* My driving side front wheel climbed a small bump with a rock. I put my car on reverse and pressed the accelerator. The car first refused to reverse then went completely out of control. The engine produced a huge revving noise and the car accelerated, taking the car backward at high speed. I had no control. The car went off the road, climbed a hill at a 45 degree incline on one side of the road. It continued up the hill at high speed until it hit a tree. The impact caused about 1 foot of the passenger side to be a mangled mass of steel from the rear fender to the front passenger door. The gas tank was exposed but intact. *There were no injuries because I was the only occupant and the driver's side was unaffected. If there were persons in the passenger rear seat, there would have been serious injury. *The damage was obvious (I have photographs) and was witnessed by two onlookers and the tow-truck driver. The insurance company (AAA) declared the car totalled and settled. They did not want to examine the car for defects. * There were no warning signs during the year it was driven by me. The car had a service one week before this event.
NHTSA ODI 11565093