NHTSA Complaint #10314991 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

LAST YEAR MY DAD'S TOYOTA WAS GOING INTO REVERSE ON THE 710 FREEWAY (EASTBOUND TO PARAMOUNT, CA, TO WORK) WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFT. THIS REALLY FRIGHTENED US. HE TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE THEM THOROUGHLY INSPECT THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD HIM NOTHING WAS WRONG THAT THEY COULD SEE. HE TRIED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN AND IT WAS JUST A SHORT TIME THAT MY DAD'S TOYOTA WAS GOING INTO REVERSE ON THE 710 FREEWAY (EASTBOUND TO PARAMOUNT, CA, TO WORK)WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFT. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR!! FRIGHTENED AT THE THOUGHTS OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN AND SERIOUS THREAT TO MY DAD'S LIFE, HE TRADED IN HIS 2002 CAMRY AND BOUGHT A 2009 COROLLA LAST YEAR - TO SAVE HIS LIFE!! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO MY DAD'S PROBLEM. HE LOVED THE CAMRY COMPARED TO THE COROLLA AND WOULD NEVER, EVER HAVE SOLD HIS CAR IF HE WEREN'T IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE ON LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS. WE WATCHED THE TESTIFYING OF A LADY IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., SAYING SHE COULDN'T STOP HER CAR FOR 500 FT. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO OUR DAD AND ONLY BY CIRCUMSTANCE, IT DIDN'T. HOWEVER, HE HAD TO BUY A NEW CAR WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. HE IS ON SS AND MEDICARE AND THIS WAS A HORRIFYING AND VERY APPALLING EXPERIENCE AND EXPENSE THAT SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN IN HIS LIFE. *TR