2000 TOYOTA ECHO Complaints

I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL CRASH YESTERDAY (OCTOBER 12,2006). THE REASON FOR MY COMPLAINT WAS THAT THE CRASH WAS PRETTY BAD, THE WHOLE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAD MY SEAT BELT, BUT THE IMPACT MADE ME HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE POLICE EVEN ASKED IF I HAD AIRBAGS, ONCE THEY CHECKED THAT IT DID, THEY WERE AMAZED THEY DIDN'T DEPLOY. *NM

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA ECHO. I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL DESIGNATED: "SSC 40K - 2000 MODEL YEAR CELICA AND ECHO BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER INSPECTION SAFETY RECALL NOTICE". I TOOK THE CAR TO OXMOOR TOYOTA IN LOUISVILLE, KY BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL NOTICE WOULD NOT BE HONORED UNLESS I AGREED TO GIVE UP MY RIGHTS TO JUDICIAL REMEDIES IN FAVOR OF ARBITRATION. I REFUSED TO DO SO AND OXMOOR TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL NOTICE. OXMOOR TOYOTA IS LOCATED AT 8107 SHELBYVILLE ROAD, LOUISVILLE, KY 40222. I BELIEVE THAT THIS REFUSAL VIOLATES THE SPIRIT OF THE RECALL PROGRAM AND EFFECTIVELY DENIES ME THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. PLEASE ADVISE ME REGARDING NHTSA'S POSITION ON THIS MATTER. I APPRECIATE YOU HELP. BENJAMIN L. GARDNER, 1402 BRUSH JUMP LANE, GOSHEN, KY 40026 (502)585-3100. *NM

TODAY I WRITE TO YOU WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT REPORTED BY JB ON MARCH 9, 2002. LAST YEAR I WAS TOLD THE VERY SAME THING BY A TOYOTA SERVICE MECHANIC WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS EVALUATED. I HAVE A MECHANIC IN MY FAMILY WHO ANALYZED THE ENGINE, SENT IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. HOWEVER, WHEN I HAVE TO RENEW MY INSPECTION STICKER, THEY INFORMED ME IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY FAIL DUE TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! PLEASE INVESTIGATE AS I SUSPECT MANY MORE ECHO OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE JUST NOT REPORTED IT.*JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER CAR HOME FROM WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 WHEN SHE NOTICED A BURNING PLASTIC SMELL IN HER CAR. SHE HAD STOPPED OFF AT A LOCAL STORE AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT THE SMELL. SHE CAME OUT OF THE STORE AND STARTED DRIVING HOME A FEW MINUTES LATER STILL NOTICING THE SMELL. SHE PROCEEDED HOME AND HER CONSOLE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND NOTICED THE SMELL BECOMING STRONGER...SHE PARKED THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE AND INFORMED ME ABOUT IT...I WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND NOTICED A LITTLE SMOKE AND THE SMELL THAT SHE HAD DESCRIBED...I GRABBED THE CONSOLE DIMMER SWITCH AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND FELL OFF...I TOOK APART THE PLASTIC HOUSING THAT THE KNOB IS ATTACHED TO AND SAW A SMALL FLAME ON THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THE WIRES THAT ATTACHED TO THE DIMMER SWITCH...I BLEW THE SMALL FLAME OUT, DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND CUT THE DIMMER SWITCH AWAY FROM THE WIRES TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN...ONCE REMOVED I PICKED UP THE DIMMER SWITCH AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND THE PLASTIC WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED...I CAN PROVIDE PICTURES OF THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THE MELTED PLASTIC HOUSING IF YOUR AGENCY IS INTERESTED...I WAS ALSO DOING SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS AND FOUND A WEBSITE FROM AUSTRALIA THAT HAS RECALLED THIS PARTICULAR SWITCH IN THEIR COUNTRY... HTTP://WWW.RECALLS.GOV.AU/VIEW_RECALL_DETAIL.PHP?RECALL_ID_AUTO=13721. *JB

DEAR SIR/MADAM, WHILE ON YOUR WEBSITE, I DISCOVERED THE DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS AND COMPLAINTS. TODAY I WRITE TO YOU WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT REPORTED BY JB ON MARCH 9, 2002,"I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE TOYOTA ECHO 2000. RECENTLY WHEN GOING TO THE MECHANIC I WAS INFORMED THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. HOW? AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE CAN IT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 81000 MILES. BACK IN MAR 2002 THE SHIFT AND BRAKES IN THE CAR WAS GIVING MYSELF PROBLEMS WHEN THE MECHANIC SAW IT THEY FELT NOTHING WAS WRONG. ON MY OWN EXPENSE I PUT NEW BRAKES AND TIRES TO BE CERTAIN". I WAS TOLD THE VERY SAME THING BY A TOYOTA SERVICE MECHANIC WHEN I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN TO HAVE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ANALYZED. MY REGULAR MECHANIC WHO IS A VERY GOOD MECHANIC, ANALYZED THE ENGINE IN FALL OF 2004, HE SENT IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, AND FOUND THE TRANSMISSION TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! PLEASE INVESTIGATE AS I SUSPECT MANY MORE ECHO OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE JUST NOT REPORTED IT. *JB

I WAS DRIVING FROM FLORIDA AFTER A VACATION. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2-3 HOURS OF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE OF AIRFLOW AND COOLNESS FROM MY A/C UNIT. I SHUT IT OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND TRIED DIFFERENT LEVEL OF AIR FLOW AND COOLING AND NO CHANGE. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION AND FOUND THERE TO BE CONDENSATION ON A TUBE UNDER MY HOOD. AFTER STOPPING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN DRIVING WITHOUT THE A/C FOR 20 MINUTES I TURNED THE A/C BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. *JB

CONSUMER OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA ECHO AND HAS RECENTLY MOVED AND WOULD LIKE TO STILL RECEIVE RECALL INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLE.*MR

CONSUMER STATES: ALL THE TIME THERE WAS A CONSTANT CLANKING NOISE. BRAKES CAUSED A PROBLEM. SCREECHING SOUND WHEN PUSHING ON THE BRAKES, AND WHEN STOPPING MADE A SOUND LIKE A TRUCK. TOOK TO DEALER TWICE THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. VEHICLE STOPPED ON ITS OWN. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND STILL HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE TOYOTA ECHO 2000. RECENTLY WHEN GOING TO THE MECHANIC I WAS INFORMED THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. HOW? AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE CAN IT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 81000 MILES. BACK IN MAR 2002 THE SHIFT AND BRAKES IN THE CAR WAS GIVING MYSELF PROBLEMS WHEN THE MECHANIC SAW IT THEY FELT NOTHING WAS WRONG. ON MY OWN EXPENSE I PUT NEW BRAKES AND TIRES TO BE CERTAIN. *JB