NHTSA Complaint #11161964 — 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE REAR WHEELS/BRAKES ON MY 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY LOCKED UP AND CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE FOLLOWING A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT. I EXITED MY COMMUNITY, BY MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A COUNTY ROAD. THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY, AND THE ROAD WAS DAMP DUR TO RECENT RAIN. I WAS ACCELERATING TO 40 MPH, WHICH IS THE SPEED LIMIT ON A COUNTY ROAD (A TOTAL OF 2 LANES), UNTIL I NOTICED THAT I WAS ABOUT TO EXCEED 40 MPH. WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THE BACK OF THE CAR STARTED TO LOOSE TRACTION. I STARTED TO APPLY VERY LIGHT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF THE CAR. I LOOKED WHERE I WANTED TO GO AND MADE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STEERING WHEEL, UNTIL THE CAR WOULD STOP DRIFTING FROM LANE TO LANE. THE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS DID NOT HELP, AND I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE REAR END OF THE CAR WENT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TRIED TO CORRECT THE DIRECTION TO ENSURE I STAYED IN MY LANE. THE REAR END OF THE CAR STARTED SLIDING TO THE RIGHT SIDE WITHIN MY LANE AND CONTINUED TO SLIDE/DRIFT. AS THE CAR CONTINUED SLIDING THE RIGHT, IT WENT OUTSIDE MY LANE, HIT THE DIRT "SHOULDER", AND HIT A DITCH COVERED WITH ROCKS, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SWING TO THE LEFT. WHEN THE CAR HIT THE ROCKS, I FELT MY BODY LIFTED FROM MY SIT, BUT THE SEAT BELT HELD IT BACK. I NOTICED THAT THE RPMS OF THE CAR WENT UP FROM 1,500 RPM TO (ABOUT) 6,000 RPM. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO REGAIN SOME CONTROL OF THE CAR, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD AT THIS POINT IN THE EVENT. THE CAR WAS HEADED TOWARDS A SMALL RAVINE LOCATED BEHIND THREE TREES. I STEERED THE CAR TO HIT THE TREE INSTEAD OF RUNNING INTO A SMALL RAVINE.