NHTSA complaint: 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DEAR SIRS, I HAD A MECHANICAL FAILURE CAUSED VEHICLE COLLISION WHERE TWO SAFETY HAZARDS SHOULD CALL PUBLIC ALERT. ON AUG. 24, 2009 AS I TRAVELED ON HIGHWAY 93 SOUTH, I SAW THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME TOOK A SUDDEN SLOW-DOWN OR STOP, ABOUT 30 FEET IN DISTANCE, EVEN AS I FLOORED THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA DID NOT HAVE ANY BRAKE FUNCTION AT ALL, EVEN NOT A RESISTANCE FORCE AT THE PEDAL. MY VEHICLE REARED ANOTHER VEHICLE INSIDE THE TUNNEL OF 93 SOUTH, UNDER NORMAL TRAVEL SITUATION: ROAD SURFACE AND LIGHTING. AND THEN BEFORE THE DEPLOYED AIRBAG FROM THE DRIVING COLUMN COULD HAVE BLOCKED MY BODY MOVEMENT FORWARD , IT EXPLODED, THE INSIDE OF MY VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FUNNY SMELLS. FORTUNATELY, NOBODY GOT SERIOUS INJURED IN THE COLLISION. SINCE MY COROLLA IS A NEW CAR UNDER 4900 MILES, THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME I EXPERIENCE THE SUDDEN MECHANICAL FAILURES. MY INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN PROPERTY, HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT DID NOT SPECIFY ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES. TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA ALSO HAD THEIR PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE VEHICLE UPON RECEIVED MY REPORT TO THEM, BUT THEY MAY NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS THE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, AS THERE IS ALSO LIABILITY ISSUE WITHIN. SO FAR NO REPAIR WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO THE VEHICLE, YET. THE SIMULTANEOUS FAILURES OF BOTH BRAKES AND AIRBAG COULD BE VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARDS, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS CASE AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD, OR LET SOM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation