NHTSA Complaint #10926207 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

I HAVE OWNED MY 2003 CAMRY SINCE IT WAS BRAND NEW. DURING ALL THAT TIME, I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHENEVER I BRAKE AS THE CAR TRAVELS OVER SMALL BUMPS, CRACKS OR OTHER IMPERFECTIONS IN THE ROAD (ESPECIALLY IF I BRAKE HARD), THE ABS SYSTEM KICKS IN AND APPEARS TO PUMP THE BRAKES (THOUGH IT DOES NOT ACTUALLY STOP THE CAR) AND DOES NOT SHUT DOWN UNTIL I LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE THEREBY PREVENTING A PROPER STOP AND SIGNIFICANTLY LENGTHENING THE STOP. NOTE THAT THIS OCCURS ON DRY ROADS. THIS ALSO SEEMS TO OCCUR IF THERE IS A NEED TO STOP HARD JUST AS I AM ACCELERATING, SUCH AS AN UNEXPECTED SHORT STOP BY THE CAR IN FRONT. IT HAS NOT LED TO ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS (THOUGH A COUPLE OF LIGHT REAR-ENDS), WHICH I CREDIT TO MY BEING ABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE PROBLEM, UNTIL LAST WEEK WHEN THE PROBLEM CAUSED A MORE SERIOUS REAR-END COLLISION. ALL THE OTHER CARS IN FOUR CAR CHAIN MANAGED TO STOP SHORT, NOT MY CAMRY EVEN AS I MAINTAINED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AS IT SEEMED TO BARELY SLOW DOWN, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE CAR IS PROBABLY BETTER OFF WITHOUT THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM ALTOGETHER THAN WITH THIS DEFECTIVELY DEPLOYING SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T REALLY EVEN SEEM TO STOP THE CAR, BUT JUST LIGHTLY PUMPS THE BRAKES, PREVENTING PROPER BRAKING.