Brakes are slow and difficult to engage; produce long stops or none. Toyota says brakes are functioning as they're designed to (which means brakes are designed to be unsatisfactory) and does nothing; arbitration hearing found in favor of Toyota, despite consumer reports (2005) finding that brakes were spongy and stops long. I'm not sure why this is the case but suspect drum type brake not adequate for car of this weight; however, the whole system may be at fault. The consumer was told the performance of the brakes was due to a device called a double or dual link pedal assembly that will soon be required in all new vehicles.

- Richmond, VA, USA

On a clear day the morning of June 14, 2005, I was driving South in the slow lane of highway 95 in Florida. All of a sudden I heard the driver in the middle lane blow his horn. At this moment I felt that the car was dragging me on one side to the left. I tried to stop the car by pressing on the brakes. The brakes were non existent and the car kept going left, hit a pick up truck in the middle lane (truck turned upside down, driver on the pavement); passed the fast lane and through the median; finally got stuck in the mud (thank god it rained the night before) near the northbound lane. My car was towed to the nearest dealer with $4,000 worth of damages. My insurance has to replace the other driver's car. Both drivers were injured in the crash.

- Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA