NHTSA Complaint #10310247 — 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

ON THE EVENING OF 2-4-10, I WAS TRAVELING ON AN ANGLED, CURVED, ON-RAMP TO A FREEWAY, WHEN THE VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) SUDDENLY AND AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED THE VEHICLE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS APPROX. THE RECOMMENDED SPEED FOR THE TURN. THE CONDITIONS WERE WET, AS IT HAD BEEN RAINING OFF AND ON ALL DAY. A BEEPING SOUND WAS HEARD, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE VEHICLE LOST TRACTION, AND TRAVELED IN A TANGENT/STRAIGHT DIRECTION TO THE CURVED ON-RAMP. I HAD ZERO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR ~3 LONG SECONDS, AND ENDED UP SIDEWAYS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS HURT NOR CLOSE BY. THIS COULD EASILY HAPPEN ON A YIELD TURN, CAUSING A BLIND-SIDED T-BONE COLLISION, OR REAR-ENDED COLLISION. THIS FAULTY SYSTEM NEEDS IMMEDIATE FIXING, AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. *TR