NHTSA Complaint #10168320 — 2001 TOYOTA ECHO

I REPORTED A SAFETY PROBLEM TO TOYOTA AS A TOYOTA CUSTOMER- ON 08/29/2006 08:29 AM: HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN? WHILE DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IN A BAD RAIN STORM AT NIGHT THE DEFROSTER AIR STOPPED COMING OUT OF ALL VENTS. THE FAN COULD BE HEARD BUT NO AIR CAME FROM ANY OPENING. CHANGING THE CONTROLS ON THE DASH BOARD HAD NO EFFECT, EXCEPT FOR TURNING THE FAN OFF AND ON. THE FRONT WINDOW FOGGED UP AND DRIVING BECAME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF NEARLY ZERO VISIBILITY. WE WERE FORCED TO STOP DRIVING AND SEEK REFUGE IN A MOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT THE DEFROSTER WORKED NORMALLY. 2001 ECHO. PURCHASED JANUARY 3, 2002 QUOTING ASK TOYOTA <[email protected]>: RESPONSE (ENRIQUE) - 08/31/2006 04:30 PM THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONCERNS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING WITH YOUR 2001 ECHO. THE WARRANTY FOR YOUR DEFROST IS THREE YEARS OR 36 THOUSAND MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE FOR YOUR VEHICLE. BASED ON THE VIN (VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) YOU PROVIDED, YOUR WARRANTY COVERAGE STARTED ON 01/07/2002. YOUR VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THESE WARRANTY PARAMETERS AND WE ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. ETC. TO TOYOTA, I AGAIN SUMMARIZED THE FAILURE AND THE CONSEQUENCES: ON- 09/02/2006 09:12 AM; I SAID: ... MY QUESTION WAS SENT TO YOU AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED "HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN?" BECAUSE YOUR RESPONSE WAS INADEQUATE: IT IS MY INTENT TO "REPORT A POSSIBLE DEFECT WITH A VEHICLE" TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION... SO I AM REPORTING THE SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.*JB