NHTSA Complaint #10028517 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

ON JULY 7, 2003 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE BATTERY DISCHARGE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD NO STEERING CAPABILITY. I WAS TRAVELLING ABOUT SIXTY MILES PER HOUR ON THE INTERSTATE. I ALMOST HIT THE MEDIAN DIVIDER BEFORE I COULD STEER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CALLED THE DEARLERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY TOLD ME TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED IN, THEY DIDN'T EVEN OFFER TO HAVE IT TOWED. INCIDENTALLY THIS IS A NEW VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 1100 MILES ON IT AND I HAD ONLY DRIVEN THE VEHICLE ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE THE ABOVE HAPPENED. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT MY VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS AND I WENT TO GET MY RAV4 AND ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THE DRIVE BELT PULLEYS HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED ON MY NEW RAV4 AND THAT CAUSED THE DRIVE BELT TO COME OFF OF THE PULLEYS AND BROKE THE TENSIONER AND THE HOUSING GUIDE. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND THE NEXT MORNING, THE NEW RAV4 WOULD NOT START. I JUMPED SRTARTED THE RAV4 FROM MY WIFES VEHICLE AND LET IT RUN FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES THINKING THAT THE BATTERY JUST NEEDED A CHARGE. MY WIFE WAS GOING TO USE THE NEEW RAV4 VEHICLE THAT DAY TO SHOP. SHE CALLED ME ABOUT MID-MORNING AND INFORMED ME THAT THE NEW RAV4 VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AS SHE HAD GONE TO THE MALL. THAT EVENING MY WIFE AND I WENT TO THE MALL AND JUM STARTED THE VEHICLE AGIN AND I FINALLY GOT IT HOME AND IT IS NOW IN MY GARAGE, IT JUST WILL NOT START. I CALLED AND TALAKED TO THE SERVICE DIRECTOR ABOUT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I WAS HAVING WITH MY NEW RAV4 SUV. HE EQUATED MY BREAK-DOWNS TO GOING TO THE STORE AND BUYING A BOX OF FOUR LIGHT BULBS AND TAKING THE LIGHT BULBS HOME AND PUTTING A NEW LIGHT BULB IN A LAMP THAT HAD A BURNED OUT LIGHT BULB AND WHEN THE LAMP IS TURNED ON THEN THE NEW LIGHT BULB BURNS OUT. THIS REALLY MADE ME ANGRY. I TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS BIG DIFFERENCE IN A FIFTY CENT LIGHT BULB AND A $25,000.00 NEW VEHICLE WITH ONLY 1100 MILES ON IT. *AK