NHTSA Complaint #10070361 — 1985 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON MAY 23, 2003, I STOPPED AT VILLAGE SEVEN AMOCO, MY USUAL PLACE FOR CHECK UPS FOR MY VEHICLE. THE TEMPERATURE WAS RISING SLOWLY. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY I STOPPED BECAUSE HAD I PROCEEDED FOR ANOTHER FEW MILES THE HEAD GASKET WOULD HAVE BLOWN. THEY INSTALLED A NEW THERMOSTADT, THE FIRST ONE I HAD EVER RECEIVED. THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 WHEN I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEPLACE THERE WAS A PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE; FRIGHTENED I ONCE AGAIN WENT TO VILLAGE SEVEN AMOCO TO REPORT WHAT I HAD SEEN. JERRY CASH, SERVICE MANAGER, SAID THEY WILL HAVE TO LET THE CAR COOL OFF BEFORE CHECKING IT OUT. THE CAR SAT FOR ALMOST THREE HOURS BEFORE I WAS TOLD MY HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN, COST ESTIMATED AT $1600.00; I WAS OFFERED $50.00 FOR MY CAR. REFUSING TO HAVE ANYTHING DONE TO MY VEHICLE I LEFT. THERE WERE NOT ANY SIGNS OF ANY PROBLEMS AS I DROVE HOME. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND OPINIONS I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ANOTHER SERVICE STATION FOR A 'SECOND OPINION.' ON MAY 30TH I WAS TOLD BY CRAIG AT CRAIG'S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SERVICE THAT THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR, NO PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD GASKET. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE BBB OF COLORADO SPRINGS, HAD MY COMPLAINT CONSIDERED AND WAS TOLD IN A FORM LETTER, DATED JUNE 6, 2003, "... YOUR COMPLAINT WAS CONSIDERED A LETTER OF EXPERIENCE RATHER THAN A COMPLAINT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A CIVIL ISSUE AND THE BBB IS NOT A LEGAL OR ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. ...".