1996 Toyota Camry

WE HAD A SITUATION DESCRIBED BELOW. I SHALL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT. THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES TOYOTA CAMRY 1996. IT IS A CRITICAL SITUATION. YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. [XXX] DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT: MONDAY (4/25/2011) WAS THE TRASH COLLECTION DAY AT OUR DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE TWO CARS: CAMRY AND LEXUS. WE HAD TO PULL ONE CAR OUT TO BRING THE TRASH CAN IN. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY AROUND 6 P.M. MY WIFE VOLUNTEERED TO PULL THE CAR OUT, SO THAT I COULD BRING THE TRASH CAN IN. MY WIFE PULLED THE CAR OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY AND PARKED, STILL HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AS SHE WAS BRINGING THE GEAR TO DRIVE, AS SOON AS IT REACHED THE REVERSE GEAR, THE CAR SPEEDED BACKWARD IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED AND WITH IN SECONDS IT HIT AND SHATTERED OUR NEIGHBOR?S MAIL BOX AND ITS METAL POST. THE CAR STOPPED. I WAS STANDING AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS IN OUR NEIGHBOR?S LAWN, AND WANTED TO BRING THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS SOON AS SHE BROUGHT THE GEAR TO THE DRIVE, IT AGAIN RACED FORWARD IN HIGH UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED AND HIT OUR BRICK WALL OF OUR HOUSE AND WAS PINNED DOWN AND STOPPED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED, WRECKING THE FRONT AND THE BACK WITH TWO IMPACTS. BOTH AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. SHE HAD HER SEAT BELT ON. THESE TWO DEVICES PROBABLY SAVED HER LIFE. SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. POLICE ARRIVED AND ACCOMPANIED US TO THE HOSPITAL. WE SPENT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS IN THE HOSPITAL. REPORT ENCLOSED. SHE HAS SEEN HER PERSONAL PHYSICIAN. SHE HAS SEEN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON. SHE IS ALSO GOING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY, THE CAR RUNS GREAT BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT SOMETIMES STARTS TO SELF ACCELERATE. THE PEDAL GETS STUCK IN PRESS MODE AND THE CAR JUST PICKS UP INCREDIBLE SUDDEN SPEED. IN PRIOR OCCASIONS I HAVE SUDDENLY JUST PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN THE ENGINE REVS UP TO 6500 RPM. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE REALLY HOT. ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS I HAVE CAME VERY CLOSE IN BECOMING INVOLVED WITH AN ACCIDENT. IN THESE SCENARIOS I HAVE EVEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUTTING IT DOWN. I HAVE EVEN OPENED THE HOOD MANY OF TIMES AND HAVE SEEN THAT THE CARS ACCELERATOR WIRE IS FULLY CLINCHED TO THE MAX. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY BIG SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND HAS ENDANGERED MY LIFE MANY OF TIMES. I HAVE CONTACTED A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY SAID THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING REGARDING A 1996 CAMRY AND ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. THIS IS INDEED A VERY BIG ISSUE AND IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS PROBLEM OF ACCELERATORS DO EXIST FROM LONG TIME BEFORE AND NOT JUST IN THE RECENT CAMRY'S. I DO NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN ANY SORT OF ACCIDENT AS I'VE COME VERY VERY CLOSE. *TR

MY 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ON APRIL 12, 2010. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (A DISTANCE OF 26 MILES) I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND GAVE MY CAR GAS TO MOVE INTO THE SECOND FROM THE LEFT HAND LANE. AFTER GETTING INTO THE PROPER LANE, THE CAR BEHAVED IN THE SAME WAY AS A CAR AFTER PRESSING THE RESUME BUTTON, AFTER DISABLING CRUISE CONTROL. THIS HAPPENED AT 4:30P DURING THE START OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE ONLY WAY I COULD KEEP FROM HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS TO FLOOR THE BRAKE. AT ONE POINT THE CAR RACED TO SPEEDS OF 65-75 MPH. I COULD TELL THAT AT THE 75 MPH RANGE THAT I WAS VERY LIKELY TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TO PREVENT THIS I BRIEFLY PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, THEN SWITCHED IT INTO REVERSE TWICE IN QUICK SUCCESSION. THE CAMRY MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE, BUT DID SLOW DOWN AFTER THAT. THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE UNABLE TO ENGAGE PROPERLY FROM THAT POINT, POSSIBLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE USE. I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THAT. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE CAR, TEST DROVE IT AND STATED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. STATEMENT FROM SPOUSE: AS A RECENTLY RETIRED ENGINEER FROM A LARGE RESEARCH LABORATORY, I'D LIKE TO ADD MY COMMENTS: I SPENT 33 YEARS DESIGNING LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS TO RUN SAFELY AND RELIABLY. OVER THOSE YEARS, I FORMED THE OPINION THAT LAB EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSE ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS, NOT MAJOR ONES. SINCE TOYOTA'S PROBLEMS WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION SEEM TO AFFECT VEHICLES OF VARIOUS AGES AND DESIGNS, I SUSPECT THE ROOT CAUSE IS NOT A SPECIFIC PIECE OF HARDWARE, BUT RATHER A FAILURE TO DESIGN THEIR EQUIPMENT SO THAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSE ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS, NOT MAJOR ONES. PERHAPS THERE ARE COMPONENTS OF THEIR VEHICLES THAT FAIL IN A WAY THAT GIVES THE VEHICLE FULL POWER, WHEREAS A SAFER FAILURE MODE WOULD BE HAVE NO POWER. *TR

RE: INSPECTION OF 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY INVOLVED IN 2006 FATAL CRASH, 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY 4 DOOR, MODEL LXS (MINNESOTA VEHICLE LICENSE KJL 696) STATE OF MINNESOTA V. KOUA FANG LEE(CRIMINAL VEHICULAR HOMICIDE). *TWX UPDATED 9/29/11*CW THE DRIVER OF THE TOYOTA WAS CONVICTED IN 2007 OF CRIMINAL VEHICULAR HOMICIDE-GROSS NEGLIGENCE WHICH KILLED THREE PEOPLE AND SEVERELY INJURED TWO OTHERS. THE DEFENDANTS ATTORNEY HAS RAISED CONCERNS THAT A SUDDEN ACCELERATION DEFECT IN THE TOYOTA CAMRY MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CRASH. UPDATED 03/30/10. (COUNTY ATTORNEY REQUESTED THAT NHTSA PARTICIPATE IN THE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE) UPDATED 04/07/10 RECEIVED FOLLOW-UP LETTER. UPDATED 04/07/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND PROCEEDED TO ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE. SHE WAS ABLE TO FINALLY STOP THE VEHICLE AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, OBSERVED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD COLLAPSED IN THE OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RELEASED THE WEDGED ACCELERATOR CABLE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED A SECOND TIME. SHE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP AND DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE REPAIRS WERE MADE FOR THE PREVIOUS FAILURE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION FAILURE ONE ADDITIONAL TIME WHILE TRAVELING IN SNOWY WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE AND HAD A RELATIVE FOLLOW HER HOME IN CASE OF ADDITIONAL FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD REPEATEDLY. THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE

I ENTERED THE FREEWAY ON-RAMP AND ACCELERATED. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. I KICKED THE PEDAL DOWN A COUPLE TIMES TO GET IT UNSTUCK. INSTEAD OF COMING UNSTUCK, IT STUCK ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. (THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT. I THINK THE ACTUAL PEDAL CAME BACK UP TO THE IDLE POSITION.) THE BRAKES SLOWED THE CAR SOME WHEN I PUSHED ON THE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET WITH MY HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND STANDING UP SO ALL MY WEIGHT AND STRENGTH WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE BRAKES SMELLED OF BURNING AND I THOUGHT FOR A SECOND THAT MAYBE I WAS GETTING IT UNDER CONTROL. HOWEVER, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE SPEEDOMETER, IT READ 95 AND THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING AND SMELLING QUITE STRONG. I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND CONTINUED TO PUSH HARD ON THE BRAKE. IT SLOWED DOWN TO MAYBE TO 65 OR SO. BY THEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SO FAST I THOUGHT IT WOULD BLOW UP AND IT WAS NIGHT ON A RELATIVELY DESERTED FREEWAY SO I PUT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND CONTINUED THIS PATTERN FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES - SPEEDING UP TO WAY PAST 95, RIDING THE BRAKES UNTIL THEY SMOKED AND SMELLED TOO MUCH (I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BECOME USELESS IF I LET THEM BURN UP) PUTTING IT INTO NEUTRAL AND SLOWING DOWN FOR AS LONG AS I THOUGHT WAS OK BEFORE BLOWING THE ENGINE, REPEAT, ETC.. JUST PRIOR TO MY EXIT, THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION STOPPED AND I GOT OFF ONTO THE SIDE STREETS. WHEN I ACCELERATED AFTER A STOP SIGN, THE ACCELERATOR STUCK BUT I IMMEDIATELY PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN SHUT THE KEY OFF, STOPPING THE ENGINE. IT DID THIS TWO MORE TIMES. THE REPAIR SHOP CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS IN THE ARMY INFANTRY DURING THE 60'S BUT HAD NOT HAD A FLASHBACK FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I HAD FLASHBACKS OF THIS EXPERIENCE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN ENTERING A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP. IT WAS A MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND LOGICALLY IS GREATLY DIMINISHED UNDER THAT HIGH STRESS. *TR

1996 CAMRY WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT THEN SURGED FORWARD INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE IT WAS STRUCK BY A MOTORCYCLE AND PICK-UP TRUCK. CAMRY AND MOTORCYCLE BOTH TOTALED. AIRBAGS IN CAMRY DIDN'T DEPLOY ON IMPACT BUT HAD A DELAY. POLICE INVOLVED WITH CASE. CAMRY DRIVER CITED FOR FAILURE TO YIELD TO A RED LIGHT WHICH DRIVER WAS STOPPED AT INITIALLY. NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION. WITH TOYOTA IN THE NEWS, FOUND REPORTS OF OTHER 1996 CAMRY'S WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION SO FILED THIS COMPLAINT. FAMILY MEMBER WAS OWNER AND DRIVER OF CAMRY. MOTORCYCLE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT RESULTED IN DEATH 5 YEARS LATER. *TR UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 07/08/10.*JB

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TGW DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY THROUGH JULY 2009, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. OFF AND ON, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IT WOULD GENERALLY HAPPEN WHEN ATTEMPTING A ROUTINE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEN ON AUGUST 19, 2009, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED; THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. AS THE CONSUMER DESPERATELY SHIFTED FROM NEUTRAL, SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, SHE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO WEAVE IN BETWEEN CARS AS THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR HER TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CRASHING. SHE PUT ON HER HAZARD LIGHTS AND BEEPED THE HORN TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS. SHE THEN SWUNG INTO A WIDE PARKING LOT ENTRANCE AND SLAMMED THE GEAR INTO PARK AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH WHEN PLACING HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. BY PUTTING EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE, SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ONLY ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECENT RECALL FOR TOYOTA. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS DONE TO THE VEHICLE . THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 101046. UPDATED 03/09/10. *LJ UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB