← NHTSA complaints

2015 TOYOTA RAV4 — SERVICE BRAKES

crash · 1282067 · 2016-05-11

Vehicle

Make
TOYOTA
Model
RAV4
Year
2015
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Corporation
Component
SERVICE BRAKES
Miles at failure
18,000
Speed
10 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
Yes

Narrative

INTERMITTENT BRAKE FAILURE. TWO INSTANCES OF BRAKES FAILING TO ENGAGE WHEN PRESSURE APPLIED. FIRST INSTANCE CAUSED CAR TO CRASH INTO CONCRETE MEDIAN; NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE OR STRUCTURE AND INCIDENT NOT REPORTED. SECOND BRAKE FAILURE APRIL 14, 2016 AS CAR WAS DESCENDING PARKING LOT DRIVEWAY (DOWNHILL SLOPE) AND DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES. BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE. AS DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THE CAR CAREENED OVER A COMMENT CURB, THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND INTO A GAS MAIN AND APARTMENT BUILDING WALL. DRIVER SUSTAINED SOME INJURY TO NECK AND BACK DUE TO FORCE OF IMPACT. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR WAS TOWED OUT OF ACCIDENT BACK ON TO THE ACCESS ROAD. POLICE OFFICERS IN TAKOMA PARK, MD THEN TESTED CAR. ACCIDENT REPORT DESCRIBES "IMPACT AND DAMAGE" AS "DISABLING", HOWEVER OWNER WAS TOLD TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME. DRIVER IS NOT FLUENT IN ENGLISH AND DUE TO TRANSLATION ERRORS THE POLICE REPORT DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF ACCIDENT. CAR IS NOW AT DARCARS TOYOTA IN ROCKVILLE WITH AT LEAST $12,000 IN REPAIRS PENDING. OWNER HAS AUTO INSURANCE AND CAR WILL BE REPAIRED OR TOTALED OUT. HOWEVER, OWNER IS (UNDERSTANDABLY) TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE RAV4 AGAIN FOR FEAR THAT THE BRAKES WILL FAIL A THIRD TIME - WITH POSSIBLLY CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES TO DRIVER AND OTHERS. OWNER SPEAKS LIMITED ENGLISH AND IS A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. I AM CONCERNED FOR NOT ONLY HER SAFELY, BUT THE SAFELY OF OTHERS EITHER FROM AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD BE CAUSED BY THIS CAR

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10864472
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown