NHTSA Complaint #10493269 — 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY

VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A DIRT ROAD, GOING AROUND A CORNER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND WENT OFF THE ROAD AND SKIDDED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 30 FT. THE VEHICLE THEN HIT A FEW SMALL STUMPS, STILL WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN, AND FINALLY SLAMMED INTO A LARGE TREE. THE IMPACT IN WHICH THE CAR HIT THE TREE WAS SO STRONG THAT THE BACK END OF THE CAR ROSE UP INTO THE AIR AND STAYED IN THAT VERTICAL POSITION. ONLY THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE STILL VISIBLE FROM THE ROAD AFTER THE CAR SLAMMED INTO THE TREE AND STOPPED. IF THE TREE HADN'T BEEN HIT, THE CAR WOULD HAVE CONTINUED DOWN THE HILLSIDE INTO THE BOTTOM OF A RAVINE, ABOUT ANOTHER 40 FT. THE ENTIRE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WAS SHOVED ALMOST TO THE WINDSHIELD AND NOT ONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE ENTIRE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE MOTOR AND HOOD WERE DESTROYED, THE BATTERY WAS CRUSHED AND LEAKING ACID EVERYWHERE AND WAS SITTING BEHIND THE FRONT TIRE AND THE HOOD WAS "V" SHAPED AND PUSHED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO SKID MARKS SO CLEARLY THE BRAKES WEREN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY EITHER, ALSO THE SPEED IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WENT INTO THE TREE SHOWS THAT THE ACCELERATION WAS FAULTY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN. THE DRIVERS FACE SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND BROKE HER NOSE AND RECEIVED A POSSIBLE CONCUSSION BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS BRUISES AND SCRATCHES. THE DAMAGE IS SO SEVERE THAT THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS BUT STILL WE ARE LEFT WONDERING WHY THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. IF THE DRIVER HADN'T BEEN WEARING HER SEATBELT, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN STRAIGHT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY. WE HAVE PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT TO SHOW JUST HOW SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS THIS IS. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERS AS TO WHY A VEHICLE WITH SUCH HIGH CRASH TEST RATINGS WOULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SAFETY TO THE DRIVER. *TR