NHTSA Complaint #10347893 — 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA

SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2007, I DROVE A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. JULY 13, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:55 A.M., I WAS STEPPING ON MY BRAKE TO COME TO A STOP BEHIND A VEHICLE AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. I STARTED BRAKING SLOWLY AS USUAL. IT APPEARED THE BRAKES WERE WORKING BUT NOT CATCHING AS FAST AS USUAL SO I PUT EXTRA PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. GETTING TOO CLOSE THAN I SHOULD BE FOR A STOP, I PUSHED THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR & MY TRUCK DIPPED A BIT APPEARING TO COME TO A STOP BUT THEN KEPT ROLLING & HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR SEEMED TO MOVE FROWARD JUST BEFORE THE TAP AS IF IT WERE GOING TO MAKE THE TURN AT THE STOP SIGN SO THE IMPACT WAS LOW. THE CAR THEN STOPPED BUT SINCE MY TRUCK HADN'T, ALTHOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL HAD THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR, I PUMPED MY BRAKE AND STOMPED IT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN AND MY TRUCK LAUNCHED OUT SLAMMING INTO THE CAR AGAIN. THIS WAS A LOW IMPACT COLLISION IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA COMING TO A STOP SIGN IN THE MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK. THE BRAKES HAD FAILED PRIOR TO THE ACCELERATION ISSUE THAT FOLLOWED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY & TOYOTA CLAIM TOYOTA IS THE ONLY COMPANY ABLE TO RUN ANY TESTS ON THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT MY TRUCK. TOYOTA WRITES THAT IT IS THEIR UNDERSTANDING MY ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED WHEN MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED & REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THAT'S ONLY A PORTION OF MY CLAIM. THEY OVERLOOKED THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE BRAKE NOT CATCHING. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN SOME CASES PEOPLE PANIC & STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR. EVEN IF THAT HAD HAPPENED CAUSING THE SECOND HIT, THE FIRST HIT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED ANY PANIC WAS BECAUSE THE BRAKE DID NOT WORK. THE LETTER REGARDING MY INSPECTION CLAIMS MY BRAKES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE TOYOTA RECALL ON MY VEHICLE SAYS SAFETY RECALLS OR SERVICE CAMPAIGNS, "HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED FOR YOUR VEHICLE" AND I'LL BE NOTIFIED AS SOON AS THERE'S A REMEDY. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THAT VEHICLE. THE POLICE ON THE SCENE SAID I COULD BE HELD NEGLIGENT IF I CONTINUED DRIVING AFTER MY BRAKES FAILED. I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW TRUCK. *TR