2003 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

ON JANUARY 7, 2006 AT ABOUT 2:30 A.M. MY DAUGHTER, [XXX] DROVE BACK HOME TO SAN MATEO FROM SANTA CRUZ IN A TOYOTA COROLLA LE OF 2003 WITH A[XXX] AND [XXX]. AS SHE DROVE ON HIGHWAY 17 NEAR SAN JOSE SHE TRIED TO STEP ON THE FOOT BRAKE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY CONTROL AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MILES PER HOUR WHILE GOING DOWN THE WINDING SLOPE. HOWEVER THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE NO BRAKE AND STARTED SPINNING WITH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FRONT FIRST HIT THE CENTRAL CONCRETE DIVIDER THEN THE TAIL ALSO HIT THE DIVIDER AND THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. NO THIRD PARTY WAS INJURED AND NO PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT MY DAUGHTER GOT SOME BRUISES ON HER LEFT THIGH AND THE CAR ENDED UP WITH A TOTAL LOSS. MY DAUGHTER THEN UNBUCKLED HERSELF FROM THE CAR SEAT AND CALLED THE POLICE WITH HER CELL PHONE THROUGH WHICH SHE WAS ADVISED TO CALL A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AT THE SCENE THE DRIVER SAID TO MY DAUGHTER THAT THE CAR GOT NO BRAKE AND HE HAD TO PUT ADDITIONAL CHAINS AND STOPPERS TO SECURE THE CAR WHILE TOWING. SURPRISINGLY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE CAR WAS DEPLOYED IN THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO MY RECORDS, THE CAR WAS FULLY SERVICED BY THE DEALER, TOYOTA 101 IN REDWOOD CITY JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND AS RECENT AS A WEEK AGO THAT I HAD THE CAR'S ENGINE BELT CHANGED ALSO BY TOYOTA 101 BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING I SUSPECT THAT THERE MUST BE SOME DEFECT IN THE CAR SAFETY SYSTEM INCLUDING THE AIRBAGS AND FOOT BRAKE. I AND MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANAGER OF TOYOTA 101 BY PHONE FOR NUMEROUS TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT CAN HELP AND BRING THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA 101 WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH AN INCIDENT DUE TO THE DEFECT. *JB UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DEAR NHTSA, I PURCHASED A 2003 CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED TOYOTA COROLLA LE ON 9/17/05. I LOVE THE CAR, AND IT GETS EXCELLENT GAS MILEAGE. HOWEVER, I RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR: -THE CAR STALLS AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND SPUTTERS AND JERKS LIKE IT IS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. -THE RESUME FUNCTION ON THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKS OCCASIONALLY, BUT NOT ALL OF THE TIME. I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO TOYOTA DEALERS IN THIS AREA, BUT THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ON 12/16/05, I'M TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM, AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL FIX IT. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING FUMES ENTERING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. *** NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *TS UPDATED 11/7/2005 - THE CONSUMER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. THE MANUFACTURER INSTRUCTED THE CONSUMER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE VEHICLE STATING THAT FUMES ENTERING THE VEHICLE WAS NORMAL. *NM

ON 10-12-2005 TOYOTA COROLLA 2003 MODEL. OPENED CAR DOOR AND TURNED CAR ON. THEN PLACED REAR DEFROSTER ON WHEN THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AND BROKE. IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE. THE POLICE DETERMINED IT WAS NOT FROM ANY IMPACT. THE REPORT STATES DEFECT OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION. *NM

FUMES ENTERING THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH AIR VENTS. THIS PROBLEM IS WITH THE VEHICLE FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN IT WAS BOUGHT NEW AND UNTIL NOW. THE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO BRING VEHICLE TO DEALERS. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALERS FOR REPAIR BUT DEALERS COULD NOT FIX THE DEFECT. *JB

1. OUR SON WAS IN AN END-OVER-END ROLLOVER CRASH, WITH HIS SEAT BELT FASTENED. 2. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BENT, EJECTING HIM INTO THE BACK SEAT, WHERE HIS NECK WAS BROKEN. 3. THE CAR WAS TOTALED, AND HE DIED 20 DAYS LATER. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA ON MAY 2003. DURING MAY - JUNE 2005 I NOTICED SEVERAL AIR BUBBLES (1.5" DIAMETER) ON THREE DOOR PANELS SKIN FROM INSIDE. THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR EXPIRED JUST ONE MONTH BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED - ON MAY 11 2004 THE CAR HAD ONLY 33000 + MILES. I CONTACTED AND SHOWED THE CAR TO BRIAN MURRAY. HE PROMISED THAT HE WILL TALK TO TOYOTA AND CALL ME BACK. HE NEVER CALLED BACK, SO I CALLED HIM AFTER ONE WEEK, HE PROMISED THE SAME THING AND NEVER CALLED BACK. I THREATENED THE DEALERSHIP OF GOING ON THE INTERNET WITH THE ISSUE. SERVICE MANAGER - CHRIS BROWN - WROTE ON 29TH AND MENTIONED THAT BRIAN CALLED MY CELL PHONE AND LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES (WHICH IS A FLAT OUT A LIE, I CAN PROVE THAT NO ONE CALLED FROM THE DEALERSHIP THROUGH MY CELL PHONE USAGE RECORDS) AND ASKED ME TO COME BACK TO SHOW THE CAR ONCE AGAIN. I REQUESTED HIM TO TALK TO BRIAN AS HE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THAT WOULD SAVE TIME FOR ALL INVOLVED. UNTIL THIS DATE HE HAS NEITHER CALLED NOR REPLIED TO ANY OF MY SUBSEQUENT EMAILS. I BELIEVE THAT AS THE AIR BUBBLES APPEARED JUST IN THREE YEARS TIME WITH ONLY 33000 + MILES ON CAR IT IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND COMPANY / DEALERSHIP SHOULD HELP CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. I ALSO FEEL THAT AS A LOYAL CUSTOMER FOR OVER THREE YEARS, I WAS ILL TREATED: NO RESPONSE, LIES THAT THEY CALLED WHEN THEY DID NOT, AND NO RESPONSE TO MY REPEATED EMAILS. SEE MY RECENT EMAIL TO THEM - MON, 12 SEP 2005 10:54:37 -0700 (PDT) FROM: "SUDHAKAR LAHADE" ADD TO ADDRESS BOOK TO: "BROWN, CHRIS" , [email protected] MR. CHRIS BROWN, IT HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE YOUR LAST EMAIL AND MORE THAN THREE WEEKS SINCE I WROTE THE FIRST TIME, MORE THAN 50 DAYS SINCE I SHOWED MY CAR AT YOUR DEALERSHIP, AND I AM STILL WHERE I WAS ON THE ISSUE. IN YOUR LAST EMAIL (THE ONLY) YOU MENTIONED "I LOOK FORWARD TO RESOLVING THIS ISSUE FOR YOU" AND I BELIEVED YOU MEANT IT. I HOPE YOU REALIZE THE FRUSTRATIONS!*JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE TAIL PIPE DURING START UP. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE OIL. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST. THERE WAS A PROGRAM TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE FOR TOYOTA CAMRY REGARDING SLUDGE BUILD UP, BUT NOT FOR THE TOYOTA COROLLA. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY NEEDED TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART AND REPLACE NEEDED COMPONENTS. *AK

DT: CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AT 45 MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ADJUSTER TOLD CONSUMER THAT HE SAW THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN CRASHES OR THEY DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A T-BONE CRASH. THE OTHER VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND IT T-BONED THE OTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. CONSUMER WAS FEARFUL THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN FEARING THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD FAIL AGAIN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. TOYOTA HAS BEEN VERY UNCOOPERATIVE AND HUNG UP ON THE CONSUMER. *AK THE MANUFACTURER CONCLUDED THAT THE AIR BAGS OPERATED AS DESIGNED. *JB

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, ACCORDING TO REPAIR SHOP WAS DEFECT FROM COMPANY. LESS THAN 115 MILES LATER THE ENGINE GOES. ACCORDING TO SERVICE MANAGER AND MASTER TECHNICIAN, ENGINE LOOKED GREAT AND COULD FIND NO PROBLEM UNTIL DISCOVERED THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS WARPED AND WAS A "COMMON PROBLEM" . ENGINE AND TRANSIMISSION GONE WITHIN 115 MILES OF EACH OTHER.