NHTSA Complaint #11128589 — 2018 TOYOTA CAMRY

I HAD JUST EXITED A FREEWAY, AND WAS ENTERING THE SURFACE STREETS VIA A STOPLIGHT. AFTER TURNING ONTO THE SURFACE STREET, THE SIGNAL AHEAD TURNED RED. I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES IN TRAFFIC WHILE TRAVELING AT OR LESS THAN 20 M.P.H., BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND AS NORMAL. I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AS NORMAL. INSTEAD, THE PEDAL DEPRESSED FURTHER THAN NORMAL, AND I FELT A HEAVY VIBRATION FEEDBACK THROUGH THE PEDAL. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 2-3 CAR LENGTHS FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, AND I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND DEPRESSED THE PEDAL AS FAR AS I COULD PHYSICALLY MANAGE. AT THAT POINT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW, BUT SO GRADUALLY THAT I WAS CERTAIN TO COLLIDE WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I THEN STEERED TO THE RIGHT (I WAS IN THE RIGHTMOST LANE) TOWARD THE CURB OF THE SIDEWALK. THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WENT UP ON THE CURB AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I PUT ON THE HAZARD SIGNAL, THEN WHEN TRAFFIC CLEARED BEHIND ME, PULLED INTO A GAS STATION APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I STEERED BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY AFTER INITIALLY STOPPING, THE STEERING FELT VERY LOOSE, AND I FELT AS THOUGH I WAS DRIVING ON ICE OR WITHOUT CONTROL OVER THE STEERING. ONCE IN THE GAS STATION PARKING LOT, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I EXAMINED THE PEDALS FOR BLOCKAGE AND LOOKED FOR FLUID LEAKS, BUT FOUND NOTHING. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND TESTED THE GAS AND BRAKES IN THE EMPTY PARKING AREA, AND EVERYTHING RESPONDED AS NORMAL. HOWEVER, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAS A TEAR IN THE SIDEWALL AND THE RIM IS LIGHTLY DAMAGED.