NHTSA Complaint #10302624 — 2000 TOYOTA AVALON

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. LOOKED THIS UP IN THE MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER - WHICH I DID. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL SAID THAT THEY RAN A CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEIR EXPLANATION WAS THAT A LED LIGHT IN THE DASH WAS MALFUNCTIONING. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING EITHER - SO THEY WIGGLED THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. THE HORN LASTED UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THIS FALL I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD CHECK ON MY HORN, SINCE IT DIDN'T WORK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ODD FOR A HORN TO GO OUT - BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT IF NEEDED. BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING TO THE HORN THEY CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID I NOT HAVE A HORN BUT - I DIDN'T HAVE THE DRIVER AIR BAG OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT A SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKEN. IT IS CALLED THE CABLE HUB ASSEMBLY. PRESENTLY I CAN NOT GET A CLEAN INSPECTION ON MY CAR - BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD ISSUE. USED PARTS ARE NOT SAFE TO USE AND NEW PARTS MUST BE ORDERED FROM TOYOTA - AND ARE COSTLY. THE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION IS COSTLY AS WELL. *CN