2000 TOYOTA ECHO Complaints

WHILE APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. DRIVER PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK TO STOP IT. DEALER WAS INSPECTING VEHICLE.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10MPH SHE WAS TURNING OUT OF PARKING ALLEY WHEN PASSENGER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *AK

WHEN SHIFTING CAR INTO REVERSE, AND THEN PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITH A TERRIBLE NOISE LIKE A BACK FIRE, CONSUMER GOT THROWN FORWARD SO HARD THAT ALMOST WENT THROUGH WINDSHIELD. *AK THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *YH

VEHICLE FEELS UNSTABLIZED. WHEN VEHICLE IS MOVING MORE THAN 50 MPH IT WILL START TO SLIGHTLY SWERVE AND CAUSE CONSUMER TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. IT WOULD FEEL AS IF THERE WAS GUSTY WINDS AGAINST THE VEHICLE, BUT THERE WOULD BE NO WIND OUTSIDE. DEALER HAS NO REMEDY..PLEASE FILL MORE INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN OCCUPANTS SAT IN VEHICLE AND GOT UP, THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE, ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE DEALER WOULD OIL AND ADJUST THE ALTERNATOR BELT, AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THE NOISE REOCCURED AND FINALLY THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM REOCCURED AGAIN.*JB

DRIVER'S SIDE, BEHIND THE DOOR, STRUCTURE WAS COMING APART ABOUT 2 INCHES, WHICH SEEMED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURERED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DRIVER WAS TRAVELING ON ROUTE 1 AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND ENTERED A SWEEPING CURVE AT 2:00 AM IN STAFFORD, VIRGINIA. THE DRIVER WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK AT WALMART. THE ROAD WAS WET DUE TO RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL. UPON ENTERING THE CURVE THE REAREND OF THE ECHO LURCHED WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHICH CAUSED THE REAR OF THE CAR TO SLAM AGAINST THE METAL GUARDRAIL AND TURNOVER ONTO ITS TOP. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS (BOTH SHOULDER AND LAP BELTS). THE STATE POLICE INVESTIGATED AND DID NOT CITE DRIVER SINCE THE DRIVER WAS NOT SPEEDING AND IN FACT WAS DRIVING LESS THAN THE RECOMMENDED SPEED DUE TO WET ROADS. THE DRIVER RECEIVED SEVERAL DEEP LACERATIONS NEAR THE RIGHT EYE WHICH REQUIRED STITCHES AND WILL REQUIRE PLASTIC SURGERY, ACCORDING TO THE ER DOCTOR AT MARY WASHINGTON HOSPITAL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE A HIDDEN HANDLING PROBLEM WITH THE CAR THAT HAS NOT COME TO LIGHT DUE TO THE NEWNESS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. ALSO, WHEN THE REAREND OF THE CAR LOST TRACTION AND SLAMMED INTO THE METAL SIDE BARRIER OF THE ROAD, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY (MAYBE IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO). BOTTOM LINE: THE CAR LOST TRACTION WHEN THE REAR OF THE CAR VIOLENTLY SWUNG OUT DESPITE THE DRIVER TRAVELING AT A SLOW SPEED WHICH MIGHT INDICATE A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CAR. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE AND DRIFTED OFF THE ROAD, CROSSING THREE LANES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK