NHTSA Complaint #10320131 — 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA

MY DAUGHTER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A MOTORCYCLE, WHILE DRIVING HER 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER WAS KILLED. THE AIRBAG IN THE COROLLA DEPLOYED AND SAVED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE STILL HAS LITTLE, OR NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, OR WHY? THE POLICE BELIEVE SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE, CROSSED THE LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STRUCK THE MOTORCYCLE. A WITNESS STATED HER CAR WAS GOING FAIRLY FAST. WHY WAS IT GOING SO FAST IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA? A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT HER (ABOUT 100 FEET AHEAD). AT THAT LIGHT, SHE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A SQUARE RIGHT HAND TURN, ENROUTE TO HER HOME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WAS GOING SO FAST. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR. SHE WAS 90% OF THE WAY HOME. IT WAS ABOUT 6:15 IN THE AFTERNOON IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. A SUNNY DAY, NO CLOUDS OR PRECIP. THE CAR IS BEING HELD BY THE WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA POLICE DEPARTMENT. CAN YOU INSPECT THE VEHICLE? SHE HAD COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT THE VEHICLE PREVIOUS TO THIS. SHE ONCE ASKED ME ADD POWER STEERING FLUID. WHEN I CHECKED, THE RESERVOIR WAS ALREADY UP TO THE FULL MARK. BEING A DAD, MY ONLY JOB WAS TO MAINTAIN THE CAR (CHANGE OIL, ETC). I VERY, VERY RARELY DROVE THE CAR. AND WHEN I DID DRIVE, IT WAS FINE. THIS COROLLA WAS REGISTERED IN MY NAME. I BOUGHT IT IN 2007 FOR MY DAUGHTER (HER FIRST CAR). I BOUGHT COROLLA'S FOR BOTH OF MY CHILDREN. I GAVE MY SON A 2001 COROLLA YEARS AGO. I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN TOYOTA QUALITY. I OWN A TACOMA MYSELF. BUT, SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT. I THINK THE STEERING AND ACCELERATION SHOULD BE CHECKED, AS A MINIMUM. *TR UPDATED 05/19/10 *BF *TR UPDATED 10/04/10 UPDATED 9/27/11*CW