NHTSA complaint #11764744

Owner complaint summary

On XXX, at approximately 7:30–7:50 a.m., the driver was traveling northbound on the [XXX] in [XXX] during heavy rain. While the vehicle was moving, it unexpectedly began steering or correcting its direction without the driver intending it to do so. At approximately the same time, the vehicle lost acceleration and the brakes did not respond normally. The driver attempted to stabilize and regain control of the vehicle, but the vehicle continued losing speed and could not be controlled normally. This created an immediate risk of being struck from behind while traveling in the express lanes. The vehicle ultimately collided with the express-lane concrete barrier. No other vehicle was involved. The airbags did not deploy. Police responded to the crash and a police report was created. Medical evaluation was obtained at an emergency room following the incident because of pain after the collision. The vehicle was towed to a collision repair center and remains available for inspection. The insurance company has inspected the collision damage and prepared a repair estimate. The incident was reported to the manufacturer’s Consumer Affairs department. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle’s behavior was “expected” or normal and stated that the airbags may not have deployed because the impact did not meet the required threshold. However, the manufacturer has not provided a complete technical inspection report explaining the unexpected steering intervention, loss of acceleration, and abnormal braking response that occurred before the collision. The driver does not recall receiving a warning that adequately explained these problems before the vehicle became difficult to control. The exact component or electronic system responsible is currently unknown. I am requesting that NHTSA review the steering, braking, speed-control, driver-assistance, and electronic systems as a potential safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)