# 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
> NHTSA complaint `768339` · 2010-03-01 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** COROLLA
- **Year:** 2009
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- **Miles at failure:** 13,500
- **Speed:** 35 mph
## Narrative
I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA IN JANUARY 2009.  I THOUGHT THE BRAKES WERE A LITTLE SLUGGISH AND EXPRESSED THAT TO THE SALESMAN. HE SAID THEY WERE FINE SO I THOUGHT I JUST NEEDED TO GET USED TO THEM. I HAD NO OTHER PROBLEM IN 2009. IN JANUARY OF 2010, ON TWO OCCASIONS, I EXPERIENCED EPISODES IN WHICH THE BRAKES FAILED. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THEY WOULD HOLD AND THEN SLIP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. ON AT LEAST ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS, I THOUGHT I HEARD THE ENGINE RACING WHILE THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. AFTER I HEARD ABOUT THE COROLLA RECALL, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS BUT ASKED THEM TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL THEY COULD FIND AND FIX THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION BECAUSE I CONSIDERED THE CAR TO BE A DEATH TRAP. THIS WAS IN FEBRUARY 2010 AND I REPORTED TO THEM EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE NOW REPORTED TO YOU.  AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME MY CAR WAS "ALL SET." WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THEY GAVE ME AN INVOICE WHICH SAID THEY HAD TAKEN IT FOR A COUPLE OF TEST DRIVES, CHECKED THE CODES, AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAD  TOLD THEM IT WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM. ON 2/25/10, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE CAR ACCELERATED BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT DID NOT SLOW DOWN. CONSEQUENTLY, I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND MY VEHICLE WAS BAD
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*