NHTSA Complaint #10070169 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

MY WIFE PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. SHE PURCHASED IT BECAUSE OF ITS IMPLIED ECONOMY. BUT DESPITE THE OWNER'S MANUAL CLAIMS THAT THE CAR CAN USE 87 OCTANE OR HIGHER, SUCH IS NOT THE CASE. IN TWO WORDS, ROTTEN EGGS. IN TWO OTHER WORDS, HYDROGEN SULFIDE. AS WE DECELERATE TO A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN, IF THE WINDOWS ARE OPEN, OR THE VENTILATION SYSTEM IS SET TO INTAKE OUTSIDE AIR, THE ODOR OF ROTTEN EGGS IS OVERPOWERING. (NOTE THAT IF THE AIRFLOW PATTERN CONTROL IS TURNED TO EITHER PARTIAL OR TOTAL WINDSHIELD DEFROST, THE CONTROL WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENFORCE FRESH, OUTSIDE AIR INTAKE.) WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE MANAGER DIDN'T BAT AN EYELASH. JUST OPENED A DRAWER AND PULLED OUT A SHEET OF PAPER WHICH STATES THAT TMC ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM, AND WILL DO NOTHING TO REMEDY IT. THE PAPER FURTHER SUGGESTS THAT I SHOULD CHANGE BRANDS OF GASOLINE (WE HAD ALREADY TRIED THAT) OR CHANGE TO A HIGHER GRADE OF GASOLINE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO WRITE UP THE PROBLEM ON A REPORT. I CAN ATTEST, THE ROTTEN EGG ODOR DOESN'T ABATE IF 87 OCTANE FUEL IS USED - EVEN AMOCO WHICH PURPORTS TO BE BETTER THAN THE REST. SEARCHING THESE TOPICS VIA GOOGLE, I FOUND A DISCUSSION SUGGESTING THAT THE CAUSE WAS/IS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER RUNNING TOO HOT - PROBABLY DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SURE ENOUGH, THIS VEHICLE HAS THE FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER (THERE ARE TWO, IN TANDEM) IS COUPLED DIRECTLY TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. FURTHER, THERE IS NO ROOM TO MOVE THE UNIT BACK, AND, SINCE THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS WELDED, ANY MODIFICATIONS TO IT WOULD PROBABLY NEGATE MY WARRANTY. MY '88 COROLLA USES THE SAME 87 OCTANE FUELS, FROM THE SAME BRANDS (THAT WE'VE TRIED ON THE '03 COROLLA) AND DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMERS DESERVE A BETTER PRODUCT THAN THIS. MY SON'S '02 HONDA CIVIC DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHY SHOULD WE - AND OUR FELLOW ROAD USERS BEHIND US AND TO THE SIDES OF US - BE FORCED TO TOLERATE THIS DEPLORABLE STENCH?