NHTSA Complaint #10090834 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON SEPT. 10TH, 2004 MY SON TRIED CLOSING MY TRUNK ON MY COROLLA LE AND THE PLASTIC MECHANISM BROKE AND PREVENTED THE TRUNK LID FROM LOCKING. HE REPORTS THAT HE DID NO MORE THAN TO TRY TO CLOSE THE TRUNK AFTER OPENING IT. THIS SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THOSE INCIDENTS WHERE THERE IS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM AND MOST OWNERS FEEL THEY ARE THE CULPRET OF ITS' MALFUNCTION. I HAD ONE OF THOSE COROLLA'S THAT HAD A FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE TOYOTA AGENCY AFTER 1 1/2 YEARS REPLACED IT FREE AFTER SMELLING LIKE ROTTEN EGGS FOR THAT LENGTH OF TIME. I WAS TOLD ORIGINALLY BY THE SERVICE DEPT., IT WAS THE GAS I PUT INTO IT, OR THAT IT WOULD TKAE LONGER THEN NORMAL FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BREAK IN. FINALLY, IT WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF SO MANY REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS BY OTHERS WHO SUFFERED FROM THE SAME SMELL. I WONDER IF THIS IS THE SAME ABOUT THE TRUNK LID MECHANISM?*AK