier too.
Another scary experience. I’m shaking.

I had this happen to me on Saturday. Parked about 10 foot away from a transit van put my foot on the brake and the car accelerated forward smashing into the back of the van. Lots of damage to my car and the van. The impact should have been hard enough to deply the airbags but it didnt. I have informed MG and am waiting for a response as this was not my fault. I will have to pay £350 excess and see my premiums go up. Has anyone had this problem confirmed with MG?

 

[Rolfe]

I absolutely hate to be the first one to say this, but are you 100% sure it was the brake you pressed?

 

[DaveYearsley]

I had this happen to me on Saturday. Parked about 10 foot away from a transit van put my foot on the brake and the car accelerated forward smashing into the back of the van. Lots of damage to my car and the van. The impact should have been hard enough to deply the airbags but it didnt. I have informed MG and am waiting for a response as this was not my fault. I will have to pay £350 excess and see my premiums go up. Has anyone had this problem confirmed with MG?

Hi,
Happened to me. MG5 SW Trophy. MG dealer checked it and said nothing wrong. See my posts DaveYearsley. Currently Car is with body repairer - whilst with them it send it sent messages "The brake system of your vehicle (***302) has triggered an alarm on 28-03-2024 09:35:35 GMT. -MG Motor".
I think there a few reports on this Forum about sudden unexpected accelation, when parking, and links to Government site to record such incidents. I have a video of my incident.
 Dave

 

[Tight Git]

and as @Rolfe says above in any case like this it is almost impossible to prove that you were pressing the brake pedal and not the accelerator in error.

I think @Nelly you will have an impossible job to convince the insurance company that it was car error and not operator error, and you will end up held at fault for this.

 

[DaevM]

Just a thought, and I've every sympathy with Dave here and pray to god I never find myself in this situation - if I do it's back to VW Beetles, the front wheelspin, on/off on/off feels like a pedal being depressed twice, rapidly. Almost as if trying to brake in response to acceleration. Hitting throttle rather than brake pedal ?

And, regards mats fouling tps. I recently fitted AliExpress pedal covers. Possibly time to remove as I'm sure insurance company could point the finger in the event of a "wtf unexpected acceleration" incident ?.
P.s. please don't criticise aesthetics. Bought mats before realising it was blue stitching in the seats... will eventually swap mats for blue rather than red highlights ?

 

[Nelly]

Apparently it happened in the dealership car park and was a total write-off.

Insurance covered the cost of a like for like (brand new) replacement albeit a different colour.

It may not be relevant but it was a Trophy spec.

This happened to me on Saturday. Pulled in about 10ft away from the van in front. Put my foot on the brake to stop the car and it just shot forward and didn't come to a stop until it hit the van. I have informed MG as when I was driving it back home down a steep hill with my foot on the brake it did it again. No one in front of me this time.
Please dont tell me I had my foot on the accelerator as I had a witness in the vehicle with me. If I had my foot on the accelerator the acc would have come into play and stopped the vehicle.
The impact was massive but the airbags didn't deploy.
Total failure of acc and airbags.

 

[Martinonline]

I am sorry to hear of your disaster and it will be sorted out quickly and in your favour.

To help me avoid the same circumstance can you please tell me if my assumption that you were using ACC as you parked is correct, as your last post implies. And if so what distance setting you had. It may be your ACC is at fault.

 

[Burgo]

Why has nobody ever made this error when driving a DSG?

Because with an internal combustion engine you get immediate audible feed back of the engine revving when you push the accelerator as well as haptic feedback in the form of vibration. This immediately makes you aware the powers being applied as you push the accelerator.
With a BEV you don't get this - and the problem is compounded by the near instantaneous power delivery.