Toyota Camry owners in New York may be interested to learn that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun probing numerous safety-related complaints regarding the vehicle. More specifically, at least 30,000 Camry Hybrid sedans from 2007 and 2008 are under evaluation following reports of losses to their assisted braking capability – 40 percent of such incidents are believed to have occurred at speeds greater than 40 mph. NHTSA representatives claim to have received 59 such complaints, most of which have been reported in the last eight months alone. In response, Toyota has released a statement saying that it intends to comply with the government’s investigation.
Although the matter has not risen to the level of recall at this time, the NHTSA has already linked the error to two separate car accidents and is in the process of determining whether any fatalities or injuries have resulted. According to the agency, the defect may cause increased brake pedal resistance that can make it significantly harder to stop the vehicle when required.
Contrary to many people’s belief, even relatively low-velocity accidents can be sufficient to cause serious muscular trauma, particularly in the case of rear-end accidents. Given that, rear-end collisions at highway speeds of 40 mph or more can be exceedingly dangerous for both parties involved. If defective automobile manufacturing is even partially to blame for such an incident, the company may be obligated to provide some form of compensation to all injured parties involved.
Numerous state and federal regulations govern the safe assembly, distribution and maintenance of such vehicles in the United States. If an accident victim suspects that manufacturing flaws somehow contributed to their injury, their attorney may be able to conduct an investigation into the vehicle’s parent company to ascertain whether such regulations were appropriately adhered to and hold them accountable if they were not.
Source: Edmunds, “Feds Probe 2007-’08 Toyota Camry Hybrid After Reports of Brake System Malfunction“, Anita Lienert, January 27, 2014
