NHTSA Complaint #10895714 — 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID

I WAS IN MY GYM'S PARKING LOT AND HAD JUST TURNED LEFT INTO A PARKING SPACE. I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR TO A STOP AS IT MOVED FORWARD INTO THE PARKING SPACE. HOWEVER, THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT RESPOND. INSTEAD, THE CAR CONTINUED DRIVING FORWARD ON ITS OWN, AND THEN I HEARD A SOUND OF ACCELERATION, AS IF THE CAR WAS REVVING ITSELF UP TO A HIGHER SPEED. THINKING THAT THE BRAKE HAD NOT ENGAGED, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL AND PLACED IT BACK ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, STEPPING HARDER, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. AT THIS POINT, WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR JUMPED UP ONTO THE CURB WHILE STILL ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, RAN OVER THE SIDEWALK. ROLLED UP AND OVER A TWO-FOOT HEDGE THAT RAN PARALLEL TO THE SIDEWALK, THEN CRASHED INTO THE BRICK ENFORCED CONCRETE COLUMN AT THE CORNER OF THE GYM BUILDING. THE BRICK COLUMN STOPPED THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE CAR, BUT LEFT A LARGE DENT IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR'S BUMPER THAT WAS EMBEDDED WITH CHUNKS OF CONCRETE. IT ALSO DENTED THE HOOD OF THE CAR, PUSHING IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE AIRBAGS IN THE CAR DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND HAVE REPORTED MY ACCIDENT TO TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS. I AUTHORIZED THEIR REVIEW OF MY CAR'S EVENT DATA RECORDER AND AM AWAITING THEIR INVESTIGATION REPORT. THIS FRIGHTENING ACCIDENT LEFT ME VERY SHAKEN. IT FELT AS IF I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR AT ALL. IT SEEMED AS IF SOMETHING HAD TAKEN CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR AND MY ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE CAR'S FORWARD MOMENTUM BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE HAD ZERO IMPACT. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS ON THE SIDEWALK OR I WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM. THESE CARS NEED TO BE RECALLED TO FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY MALFUNCTION. THEY ARE LETHAL WEAPONS ON OUR CITY STREETS!