NHTSA Complaint #10747083 — 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY

I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF MY CAMRY AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE CAR ON THE THIRD LEVEL OF A PARKING GARAGE. THE CAR HAD BEEN OPERATING NORMALLY UNTIL I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO PULL INTO THE PARKING SPACE. SUDDENLY THE CAMRY STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO CRASH INTO ONGOING CARS OR GO OVER THE EDGE UNTO THE STREET BELOW, I CHOSE TO CRASH INTO THE PARKING SPACE. THE CAR WENT OVER THE ABUTMENT INTO THE CINDERBLOCK WALL. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A GENTLEMAN TRIED TO REMOVE THE CAR FROM THE ABUTMENT BUT SAID THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING NOR COULD HE GET THE CAR TO MOVE. HE WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. TWO HOURS LATER THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR COULD REMOVE THE CAR FROM ITS SPOT WITH THE BRAKES WORKING. THE BODY SHOP CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES OR ACCELERATOR PEDAL. CORPORATE TOYOTA HAD AN EDR RUN. THE MANUFACTURER CONCLUDED: "AFTER ROAD TESTING YOUR VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, CONDUCTING ACCELERATION AND BRAKING TESTS, WE FOUND NO ISSUES." TOYOTA DID NOT ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT MALFUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IS DANGEROUS SINCE IT GIVES NO WARNING OF AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM; THEREFORE, I DONATED THE CAR TO AN INSTITUTION WITH THE STIPULATION THAT IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN ON PUBLIC ROADS. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AND WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR, I ALSO HAD PURCHASED THE PLATINUM VEHICLE SERVICE AGREEMENT THAT HAD A 0 DEDUCTIBLE AND AN EXPIRATION OF 75,000 MILES. I THOUGHT WE HAD LEMON LAWS IN PLACE FOR THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. ULTIMATELY I HAVE HAD TO ASSUME THE FINANCIAL BURDEN CAUSED BY WHAT IS REALLY A TOYOTA PROBLEM.