2011 Toyota Camry

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER A CONCRETE PARKING DIVIDER. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FOOT INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

I WAS DRIVING EAST ON SECONDARY ROAD WHEN A DRIVER FAILED TO STOP AND HIT MY CAR; FIRST IMPACT HIT AT MY DRIVERS SIDE AT FRONT LEFT OF CAR THEN ALSO SHE HIT THE LEFT BACK SIDE OF MY CAR WHICH SWUNG AROUND AT IMPACT. DRIVER STATED SHE DIDN'T SEE MY CAR. SHE WAS TICKETED AT FAULT AND BOTH OF US WERE TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL. MY CAR'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL, NOT EVEN THE SIDE IMPACT BAGS! I HIT MY HEAD ON EITHER THE WINDOW OR THE UPPER DOOR AND SUSTAINED A HEMATOMA ON MY TOP LEFT SKULL AND POSSIBLE CONCUSSION AS WELL AS NECK AND BACK INJURIES. MY VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. A TOYOTA OFFICIAL TOLD ME LATER THAT FROM EVERYTHING HE KNOWS, THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS INSTANCE,

I PURCHASED MY 2011 CAMRY SLE USED THROUGH THE TOYOTA DEALER IN JAN. 2014, MY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED FOR JUST OVER A YEAR BEFORE I NOTICED THIS ISSUE. I HAD BRAND NEW TIRES PUT ON THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING. NOW, A YEAR LATER, I FEEL A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS OF 55-70MPH. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE TIRES CHECKED WHERE I PURCHASED THEM AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY FRONT STRUTS WERE LEAKING CAUSING THE VIBRATION AND MY TIRES TO WEAR UNEVEN (HIGH/LOW SPOTS IN ALL TIRES). I BROUGHT MY CAR TO TOYOTA (AFTER HAVING BEEN THERE THE WEEK BEFORE FOR A SERVICE) AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE ONLY LEAKING SLIGHTLY AND THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE AMOUNT LEAKING. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF ANY LEAKING ISSUES AT MY SERVICE AND IT WAS EVEN NOTED THAT THEY WERE CHECKED AND FINE. I REPLACED THE FRONT TWO TIRES AGAIN A BOUT A MONTH AGO THINKING IT MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT THERE IS STILL A VIBRATION AND NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. I WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC THAT THEY TYPICALLY GET REPLACED AT $70,000 BUT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THEM AND THAT I SHOULD RETURN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPLACED SINCE THEY ARE UNDER WARRANTY.

WHENEVER I AM STOPPED AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SHOOTS FORWARD RAPIDLY. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS ALREADY IN MOTION--ONLY WHEN RESUMING TRAVEL AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, OR WHEN I FIRST GET INTO THE CAR AND BEGIN TRAVEL. I AM CONSCIOUS OF THIS AND REALLY TRY TO EASE DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, BUT I STILL NOTICE A SUDDEN INCREASE IN SPEED, ONE I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE IN OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED (I AM IN MY 60S AND HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES.) I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FOR SAFETY REASONS IN A BUSY INTERSECTION AND ALSO DON'T WANT TO CAUSE MY PASSENGERS OR MYSELF WHIPLASH OR DISCOMFORT WITH A SUDDEN START.

EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE (TOYOTA CAMRY LE 2011 ) IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY ABOUT 19,000 MILES, THE FRONT STRUTS ARE LEAKING AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AS PER MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE STRUTS USUALLY LAST FOR 70,000 MILES AND THEY MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE. I AM THE FIRST OWNER OF THE CAR AND BOUGHT IT FROM A TOYOTA DEALER.

ON SUNDAY EVENING APRIL 12 I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT THE HOLIDAY INN IN EAST BRUNSWICK NJ. WHEN I APPLIED THE BREAK, MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. IT JUMPED THE CURBING IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE, SWIPED THE FRONT OF A PARKED VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A STONE BIRDBATH IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL. MIRACULOUSLY I ESCAPED WITH A RATHER UGLY BRUISE TO MY LEFT FOREARM AND TO MY RIGHT BREAST FROM SEAT BELT PRESSURE. MY AIRBAG DID NOT OPEN. I WILL SEND THE POLICE REPORT IN ANOTHER EMAIL. IT SAYS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A "HANDICAPPED" SPOT. I WAS NOT. I AM NOT HANDICAPPED. IT ALSO SAYS I "INADVERTENTLY" APPLIED THE GAS INSTEAD OF THE BREAK. I NEVER TOLD ANYONE THAT. I WAS FULLY AWAKE, CONSCIOUS AND APPLIED THE BREAK. I SENT A DATA IMAGING AUTHORIZATION AND CONSENT FORM TO [XXX]. I HAVE TO ENTER A PLEA BY MAIL TO CARELESS DRIVING CHARGES BY 5/18/15. I REQUESTED THAT HOLIDAY INN PROVIDE ME WITH SURVEILLANCE VIDEO BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD "DEAL DIRECTLY" WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY. I WAS NOTIFIED ON APRIL 27TH THAT MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. I WAS NOTIFIED ON APRIL 29TH THAT THE VEHICLE'S "BLACK BOX" (FOR LACK OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION AT THE MOMENT) WOULD BE INSPECTED ON APRIL 30TH AND I WOULD RECEIVED A REPORT ON MAY 4TH. I HAVE NO IDEA AS TO WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. I NEED HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR