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A recent lawsuit has one of the world’s largest automakers in its crosshairs over faulty, possibly dangerous brakes. The class-action lawsuit names Toyota for “knowingly selling” 2024-model-year Corolla sedans with brake defects. Should Toyota lose or settle out of court, the automaker could pay millions. 

A crash in a 2024 Toyota Corolla led to a class action lawsuit pointed directly at Toyota over inadequate factory brakes

In March 2024, Valerie Infante was driving her then-new Toyota Corolla when she was forced to brake hard to avoid a crash. Although Infante asserts that she was engaging the vehicle’s brakes, the vehicle “did not respond.” As a result, Infante couldn’t stop in time and crashed the 2024 Toyota Corolla.

The 2024 Toyota Corolla features automatic emergency braking as standard equipment across the lineup. And while Infante’s automatic braking feature did engage, it was too late to prevent the crash. Now, Infante and her legal counsel are launching a class action lawsuit against Toyota, citing defective brakes.

According to Top Class Actions, the lawsuit suggests affected vehicles are “unsafe to drive,” and that Toyota “refused to accept responsibility for the alleged brake defect and failed to offer a repair or remedy for the issue.”

“Toyota has failed to disclose to its actual and potential customers that its 2024 Corolla vehicles suffer from the brake defect,” the class action suit says. It then goes on to say that the defect could present a “dangerous risk of the car’s brakes failing to perform in critical moments.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Toyota spent millions to move past a lawsuit. Late last year, Toyota agreed to an out-of-court settlement to resolve an issue pertaining to faulty airbag control units (ACUs) in certain vehicle models from 2011 to 2019. 

That settlement amounted to $78.5 million. However, the claims named seven different models spanning a nine-model-year span. Infante’s class action lawsuit, on the other hand, is specific to the 2024 Toyota Corolla. 

As of now, Toyota hasn’t issued any recalls for brakes in the 2024 Corolla. However, in November of last year, Toyota recalled 2023 and 2024 model year Corollas for a faulty steering shaft that could increase the likelihood of a crash.

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, an admitted petrolhead, and an avid motorcyclist. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and Humvees. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with expertise covering everything from sports cars and electric motorcycles to pontoon boats and jet skis. Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He also studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC). When he’s not working, you can find Erik on his motorcycle or out for a spirited drive.