NHTSA Complaint #10215362 — 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA

MY 2006 TACOMA (14K MILES) HAS A "LOUD" GRINDING NOISE THAT LASTS FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND AT START-UP.. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO, AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALER, AND ONE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR REPLACEMENT, THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THEY HEARD THE NOISE, AND THAT SEVERAL "OTHER" TACOMAS ON THE LOT MADE THE SAME NOISE. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE TOP OF THE ENGINE IS COMING OFF. THE NOISE APPEARS TO BE A RESULT OF A LIQUID MIGRATION OR FLOOD-BACK CONDITION OF LIQUID REFRIGERANT (INSTEAD OF VAPOR) BEING COMPRESSED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. TOYOTA EMPHATICALLY INSISTS THE NOISE IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT NO FIXES ARE AVAILABLE NOW AND NONE ARE PLANNED. MY CONTENTION IS THAT IF THE A/C COMPRESSOR SEIZES DURING OPERATION, THIS WOULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE ENGINE DRIVE BELT (SINGLE BELT SERPENTINE SYSTEM). IF THE BELT SEPARATES FROM THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM WOULD BECOME INOPERATIVE AND WOULD RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THIS COULD HAVE AN ADVERSE AFFECT FOR ME, MY FAMILY, AND OTHER MOTORISTS. *TR