2010 Toyota Camry

I AM REQUESTING THAT DOT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE DRIVER'S CONTRIBUTION TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (UA) AND TOYOTA'S ACCELERATOR/BRAKE PEDAL DESIGNS THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE. I WAS DRIVING A RENTED TOYOTA CAMRY IN A PARKING LOT. I APPLIED THE BRAKE AND INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO GAIN SPEED. I PRESSED HARDER ON THE BRAKE AND IT ACCELERATED. THE HARDER I TRIED TO STOP THE CAR THE FASTER IT WENT. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE FOR A MOMENT AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. I BELIEVE THAT MY FOOT WAS ON BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS. I MEASURED THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR AND FOUND THAT IT WAS ONLY 1.5 INCHES. MY VEHICLE A GM ACADIA IS 2.5 INCHES. THIS MADE ME THINK THAT THE TOPS OF THE TWO PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. I MANAGED TO FIND 6 DIFFERENT TOYOTA MODELS INCLUDING THE PRIUS AND THEY AVERAGED 1.5 INCHES BETWEEN THE TOPS OF THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS. I MEASURE COMPETITIVE VEHICLES AND FOUND THEY AVERAGED 2.2 INCHES. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE TOYOTA DESIGNS ' THEY ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. I HAVE CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND HAVE COLLECTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DATA THAT SUPPORTS THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF UA AND THAT SOME VEHICLE DESIGNS MAKE IT POSSIBLE. I HAVE CONDUCTED DRIVING TESTS AND SIMULATED THE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE UA. THEY CLEARLY IDENTIFY THAT TOYOTA PEDAL DESIGNS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DRIVER BEING A CAUSE OF UA. GOOD VEHICLE PEDAL DESIGNS MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SIMULTANEOUSLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY DEPRESS BOTH PEDALS. FROM THE ODI INCIDENT REPORTS GM VEHICLES SEEM TO BE PARTICULARLY INSENSITIVE WHILE THE FORD 150 TRUCK SEEMS TO HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE PEDAL DESIGNS OR OPERATION THAT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. I HAVE READ TWO OLDER DOT REPORTS CONCERNING UA AND THEY INDICATE THAT THE DRIVER IS A CAUSE OF UA. WHY IS THAT NOT STUDIED AND ACKNOWLEDGED NOW? PLEASE FORMALLY INVESTIGATE. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY WHICH HAS THE DEFECTS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION INVOLVING OUT-OF-CONTROL ACCELERATION OF THE CAR. THIS CAR PRESENTS A SERIOUS POTENTIAL HAZARD TO MYSELF AND TO OTHERS AND I WILL NOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE SEVERELY DEALT WITH FOR PUTTING THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR AHEAD OF PROVIDING A SAFE CAR THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS COULD TRUST - AND FOR THEIR DECEPTION IN ATTEMPTING TO HIDE, COVER UP, DISMISS THE PROBLEMS AND NOT DEAL WITH LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS WELL BEFORE THIS TIME. TOYOTA'S ACTIONS AND LACK OF ACTION HAS PUT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AT RISK TO THE POINT OF CAUSING MULTIPLE DEATHS AND INJURIES ON OUR HIGHWAYS AND ROADS. A ONCE TRUSTED AUTOMOBILE COMPANY HAS ABANDONED THE PRINCIPLES THEY MUST ADHERE TO IN BUILDING AN AUTOMOBILE - FIRST AND FOREMOST, PROVIDING AN AUTOMOBILE THAT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY HAVE THUS ABANDONED THE CUSTOMER, CAUSING NOT ONLY DEATH BUT IMMENSE DISTRESS AMONG MILLIONS OF CAR OWNERS WHO CAN NO LONGER TRUST THE CAR THEY PURCHASED - AT GREAT EXPENSE - AND NOW SEE ITS VALUE SINKING RAPIDLY. MY CAMRY HAS LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON IT. I EXPECT AND DESERVE FAIR COMPENSATION FOR THE TRUST AND MONEY THAT I PUT INTO THIS COMPANY FOR A CAR THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I WANT MY MONEY BACK! NOW. *TR

LIGHT FROM HEADLIGHTS IS INADEQUATE. IT SEEMS TO BE HALF CUT OFF AT THE TOP OF THE BEAM SO THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES DOWN HILL THE LIGHT ONLY GOES OUT ABOUT 20 FEET AND IS TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE ROAD. I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAMS ALL THE TIME IF TRAVELING ANYPLACE WHERE THERE ARE HILLS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM EVERY SINCE I GOT THE TOYOTA CAMRY. IN THE LEXUS THEY HAVE MADE IS THE HEADLIGHTS MOVE TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS PROBLEM SO TOYOTA MUST BE AWARE OF IT BUT ISN'T ACKNOWLEDGING IT WHEN WE CALLED THE DEALER. NO FIX IS OFFERED AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT IN HILLY TERRAIN. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT BEHIND A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE LED BRAKE LIGHTS ARE SO INTENSE ON THAT CAR THAT MY RETINA'S WERE RED SATURATED. WHEN THE STOPLIGHT TURNED GREEN I LOOKED AT MY DASH AND THE YELLOW MAINTENANCE LIGHT APPEARED GREEN. THIS COLOR SATURATION LASTED A LEAST 1 MINUTE. THIS MEANS THAT A YELLOW STOP LIGHT WOULD APPEAR GREEN AND THAT A GREEN LIGHT WOULD APPEAR YELLOW. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS LEVEL OF INTENSITY SUCH THAT MY RETINA IS SATURATED WHILE STOPPED 5 FEET BEHIND A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

IN AUGUST 2009 I PURCHASED A 4-CYLINDER AUTOMATIC 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING DELIVERY I NOTICED THAT THE CAR HESITATED WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR IT FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE IS NOT GETTING SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF GAS AND IT WILL STALL. IT TAKES A NOTICEABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE ENGINE TO RESPOND TO THE DEMAND FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. UPON CONTACTING THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT ACCELERATION WILL SMOOTH OUT AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS. HOWEVER, SEVEN MONTHS LATER THE HESITATION IS STILL THERE. FROM POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH CAMRY WHICH TOYOTA HAS KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS BUT INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM THE COMPANY HAS TRIED TO ADDRESS IT THROUGH TSBS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, EG056-06 AND EG036-07. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH 2010 CAMRY AND EXPERIENCE OF MANY OTHER 2010 CAMRY OWNERS POSTED ON THE WEB IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO EXIST. IN ADDITION TO BEING A DESIGN FLAW IT IS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE CAR DOES NOT REACT NORMALLY WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR GETTING ON A HIGHWAY. CAR'S HESITATION BEFORE PICKING UP SPEED CAN LEAD DRIVER TO MISJUDGE THE TIME NEEDED TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC WHICH CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT. REGRETFULLY THIS IS JUST ONE OTHER SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS OPTED TO IGNORE. IT MAYBE WORTHWHILE TO NOTE THAT THIS ACCELERATION HESITATION PROBLEM IS TIED TO THE SAME ELECTRONIC MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE SPEED OF THE CAR AND ACCORDING TO MANY EXPERTS MAYBE THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF CAMRY'S SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY IN OCT-2009 AND I REALIZED AFTER 2-3 WEEKS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THERE. THE RPM GOES HIGH (AND TRIES TO STAY THERE) WHEN DOWN-SHIFTING EVEN WITHOUT THE LEG IS OFF THE GAS PADDLE. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT DOWNSHIFTING MAY INCREASE RPM BUT THEN I FEEL LIKE IT WANTS TO STAY THERE BY MEANS OF SOME UN-INTENDED ACCELERATION. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG, I JUST IGNORED THE ISSUE BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND LET THEM MESS IT UP FURTHER. I THOUGHT THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE IT IS A NEW CAR. AFTER FEW MILES DRIVEN, THE ISSUE WILL GO AWAY. BUT WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE UN-INTENDED ACCELERATION IN JANUARY 2010, I REALIZED THAT THE ISSUE IS MORE SERIOUS AND I SHOULD NOT IGNORE ANY MORE. I WENT TO DEALER BUT AS I EXPECTED, THEY DID NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR RUNS AS PER DESIGN. I WENT FOR THE RECALL TOO BUT IT DID NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. BEING AN ENGINEER, I MYSELF HAVE ESTABLISHED FEW SIMPLE TEST CASES WHERE ONE CAN PROVE THAT THERE IS DEFINATELY SOMETHING WRONG IN THE CAR. AND IF THE CAR RUNS AS PER DESIGN, THEN THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG IN THE DESIGN ITSELF. I KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT GOING TO WORK. I PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE SO THAT I CAN KEEP ON DRIVING IT NICELY FOR YEARS TO COME BUT I NEVE EXPECT IT TO BE GOING TO GARAGE FOR SUCH A SERIOUS ISSUE IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS! I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SATISFACTORY ANSWER/SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM SO FAR.

HAVE 2010 CAMRY NEXT DAY AFTER PURCHASE CAR STARTED MAKING A POPPING NOISE TOOK TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS MAKING NOISE, WOULD CHECK WITH OUTSIDE TECH HAD TO CALL THEM AFTER WAITING FOR OVER A WEEK. SERVICE DEPT. MGR TELLS ME IT IS NORMAL THAT ALL CAMRYS MAKE THE NOISE THAT IT IS THE ABS ACTUATOR. NEW CARS SHOULD NOT BE MAKING A LOUD NOISE. IF THIS IS NORMAL WHY DIDN'T THEY KNOW WHAT IS WAS THE FIRST TIME I TOOK CAR IN? SERVICE MGR. TOLD ME TO TURN THE RADIO ON AND I WOULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE. CAR AUTOMATICALLY SLOWED DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHTTIME, HAD FOOT ON ACCELERATOR, IF A CAR HAD BEEN BEHIND ME THEY WOULD HAVE HIT ME, PUT MORE PRESSURE ON ACC. BUT ENGINE JUST REVIVED WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY TURN ENGINE OFF AND RESTART CAR WOULD NOT CHANGE INTO GEAR AS IT SHOULD SEEMED AS IF HUNG IN LOW. HAVE HAD BRAKE PEDAL GO TO FLOOR AS IF NO BRAKES. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALERSHIP SERV. DEPT BUT KEPT BEING TOLD NOTHING SHOWED UP ON COMPUTER. I TOLD THEM I COULDN'T HELP WHAT WAS OR WASN'T ON COMPUTER BUT THOSE THINGS DID HAPPEN AND WERE HAPPENING. SERV. MGR. TOLD ME THAT IT MUST BE THAT I JUST DECIDED I DIDN'T LIKE THE CAR. AS OF THIS DATE FEB.22 I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING FLOOR MATS OR ACCELERATOR. E-MAILED TOYOTA OVER A WEEK AGO RECEIVED CONFIRM THAT E-MAIL HAD BEEN RECEIVED BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THEM. THESE INSTANCES STARTED AUGUST 1, 2009. *TR