NHTSA Complaint #10447021 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON DECEMBER 4, 2011, WITH MY WIFE AND RETURNING FROM A VISIT TO OUR CHILDREN, I WAS DRIVING OUR 2009 CAMRY EAST FROM BROOKLYN IN THE LEFT LANE ABOUT A MILE ONTO THE JACKIE ROBINSON PARKWAY AT ABOUT 4:30 P.M., VISIBILITY VERY GOOD AND ROAD DRY. TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY BUT MOVING ABOUT 35-40 M.P.H. WHEN IT SLOWED A LITTLE IN FRONT OF ME I PUT ON THE BRAKE-- BUT THE CAR SPEEDED UP. I REPEATED THE BRAKING AND THE CAR SPEEDED UP EVEN MORE. THESE TWO ATTEMPTED BRAKING OCCURRED IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS. I SAW WE WOULD CRASH INTO THE CAR AHEAD. I TRIED TO STEER MAINLY INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THAT CAR AND THE ONE IN THE RIGHT LANE SO AS TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO THEM, BUT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WENT A LITTLE FASTER. OUR CAR, HAVING HIT THE RIGHT-LANE CAR IN ITS LEFT REAR, WENT PAST THAT CAR AND INTO THE OPENED-UP SPACE AND THE SHOULDER, AND INTO AN ABOUT THREE-PLUS-FOOT CONCRETE RETAINING WALL, HITTING IT AT AN ANGLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT OF OUR CAR, WHICH MOUNTED THE WALL ON OUR RIGHT-HAND WHEELS AND CAME TO A STOP THERE. AIR BAGS HAD NOT DEPLOYED BUT TENSIONED SEATBELTS HIT US HARD IN THE CHESTS. WE MANAGED TO GET MY DOOR OPEN AND GET OUT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED, WITH ABOUT 12,000 MILES ON IT, ALWAYS CAREFULLY MAINTAINED. I WOULD ADD THAT WHEN TOYOTA RECALLED THE CAR IN 2010 I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE ADJUSTMENTS AND WAS INTERESTED TO LEARN FROM THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE ADJUSTMENTS WOULD TAKE AWHILE BECAUSE THEY REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER. ALSO, I AS WELL AS MY WIFE HAVE BEEN DRIVING, EACH OF US FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, WITH EXEMPLARY RECORDS, AND NEITHER OF US HAS EVER PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL WHEN WE MEANT TO STEP ON THE BRAKES. WE ARE WRITING TO YOU IN THE HOPE THAT STILL OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS WILL NOT HAVE TO SUFFER THE UPSET THAT WE STILL FEEL, OR OF COURSE WORSE. (I SENT THIS TO YOU VIA PDF EARLIER TODAY.) *TR