NHTSA Complaint #10049080 — 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA

OF THE ELEVEN (11) VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED THUS FAR, AT LEAST EIGHT (8) HAS BEEN TOYOTA, ONE A FORD, AND TWO WERE NISSAN'S. ALL THE TOYOTA'S GAVE ME EXCELLENT SERVICE, EXCEPT THE LAST. THIS WAS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA CE THAT WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF. SO MUCH SO, THAT WE PURCHASED A SMART CHOICE WARRANTY FOR TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1200) TO GIVE US AN ADDED PIECE OF MIND. THIS VEHICLE WAS PUIRCHASED FOR MY COLLEGE GOING DAUGHTER, BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THIS BRAND IS BASED ON RELIABILTY, ECONOMY AND DURABILITY. THESE ARE WELL KNOWN TOYOTRA ATTRIBUTES.ON 11/28/2003 THE OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AT INTERVALS. I DID MY OWN DIAGONISTICS AS A RESPONSIBLE TOYOTA OWNER AND FOUND THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I THEN LEFT WORK TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD AFTER HOURS OF EXAMINATION THAT THE OIL PUMP NEEDED REPLACING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS AS THE VEHICLE HAD REGULAR SERVICES. AT THIS I CONTACTED SMART CHOICE, ONLY TO LEARN THAT THEY HAD FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. THIS WAS A MAJOR SETBACK FOR ME. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS AT THIS STAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY $530.00. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION BY MY MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ENGINE HAD LARGE DEPOSITS OF SLUDGE AND THAT IT HAD A SHORT LIFESPAN. BASED ON THIS I WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT I LODGE THIS LEGITIMATE COMPLAINT AND REQUEST AN OFFICIAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO CONTACT ME AT THE SOONEST.*AK