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2004 TOYOTA CAMRY — SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC

crash · 757495 · 2010-02-04

Vehicle

Make
TOYOTA
Model
CAMRY
Year
2004
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Corporation
Component
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
Miles at failure
4,500
Speed
30 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

I PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA CAMRY IN 2004. ON THE MORNING OF 4/2/2005, I TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO HER ORTHODONTIST APPOINTMENT. ON MY WAY BACK, I FIRST MADE A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BEFORE MAKING A LEFT TURN TO GET ON A PARKWAY. I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. A FEW MINUTES LATER, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN IN ANTICIPATION OF THE END OF THE PARKWAY AND THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING. I TRIED SQUEEZING (TO THE FLOOR) AND TAPPING. I HAD NO EFFECT. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION (KEPT THE SAME SPEED). BY THE TIME I REACHED THE INTERSECTION, THE LIGHT WAS RED AND ALL THREE LANES HAD VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. I STEERED MY CAR BETWEEN TWO LANES TO GET THROUGH THE TRAFFIC (WITH ONLY THE MIRRORS SCRAPED OFF). ONCE THE TRAFFIC WAS BEHIND ME, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT TO GRIND AGAINST THE CURB WHICH BROUGHT IT TO A HALT. THE VEHICLE WAS PRONOUNCED TOTAL. THREE OTHER VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED WITH VARYING DEGREES OF DAMAGE (DUE TO DIRECT IMPACT ON THE SIDE OR REACTION TO THE SUDDEN TRAFFIC MOVEMENT). I INFORMED TOYOTA AND REQUESTED THEIR INSPECTION. TOYOTA LATER RESPONDED STATING THAT THEY FOUND NO "DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT". I AM NOT SURE IF THEY TOOK MY REPORT SERIOUSLY. THEY MAY HAVE LOST THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10305146
Machine
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