Toyota Is Accused of Fraud in Brake Defect Suit
Charging that Toyota USA has failed to notify car owners of an alleged “brake pulsation” defect on its 1983-1986 Camry models, a Los Angeles public interest law firm announced Wednesday that it is suing the auto giant in a nationwide class-action lawsuit.
Shuddering problems caused by the pulsation can result in “severe” steering difficulties and “grossly uneven deterioration of the tires,” the Center for Law in the Public Interest maintains in the civil suit, which accuses Toyota of fraud and deceit.
According to the suit, Toyota first informed its dealers in March, 1986, about methods to relieve the brake pulsation and followed up a year later with additional instructions to dealers. But Toyota never informed consumers about the problem and dealers have frequently charged customers for repairs, said John R. Phillips, co-director of the center.
“If an owner came in and complained loudly enough, and said I know it’s your problem, they would fix it (at no cost),” Phillips said. “But if you are an unsuspecting person and thought it was unique to your car, they’d fix it and charge you, or not fix it.”
The necessary repairs can cost from $790 to $1,380 per vehicle, not including the cost of replacing worn tires and other parts, the lawsuit charges. Although it is unclear how many of an estimated 400,000 Camrys are affected by the problem, the suit states, the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety has received more than 1,000 letters from car owners following a brief mention in a recent issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Toyota spokesman Debra Sanchez said Wednesday that company officials would have no immediate comment on the suit since they had not yet received a copy of it .
But Sanchez acknowledged that Toyota has received complaints from Camry owners and advised those experiencing brake pulsation to bring their vehicles to dealers. Dealers “judge on a case-by-case basis,” whether the consumer must pay for such repairs if the cars are no longer on warranty, she said.
“We have heard through certain customers that they have experienced minor brake pulsation in which neither brake effectiveness nor steering control is affected in any way,” Sanchez added. “This is not a safety issue and it is not unique to Toyota vehicles.”
Kathleen Fjermedal, a Santa Monica nurse who is named in the class-action suit, said Wednesday that she spent at least $600 on repairs before learning that her car was not the only one experiencing the pulsations.
“In the beginning, you think there’s a problem but you’re not sure,” she said. “Then it intensifies . . . . It got so bad that when you put the car in reverse . . . it was very hard to control the steering wheel, it would vibrate so bad.”
