NHTSA Complaint #10717570 — 2011 TOYOTA VENZA

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015, A CLEAR, SUN SHINY DAY, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN, VIOLENT DECELERATION WITH LOUD NOISES WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON SMOOTH PAVEMENT ABOUT THREE MILES FROM MY HOME. THE SLIP INDICATOR ICON LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON MY DASHBOARD INDICATING THE VSC/TRAC HAD BEEN ENGAGED, CUTTING DOWN THE THROTTLE AND ENGAGING THE ABS,INTERMITTENTLY, AS I LIMPED HOME. ON MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS OPEN CIRCUIT FAILURE OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. I FIND THIS DISCONCERTING AS THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL THREE YEARS AGO. THIS INCIDENT WAS FAR MORE THAN JUST A NUISANCE AND AN INCONVENIENCE. THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE! IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT 70MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, I MIGHT NOT BE ALIVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AT (800)331-4331 [INCIDENT 150507-000193] TO SEE IF THE SWITCH DESIGN HAD BEEN IMPROVED OR A PROGRAMMING CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE TO CHANGE THE FAILURE MODE, BUT GOT NO INDICATION ANYTHING HAD BEEN CHANGED. I WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE HAD BEEN FILED AT THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UNDER FILE #1505080785. APPARENTLY MY PROBLEM WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BECAUSE WHEN I EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT A STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE COULD BE SO CATASTROPHIC, THE SERVICE WRITER AT TOYOTA OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, THAT "THIS WAS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO". I BELIEVE TOYOTA NEEDS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO AVOID PEOPLE BEING INJURED BY STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURES ON THE TOYOTA VENZA.