NHTSA Complaint #10280538 — 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA

LIKE A GREAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE, I AM EXPERIENCING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO IN MY 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF RANDOMLY WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. IT ALSO SWITCHES BANDS (FM1 TO FM2, ETC.) OF ITS OWN VOLITION. SOMETIMES IT REFUSES TO TURN ON AT ALL. JUDGING FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINTS SCATTERED AROUND VARIOUS FORUM SITES ON THE INTERNET, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT IN THE "ACCESS CAB," WHICH IS THE MODEL I RECENTLY PURCHASED. THIS BIZARRE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN HAPPENING FROM THE DAY I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE DEALERS LOT: THE RADIO--WHICH I THOUGHT WAS OFF-- SUDDENLY BEGAN BLARING AT HIGH VOLUME. AFTER ABOUT ONE SECOND, IT. TURNED ITSELF OFF AGAIN. IT WAS STARTLING TO SAY THE LEAST, AND I'M GLAD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE RADIO EXHIBITS SOME KIND OF "POLTERGEIST" MANIFESTATION ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. SO FAR TOYOTA'S RESPONSE TO MY PROBLEM ALSO SEEMS TYPICAL OF WHAT OTHERS ARE REPORTING. THE COMPANY (AND THE DEALER) APPEAR TO BE STONEWALLING AND STALLING. THE INTERNET IS RIFE WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE RADIO YET THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN (PRESUMABLY BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY AN INDIRECT CONNECTION TO SAFETY ISSUES AND THE LAWSUITS THEY CAN BRING). THE SERVICE WRITER AT MY DEALERSHIP STOUTLY MAINTAINED THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD FOUND COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET, HE ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE ME THAT I WAS THE VICTIM OF INTERNET HYSTERIA--AS IF I COULDN'T TELL WHEN MY RADIO WAS TURNING ON AND OFF WITHOUT HUMAN INPUT. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, THE SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME THAT "A TECHNICIAN WILL HAVE TO EXAMINE THE RADIO FOR DEFECTS AND GET PART NUMBERS AND SO FORTH BEFORE HE CAN MAKE REPAIRS." IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVE TO MAKE AT LEAST TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER (25 MILES AWAY) TO SOLVE WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE RECALL ISSUE, AND I HAVE TO HOPE AN ELECTRICAL GREMLIN APPEARS ON DEMAND WHEN THE TECHNICIAN CHECKS IT. *TR