NHTSA Complaint #10258563 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

ON FREEWAY, OTHER MOTORIST NOTIFIED ME MY CAR WAS "ON FIRE!" I SAW EXCESSIVE SMOKE IN REARVIEW MIRROR. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS DIXON, CA OFF INTERSTATE 80 WEST IN CALIFORNIA. THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY THERE IS GRASSY, DID NOT THINK IT WAS SAFE TO STOP...I STOPPED THE CAR AND SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE, COMING UP THROUGH THE HOOD & UNDER THE CAR. THIS WAS TUES, 2/3/09. I HAS THE CAR SERVICED THE FRI BEFORE, 1/30/09 AT TOYOTA VALLEJO IN VALLEJO, CA. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AFTER CALLING AAA FOR A TOW. THE SERVICE ADVISOR, RYAN SAID "IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN FROM ANYTHING THEY HAD DONE. BUT THERE IS AN 'OIL HOSE' THAT HAD BEEN COMING OFF ALOT OF THE RAV4'S." I WAS ALREADY UPSET & THAT MADE ME LIVID!! IF IT WERE A KNOWN PROBLEM THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE CHECKED DURING THE SCHEDULED MAINT. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO LITHIA TOYOTA OF VACAVILLE #47 AT 500 ORANGE DRIVE, VACAVILLE, CA. WORK ORDER 394212. AS OF YESTERDAY, 2/12/09, THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER, MEGAN, TOLD ME THERE WAS NO TSB SHE WAS AWARE OF, YET THE PART THAT CAME OFF (VVTI OIL PIPE) WAS NOT FOUND AT ANY OTHER DEALERSHIP OR SUPPLIER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WAS ON ORDER FROM TOYOTA IN JAPAN. I AM FURIOUS THAT IT APPEARS TOYOTA WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS FAILED TO INITIATE ANY STEPS TO PREVENT RISK TO ITS CONSUMERS. I AM ASKING FOR A FULL INVESTIGATION WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL LEAD TO A RECALL OF THE 2006 RAV4'S AND ANY OTHER YEAR THIS AFFECTS. MEGAN, THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER AT LITHIA TOYOTA CONFIRMED WITH MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER, JOSE LARA (GEICO 707-688-3318) THE COST IS COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY....WHAT ABOUT THE COST OF MY LIFE, AND THE LIVES OF THE OTHER MOTORIST SURROUNDING ME??? THE RISK OF FIRE IS NEVER TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER TO AVOID ANY COST OF LIFE. *TR