Bowler1,
When the mechanic removes the part, have him pack it carefully and give it to you so that it can be properly examined. Then report the incident to Toyota AND the federal agency that tracks this. For some reason NTSB sticks in my mind but I am not sure that is the correct agency. Yo want record of this failure and documentation as it may have happened before and could happen again. There should be a serial number on the part or at least Toyota can research by the VIN to determine the supplier and lot and serial number of the part. It might be that the brake line manufacturer had a run of bad parts and did not know.
Once the report is filed and investigated then Toyota might issue a TSB or if there are enough complaints a recall.
As to your concerns about your and your family's safety... you are absolutely right in feeling the way that you do. It could have been much more serious and someone could have been killed. Thankfully this was not the case and only result was a little extra money spent and a lot of inconvenience and fear factor.
This kind of thing happens with all machines at some point. A vehicle is a very complicated machine that requires precision an wherewithal in manufacturing, maintenance and operation. Sometimes things happen. We hear about it on the news. Your survival in this situation was the result of a cool head and the proper conditions and maybe even a little luck. I am overjoyed things turned out the way they did instead of the way they could have.
As to the ability to stop the vehicle with only 20% braking or whatever was left... try not to focus on that and not get caught up in the naysayers that feel you should have or could have.
Remember back when people were reporting the ignition switch issues with GM vehicles and there was the big deal over people loosing control and crashing after the vehicle lost power? When I was in high school driver ed they taught us how to control the vehicle when it lost power. They taught s that you still had brakes and steering and how to downshift and what to do. Many of those injured and killed could likely have brought their vehicle to a complete stop had they not panicked when the engine died. Sure. They could have but the point is that they did not and they crashed.
It is a testament to your abilities that you kept a cool head and did what you KNEW to do to bring your vehicle to a stop.
As to GM... They had to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles to correct the problem. Thing is that there HAD to be reports before they could act. Had it only been one vehicle then they would have passed it off as a defect, but when there were sufficient reports then they HAD to act. That is why it is important for you to get your situation documented with the proper agency and with Toyota. Who knows, your situation may lead them to find another supplier for that particular part.
I am not sure what you are looking for here but I would say that in the least, your getting the report filed and on record would go a long way toward satisfaction. Were it me I might even ask for the extra expenses incurred such as the camp ground fees and the repair costs.
I agree, 29K miles is way too soon for a part like that to fail unless it was damaged by road debris or some other outside factor.
