NHTSA Complaint #10318523 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

I HAVE A 2002 CAMRY THAT I BOUGHT NEW AT SMITHTOWN TOYOTA AND I EXPERIENCED THE VERY SAME PROBLEM WITH MY BRAKES FROM 'DAY ONE' THAT HAS NOW BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE PRIUS & LEXUS MODELS. I HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED QUITE A FEW TIMES BY SMITHTOWN TOYOTA & AGAIN BY RIVERHEAD TOYOTA WHEN I MOVED TO THE AREA IN AUGUST 2003 & WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. SINCE I WAS THE ONE DRIVING THE CAR, I THOUGHT THE EXPLANATION WAS A BIT CAVALIER SINCE MY BRAKES CONTINUED TO FAIL ON UNEVEN SURFACES. I WROTE TO THE DEALERSHIP & TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS NUMEROUS TIMES BUT WAS IGNORED (I HAVE COPIES OF MY CORRESPONDENCE). AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I HAVE BECOME ADEPT AT HANDLING THE CAR WHEN THE BRAKES FAIL BUT I HAVE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE CALLS WHEN THE CAR KEEPS MOVING INTO INTERSECTIONS AFTER TRYING TO STOP. APPARENTLY, TOYOTA HAS MISDIAGNOSED MY PROBLEM FOR YEARS. I PAID $700 IN 2007 TO HAVE NEW 'BRAKE SENSORS' INSTALLED BUT THEY DID NOT FIX MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO NOT HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN THE LAST 6+ YEARS! THE BRAKES ARE STILL GRABBING AND LOCKING ON ROUGH SURFACES YET TOYOTA HAS CONTINUED TO DENY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM & THAT IT IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN BEING ACKNOWLEDGED. *TR