NHTSA Complaint #10310179 — 2001 TOYOTA ECHO

THIS IS AN INCIDENT I EVENTUALLY PUT BEHIND MYSELF, BUT THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT TOYOTA HAS RESURRECTED THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ON 5/5/02 IN MY 01 TOYOTA ECHO (I CAN PROVIDE THE VIN# AND THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN BELEWS CREEK, NC). I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP MY CAR WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKE AND I ENDED UP GOING INTO THE TREES AND DOWN A HILL BEFORE MY CAR WAS STOPPED BY THE TREE THAT THE TRUNK OF MY CAR HIT. I WAS CONVINCED I HAD HIT THE BRAKE. I EVEN TOOK MY OTHER FOOT AND TRIED TO USE BOTH FEET TO STOP THE CAR (I CRUSHED THE TOP OF MY FOOT WITH MY OTHER SHOE ' THAT IS HOW MUCH PRESSURE I TRIED TO APPLY). I RESEARCHED OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BREAKS STICKING AND REMEMBER SOMETHING BEING SAID ABOUT COOL AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. I CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND NHTSA AND PROVIDED WEATHER TEMPERATURES AND OTHER DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I EVEN REQUESTED REPAIRS NOT BE MADE TO THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS INSPECTED. I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS FOUND UPON INSPECTION AND I MY CLAIM WAS BASICALLY DISMISSED. THE ACCIDENT WENT ON MY RECORD AS MY FAULT SO OF COURSE MY PREMIUMS WENT UP FOR YEARS. I WAS MOST FRUSTRATED AND I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW IT FELT TO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE NOT BELIEVE ME. I FEEL IT AFFECTED MY CONFIDENCE AS A DRIVER AND I WAS SO NERVOUS DRIVING THAT CAR THAT I TRADED IT IN NOT LONG AFTERWARDS. I ALSO TRADED IN THE TOYOTA TUNDRA I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED. I WROTE TOYOTA AND TOLD THEM IF THIS WAS HOW THEY TREATED THEIR CUSTOMERS, THEN I WOULD NOT REMAIN A CUSTOMER AND WOULD NEVER RETURN. I AM WRITING THIS EMAIL BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS WAS BROUGHT TO TOYOTA'S ATTENTION THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF PROBLEMS EVEN EARLIER THAN WHAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY ACKNOWLEDGING. THE FACT THAT IT HAD TO TAKE PEOPLE DYING FOR THEM TO NOTICE IS COMPLETELY APPALLING TO ME! I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE BOUND TO BE PROBLEMS WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR, BUT IGNORING CLAIMS LIKE THIS IS COMPLETE NEGLIGENCE. *TR