NHTSA Complaint #10214244 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

VEH PURCHASED NEW MAY, 2007. IT HAD LESS THAN 150 MILES ON IT WHEN THE 1ST INCIDENT HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A GRADE AT APPROX 65 MPH. THERE WAS A TRAFFIC LIGHT APPROX 350 TO 450 FT AHEAD. I KNEW I COULD NOT MAKE THE LIGHT SO I APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE SEEMED TO SEIZE UP AND SURGE AND MY BRAKES WERE ALMOST USELESS. IT IS AN AUTO TRANSMISSION & ALL I COULD THINK TO DO TO STOP WAS BRAKE HARD & SHIFT INTO PARK. THIS DID STOP IT...BUT I WAS FRIGHTENED. SUBSEQUENTLY, APPROX TWO MONTHS LATER, WHILE ON VACATION OUT OF STATE, THE VEH STARTED MAKING A TICKING SOUND AS SOON AS THE ENGINE HIT 3000 RPM'S. UPON RETURNING TO CA I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND TOLD HIM ABOUT BOTH PROBLEMS. THEY SUPPOSEDLY PUT IT ON THEIR SCOPE & NO DIAGNOSES CODE APPEARED. THEY SAID THE NOISE WAS A LOOSE HOSE??? FUNNY IT ONLY TICKED AT EXACTLY 3000 RPM'S!!!. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE SEIZING AND SURGING. THIS CAR HAS NOW DONE THIS SEIZING AND SURGING THING THREE MORE TIMES. IT IS SCARY AND FRIGHTENING!! THE 2ND & 3RD TIMES, I AGAIN WAS ON A DOWN GRADE GOING AROUND 65 MPH AT AROUND 3000 RPM'S. AGAIN IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE I BRAKED THAT CAUSED THE SEIZING THEN SURGING. THE LAST & 4TH TIME THIS THING HAPPENED WAS LAST WEEK. I WAS IDLING IN A DRIVE THROUGH , WAITING FOR MY FOOD. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE & I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. IT WAS IN THIS POSITION FOR ABOUT 5-7 MINUTES, MOVING SLOWLY FORWARD EVERY 1-2 MINUTES. IT WAS A WARMER DAY- AS I MOVED FORWARD AGAIN, I PUSHED THE A/C BUTTON TO CIRCULATE SOME AIR. SUDDENLY, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD..MADE AN AWFUL SOUND & NO AMOUNT OF BRAKING SEEMED TO HOLD IT . AGAIN, AS WITH THE VERY FIRST TIME, THIS BROUGHT THE CAR INTO CONTROL! I WORK OUT OF TOWN AND DEPEND ON HAVING A CAR....BUT I AM GETTING SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I HAVE APPROX 8,500 MILES ON IT NOW. I DON'T KNOW IF I TRUST THE DEALER TO TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY & WOULD REALLY LIKE TOYOTA'S HELP. *TR