NHTSA Complaint #10119874 — 2000 TOYOTA COROLLA

I PURCHASED A 2000 TOYOTA COROLLA FROM DRY RIDGE TOYOTA ON APRIL 6, 2005. THE SALESMAN SAID THE CAR HAD BEEN THROUGH THE DEALER'S USUAL PROCESS TO READY THE CAR FOR SALE AND ENSURE EVERYTHING WAS IN SAFE WORKING ORDER. THE CAR HAD JUST UNDER 51,000 MILES ON IT. THREE WEEKS LATER MY DAUGHTER NOTICED IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND SHE BEGAN TO HEAR NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. TODAY, MAY 4, WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC, LESS THAN 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE. THE MECHANIC TOLD US WE WERE VERY LUCKY THE ENGINE HADN'T SEIZED OR BLOWN UP--THE OIL WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE. THERE IS NO PUDDLE ON THE DRIVEWAY AND NO TELL-TALE SMOKE AS IF IT WERE BURNING OIL, BUT STILL THE OIL WAS GONE. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AND AM FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY. TRUSTING TOYOTA'S REPUTATION, I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE. NOW I AM NOT CONFIDENT SHE IS SAFE IN THIS CAR, BUT I CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE, EITHER. I WILL CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP, THOUGH JUDGING FROM THE POSTS HERE I ALSO HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT ANYTHING WILL COME OF THAT. WE WILL MONITOR THE OIL LEVEL.