NHTSA Complaint #10240635 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A CONTROLLED (LIGHT) INTERSECTION, MY REAR WHEEL SKIDDED SLIGHTLY ON THE WET PAVEMENT. AT THAT POINT THE ABS SYSTEM KICKED IN AND TOTALLY LOCKED UP THE LEFT REAR WHEEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 180 DEGREES AND TEARING THE RIGHT REAR TIRE COMPLETELY OFF THE WHEEL. DURING THIS SPIN I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE WHICH ENDED UP CROSSING THE HIGHWAY DIVIDER BEFORE COMING TO REST IN THE LANE OF THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLES HAPPENED TO BE IN THAT LANE AT THE TIME OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER WHO CLAIMED THAT A CHECK OF THE COMPUTER REVEALED NO ERRONEOUS MESSAGE FROM THE ABS SYSTEM, LEADING THEM TO CONCLUDE THAT THERE WAS NO EQUIPMENT FAILURE DESPITE THE OBVIOUS EVIDENCE OF THE TIRE HAVING BEEN TORN OFF THE WHEEL. I FEEL THAT IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT EVEN A MODERATELY HIGHER SPEED THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE OVERTURNED, AND IF IT HAD OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD HAVE LED TO SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. ONCE I DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THE DEALER REFUSED TO WORK ON THE CAR CLAIMING LEGAL LIABILITY CONCERNS. *TR