▁either ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁retain ing ▁cli ps . ▁The ▁bra ke ▁hardware ▁also ▁showed ▁signs ▁of ▁heavy ▁bra king ▁consistent ▁with ▁a ▁stuck ▁acceler ator ▁ped al . ▁The ▁report ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ' s ▁h inge ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁rel ieving ▁ob stru ctions , ▁and ▁the ▁dash board ▁lack ed ▁directions ▁for ▁the ▁three - second ▁emer gency ▁press ▁of ▁the ▁push ▁button ▁key less ▁ign ition . ▁N HT SA ▁investig ators ▁also ▁recovered ▁the ▁accident ▁vehicle ' s ▁acceler ator ▁ped al , ▁which ▁was ▁still ▁" b ond ed " ▁to ▁the ▁SU V ▁floor ▁mat . ▁The ▁return ▁spring ▁action ▁of ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁" sm ooth ▁and ▁un enc umber ed ." ▁ ▁Another ▁investigation ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁San ▁Diego ▁County ▁Sher iff ' s ▁Department ▁found ▁that ▁three ▁days ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁crash ▁another ▁customer ▁had ▁compla ined ▁to ▁the ▁deal ership ▁about ▁the ▁floor ▁mat ▁tra pping ▁the ▁same ▁loan er ▁car ' s ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁while ▁driving . ▁The ▁prior ▁driver ▁had ▁switched ▁to ▁neutral ▁and ▁t ug ged ▁on ▁the ▁floor ▁mat , ▁which ▁released ▁the ▁acceler ator . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁N HT SA ▁denied ▁a ▁pet ition ▁to ▁re open ▁previously ▁closed ▁un int ended ▁acceleration ▁investig ations ▁of ▁Toy ota ▁vehicles , ▁stating ▁they ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁thoroughly ▁investig ated ▁making ▁it ▁unlikely ▁for ▁the ▁N