NHTSA Complaint #10256206 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

I FOUND A HUGE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES TO TAKE MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. THE OIL STICK READ EMPTY. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED OIL SO I COULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I MADE SEVERAL CALLS BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I HAD RECENTLY HAD MY CAR SERVICED AT ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WHEN DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM THE MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT INSTANTLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE AVALON. I CALLED TWO OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAD THE SAME RESPONSE. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND AT THAT TIME TOLD ME THAT THE "PIPE ASSEMBLY" PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER AND THAT THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING THE PART UNTIL FEBRUARY 16, THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN WAS JANUARY 15TH. TOYOTA IS TAKING LITTLE TO NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS CAUSING UNDO HARDSHIP ON TOYOTA'S OWNERS. AFTER TALKING TO VARIOUS AVALON DEALERS, I FOUND THAT SOME OWNERS HAD TO HAVE THEIR ENGINES REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THAT HAVE NOT INFORMED THE PUBLIC OF. APPARENTLY, TOYOTA HAS BEEN QUIETLY FIXING THE PROBLEM WHILE THE VEHICLES ARE UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS FAILED TO LET THE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS ONGOING DEFICIENCY. NOW THAT THE PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER THE SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM IS BEING ADDRESS DAILY. I AM HOPING OTHER MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO FIX THIS PROBLEM NOW THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE BACKORDER. I AM JUST GLAD THAT I IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT GOT WORSE. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE LEAD TO MY DAUGHTER AND I STRANDED ON HWY 495 IN WASHINGTON DC TRAFFIC, ON THE COLD HIGHWAY WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO PICK US UP BECAUSE THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. THE REASON WHY I'M SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I SPOKE, TO THREE DEALERSHIP, IN THREE DIFFERENT STATES AND EACH IDENTIFIED THIS AS A PROBLEM. EACH DEALERSHIP KNEW OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND PROBLEM. *TR