First highway trip with a brand new 2009 Toyota Venza automatic 4 cylinder AWD. Maintained speed limit 100 kilos/hr. Went to pass a semi and gas pedal stuck at 120 kilometers on narrow two way highway with soft shoulders post major snow fall last Friday(normally not speed). Was unable to depress the gas pedal and apply full pressure on brakes.the vehicle did not slow down engine was still racing. Finally was able to put transmission into neutral, still with full brakes barely working with racing engine. Engine smells began, able to wrestle car to gravel shoulder, throw into park and immediately killed engine. Once semi calmed down, tried to inspect gas pedal. Yanked out Toyota manufactured installed rubber mat which had been improperly installed on top of existing factory carpet matt which was clipped in place. Read about this being improper - in car manual while waiting to hear back from dealership for safety instructions given system warning that major brake failure may have also occurred. Carefully did some checks of brakes. Hard pressure on pedal resulted in traction signal reappearing. Soft pressure there was no traction sign. Very cautiously and slowly 90 - 95 kilometers/hr. Continued home on last leg of trip with no passing. Once home, re-inspected gas pedal area and noted a corresponding line indent to where rubber matt may have dug into carpet on right side of gas pedal. Though not a mechanic, deductively, rubber mat improper install may likely have caused gas pedal stick. Rubber mat clearly warned not to install on top of carpet mat ! why dealer did. No idea! why braking system not work while engine raced in drive... I have no idea.! feel very very very lucky to be alive! could have easily ended in death but for my many years of sport car driving with standards transmission, and highway driving skills! marked on the mat "do not install."

- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 00, USA