NHTSA complaint: 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I AM WRITING THIS LETTER ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER. SHE DRIVES A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. LAST WEEK SHE INFORMED ME THAT HER CAR 'DID IT AGAIN' AND THAT SHE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. WELL, I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHEN SHE SAID HER CAR WOULD SOMETIMES ACCELERATE IN BURSTS UNTIL I SAW NIGHTLINE LAST NIGHT REGARDING THE TOYOTA RUN-AWAY CAR ISSUE. HERE ARE THE INCIDENCES THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO MY MOM: 1)ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2009, SHE WAS BACKING OUT OF HER SPACE AT A SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT AND 'THE CAR BACK OUT REALLY FAST'. SHE WAS SO AFRAID THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HIT SOMEONE. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS BEHIND HER SO NO ONE GOT HURT. SHE TRIED APPLYING THE BRAKES TO NO AVAIL AND THEN TRIED MOVING THE GEARS AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR STOPPED. 2)ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2009, SHE WAS BACKING OUT FROM HER HOME AND THE CAR 'TOOK OFF AND WENT BACK REALLY FAST AND THEN SPUN AROUND AND THEN HIT A TREE ACROSS THE STREET' IN THE NEIGHBOR'S SWELL. SHE HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. SHE THEN TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED. 3)ON OCTOBER 6, 2009, SHE WAS BACKING OUT FROM GETTING HER HAIR DONE AND 'THE CAR ACCELERATED, TURNED AROUND AND WENT TOWARDS THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET AND THEN WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE BACKYARD OF THE HOUSE---HITTING THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE ALONG THE WAY'. THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. THE CAR BROKE DOWN THE CLOTHES LINE. THANK GOD THAT NEITHER SHE, THE PASSENGER , NOR THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE GOT HURT.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation