Hybrid Corolla 22 accident - back wheel fell

[FROSTYBALLS]

I wouldn't advise paying for an inspection. Where would that get you?

The car is being repaired by your insurer, and if their body repairer decides it is a safety issue that Toyota needs to be aware of, I would think the insurer would take the necessary steps to advise your importer, Toyota Ireland.

If you want to separately make Toyota Ireland aware of a potential issue, fine. It will then be up to the importer to decide whether an inspection by their own people is needed.

They may not be interested in a third party report.

[Italo]

8 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I believed your car might get written off.
The thing is that it doesn’t look like a impact damage but more like faulty part and it’s very important the dealer or insurance company who access it to escalate further with Toyota headquarters so Toyota are aware and run their investigation. Or perhaps you get in touch with them, send an email with pictures. 

This is the strongest metal part you can find in any car and to be broken by the impact force the car would have been totally destroyed and the suspension would have been gone beyond recognition. However we can see we have intact suspension with only hub and disc broken. ⚠️

What happened then: 

- the hub assembly unexpectedly broke and locked  the wheel, attached only by the brake disc.
The car went uncontrollable because it’s the same as you do a parking brake turn at speed resulting oversteer and lost of control while under the weight of the car the disc got broken and the wheel went off leaving  the car 3 wheeler and the following crash. 
No further damage to suspension parts except dust protection for the disc. 
Toyota needs to look at this case very seriously as other similar cars might get this unfortunate situation. 

Thanks Tony.

I am in contact with the service manager, I will speak with him about it.

[Italo]

13 hours ago, flash22 said:

That rear wheel has taken a hard impact to shear a rear hub like that, that needs a lot more in-depth inspection, as it could have damaged the suspension and rear subframe

it looks like a write off to me, get an independent inspection done

There was no impact in that wheel, if is need we have witnesses.

thats why I am still holding the insurance to repair it…

[Chippy01]

If I were you Italo, and you are sure that the hub shaft just snapped causing your wife to lose control, I would be contacting Toyota's Head Office.

Toyota Ireland
Toyota House
Killeen rd 12 Co. Dublin
City of Dublin
Phone number:
(01)4507088

Phone them up and say that you would like to speak to someone regarding a serious safety issue with your Corolla Hybrid Saloon.
Also ask for an email address so you can send off the pictures you have showing your concerns.
Or better still, print off the pictures and take them up to Killeen Road yourself, and talk to someone face to face.

Don't get the car repaired until someone from Toyota's Head Office has inspected it, and don't let them fob you off. Chase them up every day if needs be.
Your car is barely a year old. It should probably just be replaced - by Toyota Ireland.

[Italo]

59 minutes ago, Chippy01 said:

If I were you Italo, and you are sure that the hub shaft just snapped causing your wife to lose control, I would be contacting Toyota's Head Office.

Toyota Ireland
Toyota House
Killeen rd 12 Co. Dublin
City of Dublin
Phone number:
(01)4507088

Phone them up and say that you would like to speak to someone regarding a serious safety issue with your Corolla Hybrid Saloon.
Also ask for an email address so you can send off the pictures you have showing your concerns.
Or better still, print off the pictures and take them up to Killeen Road yourself, and talk to someone face to face.

Don't get the car repaired until someone from Toyota's Head Office has inspected it, and don't let them fob you off. Chase them up every day if needs be.
Your car is barely a year old. It should probably just be replaced - by Toyota Ireland.

Thanks @Chippy01

really appreciate it.

will do it this week.

[Italo]

On 5/19/2023 at 7:21 PM, Italo said:

Hi folks,

Apologies if I am using the wrong channel, but just to get some opinion.

3 weeks ago my wife was driving close to my place and she lost the control of the car and crashed it in a guardrail.

The car despite being around 35/40km had a lot of damage in front where it hit.

my doubt is, whe I arrived at the accident local the guys from the ambulance + Garda suggested me to take pictures of the back wheel because there is no reason for it fall.

I took it, you can see attached, but I up to now my car is in the insurance garage and both the mechanic and the expert were not very convincing and already suggested starting the car repair. Next week  I will have another inspection of the car, but honestly I still don't feel safe to get this far back and put my family in. 

My new born was in the car during the accident.

If someone had this problem, or have any advice that would be great.

thanks,

In need to get the pictures of the front of the car I will take this week.

the picture of the front of the car was take before the car accident I am just showing for you see the model and year of the car.

but regarding the back wheel there is no damage in the wheel, I will take more pictures of it  and post it here too.

I just can’t understand how the axle broke…

See the local where the accident happened. I attached the files.

[FROSTYBALLS]

First thoughts are that the kerb could have impacted in-board of the wheel, which is why the brake disc was damaged, the wheel forced off, and why there is no impact damage on the outer surface of the wheel. 

Presumably with the other three wheels already on the pavement, the car would have been off-kilter, and the damaged area at a lower position.

I still find it difficult to believe the speed was only around 40kph (25mph).

[Cyker]

Could also be there was some pre-existing damage and it was just slowly getting worse until it let go?

[Italo]

9 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

First thoughts are that the kerb could have impacted in-board of the wheel, which is why the brake disc was damaged, the wheel forced off, and why there is no impact damage on the outer surface of the wheel.

I still find it difficult to believe the speed was only around 40kph (25mph).

No, the back wheel did not hit the curb, because with the force of the impact the car was crossed and not diagonally. the guard himself found it very strange. and in terms of speed it is a 50KM/h road, the entrance to my house is about 100/150 meters away.

[Italo]

24 minutes ago, Cyker said:

Could also be there was some pre-existing damage and it was just slowly getting worse until it let go?

Thats what I am most afraid.

I can’t imagine my family and in a car ~100km/h. It would be tragic.

[FROSTYBALLS]

At the end of the day, all members can do is offer conjecture on what may or may not have happened. 

Neither they nor you were present when the accident happened.

Really I cannot see value in further thoughts on cause and effect, etc, as no-one here is going to be able to give a definitive answer given the limited information available.

By all means contact Toyota Ireland and see whether they wish to investigate.

[yossarian247]

In the pic showing the car with the wheel missing there is a clear scrape mark in the tarmac where the brake caliper or suspension arm has dragged along the ground. Can you see how far back that mark goes along the road? It might give you some indication of where it initially happened.

[Bernard Foy]

3 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

At the end of the day, all members can do is offer conjecture on what may or may not have happened. 

Neither they nor you were present when the accident happened.

Really I cannot see value in further thoughts on cause and effect, etc, as no-one here is going to be able to give a definitive answer given the limited information available.

By all means contact Toyota Ireland and see whether they wish to investigate.

 

Of course what you say is correct Frosty and non of us were present or witnessed the actual incident. However, we as members can advise as to the best course of action to take going forward and I think that is what ITALO was looking for. The final choice of course is his.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Just now, Bernard Foy said:

Of course what you say is correct Frosty and non of us were present or witnessed the actual incident. However, we as members can advise as to the best course of action to take going forward and I think that is what ITALO was looking for. The final choice of course is his.

Which has already been given in earlier posts .....

[Italo]

21 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

At the end of the day, all members can do is offer conjecture on what may or may not have happened. 

Neither they nor you were present when the accident happened.

Really I cannot see value in further thoughts on cause and effect, etc, as no-one here is going to be able to give a definitive answer given the limited information available.

By all means contact Toyota Ireland and see whether they wish to investigate.

 

I wasn’t expecting anything more.

really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[DerekHa]

Hi Italo,

At the risk of having it bitten off, am going to put my old copper's head back on, having finally read through this post.

Looking at the images you've posted I notice that where rear drivers side axle is shown sheared off there is also a very visible gouge in the tarmac road surface. You could do with photgraphing or taking a video of the road again as that gouge will give a good indication of the path the vehicle took after the axle sheared and the brake disc also broke.

Also looking at the image of the inner face of the rear wheel it only shows two sites of damage around the inner rim of the alloy wheel. So my opion is that the inner edge of that wheel wasn't rotating at road speeds to sustain such minimal damage.

Now looking at the accident/impact scene there is clear evidence of somothing like a road wheel having hit the kerb and travelled for some distance, clear striations left by something that was rotating (like the outer rim of an alloy road wheel), whilst it moving at some speed and hard up against the concrete kerb stone.

I can't see any damage to what you call the guard rails you speak off.

You need to take a lot more images if you suspect that the axle sheared and this caused the ensueing loss of control and subsequent damage. The makrs on the road and damage on the drivers side rear axle indicate to me that the car was travelling on the wrong side of the road at that point.

If you have images taken quite soon after the time this happened there should be debris left in the road either at or very close to the actual point(s) of impact(s), motor vehicle will almost always drop all sorts crap and broken parts in the road at these impact locations. It's one of the evidential things a Police Accident Investigator will look for when looking into Road Traffic Collisions. As no one was injured, thankfully, let alone seriously, in this day and age I doubt the Guarda will look into this in any depth.

So your pretty much on your own and you'll have to gather your own evidence, photographs and video will provide lots of information. There's quite a lot in those images but if you want prove Toyota at fault you'll need everything you can get hold of.

[Italo]

21 minutes ago, yossarian247 said:

In the pic showing the car with the wheel missing there is a clear scrape mark in the tarmac where the brake caliper or suspension arm has dragged along the ground. Can you see how far back that mark goes along the road? It might give you some indication of where it initially happened.

I checked it today. 
unfortunately there is nothing there anymore.

[flash22]

Proving that the rear axle/hub failing that caused the incedent is the hard part, previous damge like hitting a manhole or curb may have been a factor

get the trip data off MyT that will tell you the speed, do you have a dash cam

[AisinW]

On 5/20/2023 at 1:47 PM, Italo said:

Thanks…

about the insurance fee I am expecting something big next year… when at the first time O reported them the accident they already said me that the price would considerably increase…

It is always better and cheaper to switch different insurance after large bill.  Other insurance will not slap us with large price rate than the original who paid those bill. I did it long ago and switch it back to them after 2-3 years. 2 years is typical they go back to the same rate.   My wife caused accident that cost $7000 damage and we switched from Geico to Allstate. I saved $300 a year that way. But Allstate did not decreased the rate after 2 years, so I made quote with Geico again 2 years after the accident. Surpise!, Geico gave me $160 cheaper than Allstate and forgive my accident after 2 years.  I am not sure how it works in UK. But staying with the same insurance after large bill is always bad.

[TonyHSD]

To me really looks like a defective part that gave away unexpectedly.
The breaking point is between both ball rows.
The broken part as seen on the pictures  shows  no signs of corrosion, abrasion or overheating., something that can eventually weaken the structure of the metal axle. It’s not also pulled out as it had been hit into kerb or pothole. The bearing groves look clean with grease white in colour , not burned or anything to show abnormalities.
No serious damage to the wheel or tyre, or suspension. 
Here how hubs are made, while metal been hardened most likely something went wrong and weakened the axle. This is my theory only that makes sense to me.