DETROIT — Regulators are investigating complaints that power-assisted brakes can fail in Camry gas-electric hybrids.
The probe covers about 30,000 of the mid-size cars from the 2007-2008 model years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has 59 complaints about intermittent loss of power-brake assist. The agency said the problem happens without warning. It causes increased stopping distances and requires more pedal pressure to stop the car.
Two crashes have been reported, but no injuries. The agency said 24 incidents happened at speeds of 40 miles per hour or more.
A Camry owner said in June that the brake warning lights came on and his brakes failed while the car was approaching a pedestrian crossing. ‘‘I did a sharp evasive turn and hit the curb hard in an attempt not to run over pedestrians in the crossing!’’ the driver wrote. The dashboard lights then disappeared and brakes functioned normally, the owner wrote. A dealer at first found no trouble codes in the car’s computer. After further testing, the dealer said there was a problem with the brake control computer.
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